COLLISIONS INVOLVING MOTOR VEHICLES AND CYCLISTS OR PEDESTRIANS

That this House acknowledges that many other European countries have much better cyclist and pedestrian safety records than the UK; recognises that these countries apply the principle of stricter liability to vulnerable road victims, so that drivers of vehicles that hit cyclists or pedestrians are assumed liable unless they can prove their innocence; believes that this makes drivers more aware of the vulnerability of children, cyclists and pedestrians; notes that, in contrast in UK road traffic personal injury cases, the burden of proof is on the victim to prove the other party was negligent; is aware of research that shows the fatality rate of cyclists aged 10 to 14 involved in collisions with motor vehicles is five times worse in the UK than in the Netherlands and Sweden; and calls on the Government to bring road traffic personal injury legislation into line with workplace health and safety law, product liability law and car passenger protection by adoption of the principle of stricter liability.