§ Lord Brougham and VauxMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Geddes, and at his request, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any circumstances in which the law permits cyclists to ignore red traffic lights.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)My Lords, no.
§ Lord Brougham and VauxMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that clear response. Could not the police take more vigorous steps to support the law and prosecute more cyclists who jump traffic lights and maim and injure people, as happened to my noble friend Lord Clark? How many cyclists—if any—have been prosecuted for jumping traffic lights and maiming and injuring people?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, such statistics are kept by the police authority area and I am therefore unable to give a national figure. As the noble Lord implies, the figure is relatively small. Cyclists are subject to exactly the same restrictions as vehicular traffic, but police enforcement is more difficult. However, it is also true that in terms of accident statistics the number of people injured is extremely small compared with the number of those injured by motor traffic.
§ Lord HaskelMy Lords, is the Minister aware that I have been a cyclist for many years—and, of course, I have never been through a red light? Does my noble friend agree that when traffic junctions are made cyclist-friendly by providing cycle lanes and signals, cycling becomes safer and more attractive and the behaviour of motor car drivers is modified?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I am well aware of my noble friend's interest and recreation as a cyclist, and even more so of his law-abiding nature. He is correct in saying that where road space allows it is better to provide dedicated cycle routes. Some local authorities may have decided at some junctions that it is better to allow cyclists to move closer to the lights. However, that does not imply that they have any greater freedom 1286 to ignore the light signals. Those road markings and dedicated routes are a major contribution towards road safety and encouragement of cycling.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, I am sorry to see that the noble Lord has a bad arm. I hope that he has not fallen off his bike. Does a cyclist dismounting and walking from one pavement to another constitute a bicycle crossing the red light or a pedestrian with a cycle crossing a red light?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his solicitude. My injury is nothing to do with cycling either as a victim or as a cyclist. The question he raises probably requires a written reply. I understand that if one is pushing one's bike in most circumstances one is regarded as a pedestrian. However, I shall clarify that in writing.
§ Lord MonkswellMy Lords, as regards the Minister's initial Answer, would a police constable on a push bike going across a red light be breaking the law whereas his colleague doing so in a panda car would not?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that question. I understand—again the answer is subject to clarification—that no vehicle is allowed to cross traffic lights. There are, however, mitigating circumstances in relation to police in pursuit. I believe that that is the answer.
§ Lord Campbell of AllowayMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that many of the tantalising problems with which he is being asked to deal could be resolved if we had something like the law of Switzerland where pedestrians are not allowed to ignore the red light?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, the laws in this country regarding pedestrians are not as tight as those in Switzerland and the observance of signals is not as effective. However, the reality is that enforcement problems and police priorities would prohibit too much attention to creating new offences for pedestrians in this country and would not constitute a great deal to road safety.
§ Baroness Hilton of EggardonMy Lords, perhaps I may assist the Minister. A cyclist wheeling his cycle remains a vehicle and does not become a pedestrian unless he carries it above his head. Perhaps I may further assist my noble friend. The only way to deal with cyclists is to follow the practice in China where all cyclists have index numbers and can therefore be traced.
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I am grateful for my noble friend's clarification from her vast experience of these matters. Even in her experience, I am not sure how many cyclists she has seen carrying cycles over their heads.
Registration would be an enormous administrative effort for few results. Given that a large proportion of the 20 million cyclists are children, there would be 1287 difficulty in identification and it would not contribute substantially to road safety. In the days when the cycle was the primary means of transport in China, things may have been different. In this country, registration would be a diversion of administrative and police resources.
§ Lord AnnanMy Lords, is the Minister surprised at the number of Questions asked in the House over the past few months concerning cyclists? Hardly ever is a Starred Question asked about motorists' behaviour. I refer to road rage and the fact that a motorist may mow down and kill a child and then be fined £200 for careless driving. There are other offences concerned with parking which always seem to arouse great fervour and irritation on behalf of the motorist. Does the noble Lord think that that is an indication of the class war?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I am not sure I can make that analysis. However, in response to the first point, I initially found the strength of feeling in this House for and against cyclists somewhat odd. The prime road safety problem in this country relates to driver behaviour and driver error. We are looking at road safety strategy in my department. We hope to draw up a comprehensive road strategy before the end of this year. The main attention will be on motorists and those who are affected by motorists although we shall not ignore the situation of motor cyclists and pedal cyclists. However, the balance in this House has on occasion seemed to me to be inappropriate.
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, no. In general, bicyclists should not be on the pavements. However, there are some pavements which have been designated dual purpose by local authorities.
Viscount FalklandMy Lords, does the Minister agree that spending 20 minutes outside your Lordships' House is quite instructive, especially of an evening? One sees cyclists not only going through red lights but also not having lights on their bicycles. However, one sees police vigilance where bus lane discipline is concerned. Are not these matters getting slightly out of proportion?
§ Lord WhittyMy Lords, I believe that the vast majority of cyclists, even in our city at going home-time, are law abiding and observe the law in relation to lights and traffic lights. Of course, a significant number do not, but they create a substantially smaller problem than motorists who fail to observe the law. Those motorists create their own road safety problems and, indeed, contribute substantially to the number of injuries in this country whereas, by and large, with a few unfortunate exceptions, cyclists do not.