Detectives investigating a crash between a 76-year-old woman and a cyclist today released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to.
The Brighton OAP was left with serious injuries following the crash in North Road, near the junction with Kensington Gardens at approximately 5pm on Saturday 31 August.
She was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged, pending further treatment.
The cyclist, a man, left the scene without exchanging any details.
An investigation was launched and a number of enquiries have been completed to date. Officers would now like to speak to the man pictured as they believe he may have information that would assist the investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, has any relevant CCTV or dashcam footage, or who recognises the person in the image is urged to come forward.
You can do this online via the Sussex Police website or by calling 101 quoting serial 341 of 01/09.
This makes me think that cyclists should have registration plates, like other road vehicles. The ability to have a lack of accountability gives rise to incidents like this. If this were any other vehicle, they’d stay, because they would know they’d be instantly found out if they fled a scene.
The Government thoroughly examined the idea of registration plates for bicycles recently and concluded that setting up, maintaining, verifying and enforcing it makes it not viable. Do you have a way to make it viable?
One way to make it more viable would be to introduce a system similar to vehicle registration, but with lower fees and simplified processes. The registration could be digital, reducing the cost of infrastructure, and focusing on urban areas where incidents are more likely. Additionally, enforcement could be linked with existing road cameras, which could be adapted to read these plates.
The benefits would extend beyond accountability for incidents like hit-and-runs; it would also encourage responsible cycling, better adherence to road laws, and provide data for city planning. But, of course, the counterargument is that this might disincentivise cycling, which is key to reducing traffic and emissions.
A pilot scheme in major cities could test the viability without a nationwide rollout, addressing concerns raised by the government while allowing for real-world data to influence the decision.
What design of number plate do you propose, from what distance should the numbers be legible, where on the cycle should it be affixed and at what age should a rider be required to affix said plate? Does the number plate identify a specific cycle or its rider and should a rider have public liability insurance?
Each time someone on a cycle does something dreadful, this suggestion is often made despite it being obviously impractical and unlikely to prevent further dreadful acts.
For some, number plates are a reaction to a perceived problem. For others, it’s an opportunity to rail against cyclists. Laws already exist for such illegally. Number plates on cycles solve nothing.
Could also be a high Viz jacket, code on a helmet, etc. Technical challenges are not prohibitive to a good idea.
Being in the Transport sector this has come up a number of times with many ideas put forward and some even being introduced by the DSA, but none conclusive for the problem of cyclists.
Identification of a cyclist is one that needs addressing but there’s no cost effective way of doing this easily because of the adminstration and logistics involved.
Number plates, as such, would be a huge undertaking and itself presents more problems. Would a child have to register their bikes and we have six bikes in our household, would all six need to be registered ?
I think the rider needs to be identified, so eliminates the need for bike registration as such as riders can switch bikes if they have the resource to do so.
An idea with some merit, is making it compulsory to wear a hi visibility jacket with a post code printed on the back, something like 88 BN1 4AA.
Cyclists should be uniquely identifiable? How about other non-vehicular road and pavement users? What happens if a cyclist does not have their jacket but needs to cycle? How does one assert one’s identity when buying the jacket?
Then one cannot cycle. Same as any other motor vehicle, you don’t have the correct gear, you cannot drive.
You’re not answering each question. I suspect this is because the problem is intractable.
As has been explained elsewhere, number plates and other ill-considered ideas, have been considered before and found wanting.
No amount of handwaving changes that and, besides, existing legislation deals with the offence that sparked this article.
Far better it from me to rain on your parade. Please forward your suggestions to your local and national representatives.
Gabe
As I stated in an earlier post, it should be compulsory for cyclist to wear Hi Viability jackets. The identification process is quite simple, when buying a jacket these can be printed. Like everything else, if you don’t follow the law then don’t do it, but as always, some think the rules laws do not apply to them.
What about non-vehicular and pavement users?
Agree with Benjamin above, it’s about time cyclists have to have some sort of registration. They can kill someone and just cycle/walk away without a hope of being found, even if they have killed someone.
There are so many unregistered vehicles of one kind and another on our roads now, it’s getting to be a real hazard as they are all unregistered and do not have to take tests of any kind.
Or at least make it an offence to leave the scene of an accident where people have or may have been injured.
There’s no reason why the law couldn’t treat all road users equally in this regard, as leaving the scene of an accident should be unacceptable regardless of the vehicle used, at least in my opinion.
But if you’re on a bike and pedal off home after causing an accident, how can the police trade you? This is why number plates are needed for cycles on the road.
If only there was existing legislation to prosecute the individual who collided with the pedestrian.
You are disingenuously attempting to evade the point of identification.
Benjamin, consider these scenarios:
1. Cyclist collides with a pedestrian. Cyclist is unidentifiable because bike or their person is not adorned with a unique identifier.
2. Skateboarder collides with a pedestrian. Skateboarder is unidentifiable because skateboard or their person is not adorned with a unique identifier.
3. Runner collides with a pedestrian. Runner is unidentifiable because their person is not adorned with a unique identifier.
4. Dog collides with a pedestrian. Dog’s owner is unidentifiable because dog is not adorned with a unique identifier.
Where does it logically end?
Slippery slope argument is a logical fallacy. Respectfully, it is a fundamentally flawed argument.
Even so, cyclists are a common mode of transport on the road, and specifically referred to in the highway code, the others are not. And the frequency of cyclists breaking law on the roads are far greater than any of those other scenarios combined; if there was a massive upsurge in skaters commonly travelling around, skipping lights, flying into people and running away, yes…we could consider making them more identifiable.
