Mark Cavendish has called for cyclists to be more responsible

Cyclists who seriously injure pedestrians should face the same penalties as dangerous drivers, road safety campaigners said yesterday.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the road safety charity Brake and the Institute of Advanced Motorists backed tougher penalties after a cyclist who broke a pedestrian’s skull after jumping a red light was fined £850. Sarah Fatica of Brake said that the sentence was an affront to the victim.

Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, has announced a new offence, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, punishable by five years in jail and an unlimited fine, but cyclists are exempt from the law, which is expected to be enforced next year.

Clive Hyer, a solicitor, suffered a brain haemorrhage and still has health