A CAMPAIGN to change the law so that drivers would have to prove they were not at fault in road accidents with cyclists is ratcheting up its efforts.

The Road Share group for presumed liability has set up a steering committee to examine the benefits of civil law reform on road safety and lobby MSPs to get behind a possible Members' Bill on the law change before Holyrood.

It met for the first time yesterday in Edinburgh and comprises 14 representatives drawn from key cycling organisations including Scottish Cycling, Cycle Law Scotland, Pedal on Parliament and the Andrew Cyclist Charitable trust among others.

It will be chaired by consultant orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Dr Chris Oliver, a councillor on the CTC national cycling charity. Other members include Glasgow Cycling Czar, councillor Frank McAveety, and former Edinburgh Council cycling champion, councillor Jim Orr.

They aim to create a policy statement to form the basis of a Bill for presumed liability in traffic collisions.

More than 5500 signatures have backed an petition calling for the law change since its launch in April last year.

New research by a law firm revealed that most cyclist casualties in collisions are due to errors by drivers.

Brenda Mitchell, founder of both Cycle Law Scotland and the Road Share campaign, said: "I am very pleased to see representatives from a number of different key organisations come together to work on this very important campaign."