Cyclists send record amount of video to police showing close passes by drivers

Leader Live

5 hours ago

Some 15,779 clips of incidents were submitted to forces in England and Wales last year, information obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart found.
That is more than double the total of 7,249 in 2021.
Many cyclists capture footage of their journeys, with basic cameras available for under £50.
IAM RoadSmart sent a Freedom of Information request to 43 police forces asking how many pieces of footage showing a close pass of a cyclist by a motorist were submitted as part of Operation Snap, an initiative introduced in 2017.
Twenty forces provided data.
The responses show the percentage of reports leading to a notice of intended prosecution being served rose from 38% in 2021 to 54% last year.
A separate survey of 655 drivers who are members of IAM RoadSmart indicated that 58% are not aware the Highway Code recommends the minimum gap they should leave when passing cyclists is 1.5 metres (4.9ft).
Harriet Hernando, the charity's active travel spokeswoman, said: 'It is extremely concerning that more than half of motorists don't know how much space to give a cyclist when overtaking.
'Passing too closely to a cyclist can be intimidating and dangerous, especially if they need to move out to avoid a pothole.
'It is small wonder then that record numbers of cyclists are installing cameras and submitting footage of dangerous or careless drivers to the police.
'While it is heartening to see that prosecution rates have increased, it would be better if it didn't reach that stage and motorists weren't doing it in the first place.'
Provisional Department for Transport figures show 85 cyclists were killed on Britain's roads in 2024.
Between 2019 and 2023, most cyclist fatalities occurred in collisions involving a car.
IAM RoadSmart has launched a No More Close Calls campaign aimed at eradicating close passes.
Ms Hernando said: 'When overtaking a cyclist, always look beyond them to judge your ability to get past safely, leaving at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
'By hanging back two or three car lengths, you'll be able to see further up the road and look out for oncoming traffic.
'If it isn't safe to overtake then don't try and squeeze past – shaving seconds off your journey isn't worth taking someone's life.'
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said it has 'not seen the big safety impact we'd hoped for' from changes to the Highway Code in 2022 providing more protection to cyclists.
He went on: 'The majority of people who drive simply aren't aware how much distance to give to people who cycle when overtaking.
'This is why it's crucial to educate all road users of their responsibility to protect those most vulnerable.'
He called on the Government to 'address this oversight by better promoting the new Highway Code'.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We take road safety extremely seriously, and there are already strict penalties in place for those who put the safety of cyclists at risk.
'Our roads are among the safest in the world, but we are always looking to improve.'