UK - West Midlands police target drivers too close to cyclists

Lemming

From the BBC website

Motorists who drive too close to cyclists as they overtake are being targeted by police officers on bikes.

Officers in the West Midlands will radio details of "close-pass drivers" for patrol car colleagues to intercept.

Cyclists should be given at least the same space as vehicles, widely considered to be 1.5m (4.9ft), and offending drivers risk prosecution, the force said.

Drivers will initially be offered warnings at the roadside.

But repeat offenders, or anyone deemed to have driven "dangerously close," could expect to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention, the force said.

The police also recognise that whilst most close passes are borne out of ignorance or lack of attention, some of it is deliberate & aggressive.

David Cox, chair of trustees at cycling charity UK Cycling, said the problem "may be due to ignorance of the Highway Code and carelessness but sometimes it is done deliberately and aggressively".

I wonder what sort of fines or sentencing might come out of this; in particular for aggressive behaviour towards cyclists. Still, it's a step in the right direction.

Chuchote

They're already tweeting pictures and talking about arrests.

Unknown Soldier

Realistically, in the future most cars will have Dash Cams fitted as standard, and most cyclist will have some sort of cameras too...

Nissan UK have one as an accessory, as do a few others.

It will only be a matter of time before some manufactures tweak their front/rear reversing cameras to be dash cams.

Sadly, they will probably be exempt via data protection laws from being accessed by parties other than the owners, but it will be better than nothing!

And considering that "progressive humanity" has pretty much signed up willingly to Orwell's "1984" driving/transport behaviour will improve a lot over the next 5-10 years, and autonomous driving will be a large part of that.

boardbeer

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

And considering that "progressive humanity" has pretty much signed up willingly to Orwell's "1984" driving/transport behaviour will improve a lot over the next 5-10 years, and autonomous driving will be a large part of that.

Can't happen too soon.

Chuchote

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Realistically, in the future most cars will have Dash Cams fitted as standard, and most cyclist will have some sort of cameras too...

Nissan UK have one as an accessory, as do a few others.

It will only be a matter of time before some manufactures tweak their front/rear reversing cameras to be dash cams.

Sadly, they will probably be exempt via data protection laws from being accessed by parties other than the owners, but it will be better than nothing!

Owners and coppers. We'll all have a little government spy in our cars.

buffalo

https://trafficwmp.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/junction-malfunction-and-a-new-dawn/

Came across the above page which shows the thinking behind this initiative. Interesting reading based on reasoned analysis.

Our time and effort, we have quickly realised, is better spent enforcing the law and prosecuting, thus creating a scenario whereby should someone not give a cyclist the time and space necessary or fail to see them completely they should expect to be prosecuted.

In other words the carrot goes out the window and in comes the stick. Why some might ask? Well if drivers expect to be prosecuted for committing offences they suddenly stop committing them, unsurprising correlation I know but it’s the truth.

Grassey

Well reasoned read. If only had the same support here!

Chuchote

Journalism could be part of it too. If instead of the usual tragic sobbing about how a girl who had her legs torn off and her head smashed in by a car crash was the heart and soul of the community, the stories were about how a driver who caused such a crash was jailed and his family were now going to lose the house, maybe people would be a little more careful. The current journalistic approach makes it appear as if all crashes were 'accidents', and ooops, couldn't be helped.

boardbeer

New scrappage scheme being introduced: Drivers in North London borough caught close passing a cyclist twice in a year could have their car crushed

cdaly_

Interesting video cited in the comments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKpbSN3b_xU