Bicycle bell crackdown has a ring of the nanny state

The UK government plans to bring in new laws requiring every bicycle to have a bell and every cyclist to use it to alert pedestrians to their presence.

Those found guilty of riding without a bell will face on-the-spot fines, with maximum penalties of up to £2,500 or two years in jail.



High-profile cyclists, such as the Conservative leader David Cameron and Tory MP Boris Johnson, will have to be vigilant in abiding by the new rule. President George W Bush might have been in trouble had it been in force last year, when he crashed his bike into a policeman during the G8 summit at Gleneagles. It is not known whether he sounded his bell.

Figures show that 12 pedestrians have died after being hit by cyclists in the past five years.