Gabe
In reverse order.
4) Not unknown but rare that a dog that collides with a pedestrian would cause serious, life threatening injuries or death. Most dog owners are responsible and keep their mutts under control. I’d rather be crashed into by a dog than solid metal.
3) Not unknown but rare that runners who collides with a pedestrian would cause serious, life threating injuries or death.
2) Not unknown but rare that a skateboarder would inflict serious, life threating or even deaths.
1) It is a known fact that Cyclist cause deaths, life threatening injuries and countless injuries to pedestrians. A cycle can weigh as much as a small car nowadays and are lethal weapons.
True, a dog owner, runner or skateboarder are unidentified, but these are very rarely seen on our streets in any great numbers, but cyclists, are in their hundreds and almost on every street every day and pose MORE of a danger than a loose mutt, day dreaming running or skateboarder.
You’re putting forward at best, a lame argument that is so laughable I checked the date to make sure it wasn’t April.
It already is an offence.
Trouble is, a cyclist can not be identified and just ride off.
“They can kill someone and just cycle/walk away” is clearly emotive exaggeration. Yes they can and it has happened three times across the whole country in the last five years. The elephant in the room of this conversation is the 1500 people who are killed across the whole country every year by motor vehicles, including by some of the estimated one million uninsured drivers. This was a horrible incident and I hope the cyclist is traced and helps police but exaggeration doesn’t help anyone.
Or in your case an excuse for cyclists to ignore traffic laws and regulations and not be accountable for their actions. Are you saying that 3 known deaths of pedestrians by cyclists is acceptable?
Just returned from Amsterdam, and interesting that the same problems we have with cyclists (and especially illegal eBikes) also applies there with them expecting pedestrians to get out of their way on pavements and shared paths.
Max, you’re quoting facts that are inaccurate. DfT data and other related sites show on avarage 2-3 pedestrians are killed by cyclist each year.
The quote 1500 people killed by motor vehicles is also inaccurate.
In 2021, for example, 91 cyclist were killed in single vehicle incidents, ie, they hit stationary objects. 25 people fell or jumped off structures, there’s 116 already that weren’t directly down to motor vehicles.
The data shows, across all road transport modes, 361 pedestrians were killed in vehicle related incidents, this includes cyclists, e-scooters and other non motorised wheeled vehicles. Further research shows around 4% are caused by the victim.
Even more research shows, per million miles travelled, you’re more likely to have an incident with a cyclist than a motor vehicle.
When making statements, it would be a great idea to check the information before posting, it took me just 2 minutes to shoot your 2-3 killed over five years down.
I really think the police need to take the issue of antisocial riding more seriously and start issuing on the spot fines, partciularly to the menace of balaclava-wearing fat-bike riders with no lights on riding straight through pedestrian crossings at ridiculous speeds. I’m not surprised at this story and it likely won’t be the last.
I think that is a good first step. Some reported stories of cyclists getting fines for dangerous and antisocial usage of their bikes creates accountability, and will encourage others to think about what they are doing.
There is always a Cyclist or a DeliveryDriver coming down St James St on the Rd-also annoying they on the Rd along Old Shoreham Rd to skip the traffic lights.
I would like to report them via dash cam, but without a way to identify them, it does not work.
Electric bikes are all over now, they are as big as motorbikes and silent. They ignore the laws of the road and speed the wrong way on one way streets. Always on pavements.
I was reading from one of the family members, this lady was hit by an electric bike, not just a pedal cycle.
If you are feeling hatred towards cyclists in general you most likely have an advanced case of prejudice and in which case you should seek help.
You’re dead right there; I’m prejudiced against selfish anti-social cyclists riding at high speed on the pavement forcing me to scramble out of their war or ignoring red lights and shooting over pedestrian crossings when I’m half way across…
The madness starts when you generalise your prejudice and apply it to all cyclists. Most of whom are innocent.
No Steve, I have an advanced case of not ever repeating needing to collate the mangled pieces of what was once a person as they bleed out onto the road because they ignored road rules whilst their family is only a few metres away, unaware of what’s happened, working out how to tell them their dad is dead and they shouldn’t look at what’s left.
I was hit by a cyclist on the pavement in London Road only last week. Deliveroo I think, a little further on from Aldi. He came around the bus stop on the pavement at speed, just where pedestrians are bottle-necked.
Black bike, black clothing, black balaclava – totally undercover.
You take your life in your hands now in Brighton if you are a pedestrian.
What I don’t get is why cyclists can’t make their minds up. They ride on the road, then go onto the pavement to use a zebra crossing as if they are a pedestrian, then ride up the pavement on the other side of the road. You can watch this all day long at Preston Park.
Fortunately the zebra crossings at Preston Park are being replaced by Toucan crossings, which cyclists will be allowed to use. This will allow them to cycle from Preston Park to Argyle Road on the new bi-directional cycle lane that’s being built. It will make cyclists and pedestrians much safer.
If they’re heading towards you at Speed on the pavement, step to one side and then brush your hand against the end of the handlebars as they pass. Physics in action and a learning experience for the errant rider 😊
That’s assault. Don’t do that.
Very simply start with the city centre. No registration plate within the zone? Then bike intercepted and confiscated. Easily doable if you have the determination.
Of course it will mostly affect those masked gentlemen distributing urgently needed medication to their clients.