City of London Police offers cyclists a safety video or £50 fine
City of London Police plans to offer some cyclists caught riding through red lights or across zebra crossings a choice: watch a 47-second road safety video or pay a £50 fixed penalty. The scheme is intended to make riders consider risks to pedestrians, while giving officers another way to address offences.
The video reportedly features two visually impaired women describing their experiences, alongside CCTV footage of serious incidents involving cyclists. Officers will decide when to offer it, and fines will still be issued where necessary. The initiative is part of the force’s “stop, look, listen, chance” scheme; it issued more than 1,300 notices for cycling red-light and safety violations in one year.
- Some cyclists may watch a 47-second safety video instead of paying £50.
- The option applies to red-light and zebra-crossing offences.
- Police say officers will still issue fines when needed.
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The City of London is the capital’s historic financial district, where busy streets are shared by cyclists, pedestrians and motor traffic. Cyclists must obey traffic signals and give way at pedestrian crossings; riding through a red light or across a zebra crossing can put people at risk and lead to a penalty.
City of London Police says its “stop, look, listen, chance” scheme gives officers another way to respond to some cycling offences. Officers decide whether to offer a safety video or issue a fine, and the video features visually impaired women describing their experiences of road danger. The approach matters because police recorded more than 1,300 notices for cycling red-light and safety violations in a year.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Offering a short safety video gives cyclists a chance to understand the risks their behaviour can pose to pedestrians, including people with visual impairments, without every incident immediately resulting in a fine. It may help officers respond proportionately while still retaining the option to issue penalties where they judge them necessary.
The case against
A fixed penalty can provide a clear, consistent consequence for breaking road rules, whereas a video in place of a fine may be seen as too lenient or applied unevenly at officers’ discretion. People concerned about pedestrian safety may also argue that a brief viewing is unlikely to deter repeat offences as effectively as a financial penalty.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Watch a 47-second road safety clip or pay a £50 fine? That’s what one police force ‘is asking rule-breaking cyclists’”.