Cycling groups have praised West Midlands Police for becoming the first force in the UK to proactively target “close pass” drivers who endanger riders.

Rules of the road stipulate motorists should give cyclists at least the same space as vehicles when overtaking.

Anyone encroaching inside that safe passing distance − widely considered to be a minimum of 1.5 metres − runs the risk of being prosecuted for driving without due care and attention.

Now West Midlands Police has launched an operation that sees officers saddle up on some of the region’s busiest routes − including Hagley, Pershore and Bristol Roads − looking out for motorists who put cyclists at risk.

Police cyclists will radio the details of close-pass drivers for in-car colleagues to intercept at a designated holding point.

Drivers will be offered a road-side educational input on safe overtaking but repeat offenders − or anyone deemed to have driven dangerously close to a cyclist − can expect to be prosecuted and taken to court.

West Midlands Police traffic officer and cyclist, PC Mark Hodson, said: “As a police force we must do our upmost to protect vulnerable road users and show that anyone who puts them in danger through poor driving will be dealt with.

“Cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces or obstacles like drain covers so it’s important to afford them plenty of room when overtaking.

“We know through our work with the Birmingham Cycle forum that close passing is the single biggest deterrent stopping more people from taking to their bikes.

“Some drivers get tunnel vision; they’re only focus is on getting from A to B as quickly as possible. They don’t pay any attention to vulnerable road users and we’ve attended some horrific scenes where cyclists have been wiped out by drivers who’ve not even seen them.

“Drivers need to consider that a cyclist they are overtaking could be a police officer − and if they don’t pass them safely they could be prosecuted.”

Between 2010 and 2014 there were 530 KSI crashes (killed or seriously injured) in the West Midlands involving bicycles; the vast majority (84 per cent) of those saw riders colliding with cars.

West Midlands Police ran four test days last month ahead of the close-pass clampdown launch during which 80 drivers were pulled over and took part in the road-side educational input and agreed to have their details taken.

Over the summer West Midlands Police has prosecuted 38 motorists for driving without due care and attention having either been spotted by officers committing close passes or through camera evidence supplied by cyclists.

David Cox, Chair of Trustees at cycling charity UK Cycling, said: “Close passes by motorists are hazardous for cyclists and extremely intimidating; this may be due to ignorance of the Highway Code and carelessness but sometimes it is done deliberately and aggressively.

“We are delighted that West Midlands Police is to actively target close pass drivers. They are the first UK police force to do so and it is a priority if the West Midlands is going to achieve the health, congestion and sustainability benefits of more active travel. The outcome will mean greater safety for everyone who cycles or would like to use a cycle for everyday trips.”

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114 COMMENTS

  5. Love the fact they used a white BMW for the picture, probably the most common offenders for this as so many sheep opt for one?? (Yes I know it’s probably an unmarked police car!)

      • With respect (and I mean that), it isn’t a busted argument that cyclists running red lights is a common occurrence. I see it regularly. Do I think that representative of cyclists as a whole? No. Is it rather common (from my experience)? Yes! There needs to be a means of identifying bad cyclists just like bad drivers, and the tacit acceptance of such behaviour needs to stop. However I am completely in favour of prosecution of people who recklessly endanger cyclists and the use of “cyclists break laws” to argue against it is puerile!

    • I’m not anti cyclist I drive a 44 tonne truck and have had to brake sharply on a number of occasions where cyclists have shot across red lights in front of my truck then stuck fingers up as they do it but as usual as soon as one gets hit people automatically blame the truck driver it’s us that have to deal with the nightmare’s when you go under the wheels 44 tons just squash a person like standing on a tomato

    • they already hand out 50 pound fines for cyclists who run red lights, if you look at stats you will find 1% of cyclists jump red lights and thats the same for motorists, there are alot more motorists than cyclists 🙂

  21. Fair enough but start prosecuting cyclists for riding on footpaths when faced with traffic control lights and signs, as well as obstructing main roads by riding in packs having a natter to each other.

