The Government is “interested” in introducing policy that could see motorists who drive too close to cyclists fined.

At the moment the Highway Code asks drivers to leave “plenty of room” between their vehicles and cyclists, but that could change if guidelines similar to those enforced in South Australia are brought in.

In October last year the government of South Australia voted to enforce a law which requires drivers to leave up to 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at high speeds.

In a written response to a parliamentary question transport minister Robert Goodwill said: “The introduction of a legally enforceable minimum passing distance between cyclists and other vehicles in South Australia is relatively recent.

“As a result, there is limited information available regarding the impacts both positive and negative following this change in the law.

“As with other changes of this type introduced overseas, we remain interested in the change and are keeping it under review.”

According to The Independent drivers could face fines of up to £5,000 if they are caught driving carelessly around cyclists.

Figures released by the Department for Transport last year suggested cyclists are 17 times more likely to be killed on the road than those travelling in vehicles.

There have been a spate of accidents involving cyclists in south west London and north Surrey in recent months.

On May 23 cyclist Magda Tadaj was killed when she was hit by a lorry on St James’s Road in Croydon.

The 25-year-old South Thames College student, who was from Poland but lived in Streatham, was pronounced dead in the road.

On Friday another accident in Brighton Road, Coulsdon left a male cyclist in hospital was serious head injuries.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman later said the injuries were non-life threatening.

In February a cyclist was left with serious leg injuries in a hit and run at the junction of Hampton Court Way and Bridge Road in East Molesey.

In April a 67-year-old male cyclist ended up in hospital in a serious condition after a crash in Madeira Road near Mitcham Common.

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