We think that motorist and the motor insurers will have something to say about the latest advice given to the government. The advice is that motorists should always be legally liable for all accidents with cyclists – even if the motorist was not at fault!

The advisers are called Cycling England an organisation funded by the Transport Department and they want the civil law to be altered so that insurers would always be liable for compensation. Now hands up who thinks that advice comes from an impartial assessment from a neutral adviser?

I can’t see any hands! Let’s try again, who thinks that advice comes from an impartial assessment from a neutral adviser?

Thank goodness you’re all sitting on your hands, because the proposal seems absolutely daft to me!

Apparently, the proposal has been based on regulations in Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany whose laws are heavily skewed in favour of the cyclist. Now I am less concerned about laws “skewed in favour of cyclists” than I am by the proposal lying on our government’s desk which advises that motorists should always be liable for an accident with a cyclist. To me the UK proposal goes two steps too far.

Let’s face it, why should a motorist have to pick up the tab if a cyclist is involved in an accident whilst riding the wrong way up a one way street? And what happens when the cyclist jumps the traffic lights or even goes through the lights when they are against them. These things do happen – I’ve seen it many times, especially in central London.

Motorists unite. Insurers unite. Defeat this daft proposal.