A cyclist has been fined £700 for a catalogue of traffic offences including jumping a red light and cyclist on the pavement.
Richard Hodgson, 53, of Maldon Road, Brighton, also cycled without lights and failed to stop for police.
After failing to turn up to Brighton Magistrates’ Court, he was found guilty in his absence and also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Insp James Biggs of the Brighton and Hove Road Policing Unit said: “Our communities in Brighton and Hove are regularly raising concerns about anti-social cycling, where cyclists are cycling on pavements, having no regard for red traffic lights and cycling without lights at night.
“This behaviour puts both the cyclists and other road users at risk and we will respond robustly to anyone found committing such offences.
“Alongside enforcement activity, we are encouraging cyclists to ride responsibly and to be visible. We are also running a series of campaigns aimed at motorists to raise their awareness and encourage them to look out for cyclists.
“We want to keep cyclists safe on our roads and our message to all road users is share the road responsibly.”
I wonder how small the fine would have been by comparison if he had simply been driving a car?
Seeing the horrendous driving on display at times, which funnily enough includes running or jumping red lights and dangerous speeding (I’ve reported some to Surrey police, they didn’t want to know), it makes me think this cyclist was unlucky.
Regardless of the actions of other rode users and the consequences that may happen, the cyclist was not ‘unlucky’. He broke the law (multiple times) and was punished for it. To say he was unlucky makes him sound like a victim, which he most certainly is not.
As a committed cyclist, I want to see the police giving out more fines and taking tough actions on cyclists who break the law. I do, of course, want them to also apply this to drivers who break the law.
None of us is above the law, and no-one who breaks the law and gets punished for it should ever be considered to be unlucky.