British Cycling has today applauded the Ministry of Justice’s decision to exclude vulnerable road users from proposed changes to the law that will limit the ability to recover compensation following injury in a road traffic accident.

The decision marks the end of a long-running campaign by British Cycling, solicitors Leigh Day and a number of other organisations representing vulnerable road users, who argued that it would become almost impossible for cyclists to get legal representation without sacrificing a significant proportion of the compensation that they would be entitled to.

Find out more about the campaign

The Civil Liability Act has been introduced by the government in an attempt to restrict “whiplash” claims. However the proposal to increase the small claims limit for personal injury claims from £1,000 to £5,000 also threatened access to justice for injured road users such as cyclists and pedestrians who rarely sustain the whiplash-type injuries targeted by the legislation.

Nick Chamberlin, Policy Manager at British Cycling, said:

“This is great news for British Cycling members, and our thanks go to all of those who got in touch with their MP back in 2018 to raise awareness of this issue at a vital stage of the campaign.

“Once again we’re proud to work on behalf of our 165,000 members to ensure that they are protected rather than penalised when riding on the roads.”

Andrew Bradley, Partner at Leigh Day, said:

“This is a welcome and sensible decision by the MoJ. The inclusion of vulnerable road users within these reforms was an unnecessary and avoidable consequence of the government’s proposals to tackle whiplash claims, at a time when it is more important than ever to encourage more people to cycle. We are pleased that the concerns of British Cycling members have been taken on board.”