HC Deb 21 November 2002 vol 394 cc246-7W
Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions in each of the last five years cyclists have been prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit; [80397]

(2) how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years of cyclists for (a) cycling the wrong way down one-way streets, (b) riding on pavements, (c) cycling through traffic lights at red, (d) using footpaths designated for pedestrians and (e) failing to carry cycle lights at night. [80398]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth

The available information is contained in the table. This relates to neglect of traffic directions (which will include cycling the wrong way down one-way streets), riding on footpath (which will include riding on pavements and using footpaths designated for pedestrians), failing to obey signal (which will include cycling through traffic lights at red), lighting and reflector offences (which will include failing to carry cycle lights at night) and other offences (which will include any offences of exceeding the speed limit)

Information for 2001 will be published in December.

Persons1 proceeded against at magistrates' courts for various offences connected with pedal cycles, England and Wales 1996 to 2000
Office Description Principal statute 1996 1997 1998 1999 20002
Neglect of traffic directions Road Traffic Act 1988 Secs 35 and 36 181 92 121 63 52
Riding on footpath Highways Act, 1835 Sec 72; (as amended by Local Government Act 1888 S.85(l), the Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1888, Highways Act 1959 Sch, Criminal Justice Act 1967, 3rd Sch. and Criminal Justice Act 1982, ss 39 and 46 and Sch. 3); Metropolitan Police Act, 1839, Sec.54(7) and Byelaws. 423 648 1,055 376 223
Failing to obey signal Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Sec. 28(3) 24 43 19 45 6
Lighting and reflector offences Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec. 81 and RVL Regs. 1989 382 412 624 459 275
Certain other offences Various 16 7 16 25 15

Notes:

1 Principal offence basis.

2 Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.