    • I’m a fan of cycling and think it should be encouraged. But there is an attitude amongst some cyclists that they gave the right of the road. I have witnessed a pack of cyclists verbally rebuke a woman for “parking too close to a junction ” this had obviously disrupted their pack formation but they hadn’t taken the time to find out she had actually broken down, and definitely no assistance offered to the lady. And yes there are bad car drivers. I see it everyday.

    • I’m a fan of cycling and think it should be encouraged. But there is an attitude amongst some cyclists that they gave the right of the road. I have witnessed a pack of cyclists verbally rebuke a woman for “parking too close to a junction ” this had obviously disrupted their pack formation but they hadn’t taken the time to find out she had actually broken down, and definitely no assistance offered to the lady. And yes there are bad car drivers. I see it everyday.

    • Bob Magee I never ride in a pack, plus I wear lights on my bike, bright clothing (hard to find bright clothing in my size) and pink.And I ride sensibly, cos I am not capable of going above 24 kms/hr average. But I still have cars and buses almost knocking me over. Lorries actually been the best surprisingly! Guess I am just speaking out for the single female average cyclist just wanting to survive doing a little cycle exercise twice weekly. I get the “pack” thing though and the attitude. Think both cars and cyclists need to “chill” a bit more. Less aggression on both parts would be good. Oh, if groups of cyclists out together, it is quicker to pass them if they are in pairs. Hence safer in the long run. Have a good night!

    • Agree with the red lights. Some pavements are designated for cycling. As for obstructing roads, mostly motor vehicles doing that. The road is a shared space, every person has an equal right to it, regardless of their vehicle.

  26. And so they should, i would expect more police on the streets to catch these nasty inconsiderate drivers, O wait a bit they are reducing police numbers across the uk, where are the underfunded reduced police ranks gona find the time. YET ANOTHER UNENFORCEBLE LAW. Polite notice to cycle riders RIDE IN SINGLE FILE, DONT RUN RED TRAFFIC LIGHTS, AND WEAR A SKID LID AT ALL TIMES, PUT BLOODY WORKING LIGHTS ON YOUR DEATH TRAP OF A BIKE, THEN YOU WONT BE CLASSED AS A MOBILE ORGAN DONOR SAVY.

  27. what is the point in this ? when most of you ride around dressed head to toe in black … not the brightest of colours , when the idea is to be seen to be safe , there’s a lot of cyclists out there who are just as bad as motorists. so please stop playing the victim , some of you are as brain dead as many motorists.

    • very nieave of you that Errol to assume no cyclist ever dare break the rules .
      My attitude is that of a professional hgv driver who was at one point a keen cyclist , the point I am getting at is cyclist and motorist ARE as bad as each other ! But as a vulnerable road user ie cyclist, you need to be far more aware . Riding around dressed in black as I have noticed seems to be the fashion you not doing what you can to protect yourself . As I am sure anyone who has ever had the misfortune of being involed in an accident I bet the first words spoken was “sorry mate I didn’t see you” …. that to me is the wrong attitude.

    • clearly I’m a moron , coming from you 2 retards that are trying to justify your lack of own personal safety and ignorance, if the latest fashion trend is more important to you than making yourself far more visible to other road users , thus taking away the excuse that no one can see you … you utter pair of ignorant, arrogant bell ends … good luck with your tarmac camouflage..

  28. This is a complete waste of time and effort. It’s completely unenforceable unless there is going to be a police car following every cyclist. It a waste of resources. Money and time should be spent on education. Everyone taking a driving test should be required to take a bikeability test and children should be taught from primary school how to correctly and safely ride a bike. If everyone just respects everyone else on the road then this wouldn’t be an issue and so to all the anti-driver cyclists you need to respect other users and the rules and to all the anti-cyclist drivers you need to respect other users and the rules. See how that works it’s the same thing!

    • It’s pointless Errol Heywood it’s the wrong focus they are just continuing to feed the fire between cyclists and drivers and that’s why I think this is such a waste of time. It will just make more drivers hate cyclists more and make more cyclists believe they are right all the time.

