Cyclists are being told they may need number plates on their bicycles and insurance to ride on roads under new laws the government is considering.

A slate of new rules could be brought in for cyclists which would see them forced to abide by the same speed limits as motorists.

With the recent boom for cycling and surge in popularity for the pastime, the health and environmental benefits are leading government officials to change up the laws and legislations of those on the road.

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Changes to the Highway Code earlier this year relating to cyclist safety look as though they are to be followed up with more legislation.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is reportedly wanting to introduce a "death by dangerous cycling" law which would close a "legal loophole", The Mirror reported.

But new cycling lanes and cycling zones with 20mph speed caps could be brought in, with new calls for cyclists to respect speed limits.

New laws would slap cyclists with fines or penalty points for infringements such as speeding or jumping red lights.

To do this, government officials believe it would be necessary to bring in number plates for bicycles, with Shapps saying it would show the "real harm" speeding cyclists cause.

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Shapps said earlier this month that the "death by dangerous cycling" legislation around cycling would "impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care".

Speaking to Daily Mail, Shapps said: "We need the cycling equivalent of death by dangerous driving to close a gap in the law and impress on cyclists the real harm they can cause when speed is combined with lack of care.

"For example, traffic lights are there to regulate all traffic. But a selfish minority of cyclists appear to believe that they are somehow immune to red lights.

"We need to crack down on this disregard for road safety. Relatives of victims have waited too long for this straightforward measure."

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