Drivers who collide with cyclists should automatically be presumed guilty, a biking campaigner has said.
Becky Reynolds from Brighton-based pressure group Bricycles says motorists should be liable for accidents unless they can prove their innocence.
Car campaigners have reacted with fury to the idea – called “strict liability” – which is already the law in many European countries.
Mrs Reynolds said: “The balance of power on the roads should be shifted in favour of cyclists.
“At present, the burden of proof falls entirely on injured pedestrians and cyclists to show that the driver who hit them was negligent before they can claim compensation.
“Many drivers in Brighton and Hove are on mobile phones, are deliberately aggressive or are not paying attention to others around them.
“This needs to be addressed by better enforcement and a change in the law. It’s not about blame – however might is not always right.”
Strict liability would affect the workings of civil compensation, but Mrs Reynolds says fears insurance premiums would be forced up are unfounded.
She claims fewer accidents would happen on the roads as motorists drive more carefully – forcing premiums down.
But motoring campaigner Steve Percy said the rules would unfairly target drivers.
He said: “In Brighton, cyclists are getting exclusive lanes that are mostly funded by motorists, so I think the idea they are getting a raw deal is ridiculous.
“A lot of accidents happen without witnesses so to put the burden of proof on the motorist is completely unfair.”
Mr Percy said the controversial idea would only widen the divide between cyclists and motorists.
He said many accidents were caused by cyclists without insurance, who were unwilling and unable to contribute towards the cost of a damage claim.
He said: “Cyclists are always going through red lights and causing problems. Most of the bikes are illegal anyway with non-functioning lights.
“The bottom line is that we shouldn’t be pandering to ideas that are being dictated to us from Europe.”
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