    • Matthew, as with all of these types of initiatives how long will this last, yes they are out on bikes now pulling over people who drive too close to cyclists but then what happens when the resources get diverted to another initiative to say reduce burglary or enforce speeding limits or something else. My point is that the police can’t be expected to follow cyclists around or run these initiatives for any decent length of time and it just continues the them v us style of cyclist protection that has been constantly pushed in this country over the last 20 years. Drivers need to be actively embraced into the cycling culture, instead of alienation by stamping on them they need to be encouraged and in my opinion required to ride a bike before getting their licence, you never know if we did that we may actually create some more cyclists. This type of activity just grows the deep resentment that already exists between a large number of drivers and cyclists and therefore it does not help the situation. In 6 months time will WMP still be running this initiative? If they aren’t how are you going to report someone and then prove that they passed you too close. What if you were driving your car and a cyclist reported you for passing too close, regardless of whether you thought you’d given enough room or not, how would you respond after getting points on your licence? There are so many variables here its difficult to even begin contemplating the amount of money lawyers are going to make out it. It’s easy to see black and white but life is full of grey and nothing is that simple, we need to educate by doing not beating, that’s how schools were run 100 years ago we don’t do that now, so why do we continue this process on the highway? If you read some of the posts put up here by drivers you’ll immediately see the point I am making and I do feel for them because there are lots of inconsiderate and dangerous cyclists out there who couldn’t give two hoots about others on the road. So instead of bashing one group lets educate and teach all of them because its not just about cyclists and drivers there are pedestrians too and there are some cyclists out there who treat pedestrians like some drivers treat cyclists.

    • You’re really not reading my posts are you Matthew. Education is not best done by bashing people and giving them points or fines its done through doing and showing people why and how instead of just telling them off.

    • I’m reading your long winded posts. You reading the original story? Police cyclists will radio the details of close-pass drivers for in-car colleagues to intercept at a designated holding point.

      Drivers will be offered a road-side educational input on safe overtaking but repeat offenders − or anyone deemed to have driven dangerously close to a cyclist − can expect to be prosecuted and taken to court.

    • I weave between traffic when safe to do so, same as scooters and motorbikes. I observe traffic lights and junctions. Some don’t and that is as much of a problem as car drivers increasingly on their phones in our ‘always on social world’.

      Point is cyclists are being killed and injured, sometimes deliberately, by car drivers knocking them off their bikes. Anything that can be done to prevent this has to be a good thing, but also we need to educate ALL road users to be safe…

    • Matthew O’Connor you come into this discussion with a presumption that drivers wake up with the intention to kill a cyclists that day. That is not the case. Accidents happen because both sides do not abide by the rules of the road. My experience is that cyclist abuse the system. I can tell you 5 years ago I had to hit the curb to avoid hitting a cyclist who weaved right in front of me from the middle of the road. It cost me serious money to repair my car. But I am glad I was able to avoid hitting him. So, a little balance in your assumptions and a little respect for the rules of the road. You can disagree all you want, but I see cyclist regularly flaunting the system. That’s my experience.

  30. I cycle most days, I have been overtaken stupidly close at times but there are also plenty of considerate drivers out there however, I do agree that cyclists who skip lights by going on the pavement deserve punishment. We want to stop being treated badly so we shouldn’t disrespect the motorists. Also something needs to be done about the idiots who pull out in front of cyclists and cause insane crashes as they don’t want to wait an extra 10 seconds before pulling out, I for one have came very near to being ran over when having right of way.

  31. When local councils/government attend to the road surfaces I will not have to ride so far out from curbside. Putting my life in danger isn’t a fun hobby.
    95% of drivers are sensible (I’m one of them) the rest must of been bullied at school,and have very small penis’s. The women just can’t drive for shit anyway. 😉

  40. Might be enforceable if their were more coppers about. Hardly ever see one these days!! Doubt it will change the attitude of most drivers though, most seem to see cyclists as a delay to their journey and nothing more.

  49. Well what will happen when bikes overtake cars within 1.5m then? is the car going to be prosecuted because they didn’t keep 1.5m from them? things should go both ways.

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