Let's make the close pass socially unacceptable (as well as illegal)

Of all the challenges that test we cyclists, surely the close pass is the worst. When we asked 800 riders to share their top gripes, being overtaken too close by a motorist was far and away the least popular aspect of life on two wheels. And it's hardly surprising given this dangerous practice by drivers is at best frightening and at worst life threatening.

The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has started a petition calling on the Department for Transport to raise awareness of the issue and educate the public, so that close passing is not only illegal, but socially unacceptable.

"LCC has successfully campaigned for the introduction of Dutch-style cycling infrastructure in London – such as physically protected cycle lanes. But on a lot of our roads, cars and cycles will still have to share the same space. That’s why it’s great and long overdue news that Transport Minister Jesse Norman has just announced that “training materials and support” will be provided to police forces across the UK to help them crack down on close passing of cyclists by drivers. However, this alone won’t keep people cycling safe: from the moment someone starts learning to drive they need to be trained in how to overtake safely, and a public education campaign is needed to make sure all drivers share the road responsibly. Please sign the petition today, calling on the Department for Transport to raise awareness of the issue and educate the public, so that close passing becomes socially unacceptable."

Close passes by motorists are as much a part of cycling on British roads as potholes, but there can be only two possible explanations for why a motorist overtakes dangerously close to a cyclist – incompetence or malice.

In the absence of widespread and good quality infrastructure to protect cyclists from motorised traffic, The Safer Roads Partnership and operational policing teams from both Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police have pioneered Operation Close Pass – a scheme to reduce the number of cyclists killed or injured on their region’s roads. Close passes are intimidating and nationally account for around a third of all threatening incidents between drivers and cyclists.

The initiative, which is now being adopted by other forces, uses plain clothes officers on bikes equipped with front and rear facing cameras. Any driver seen passing closer than the recommended distance (1.5 metres) is pulled over.

The results are encouraging with the number of cyclists killed or seriously hurt on the region’s roads reduced by 20 per cent since West Midlands Police launched the operation.

Almost 200 offenders have been pulled over during close-pass operations. In 13 cases the standard of driving was so poor that drivers were prosecuted. Another 350 others were fined and received penalty points after officers reviewed helmet footage provided by cyclists.

PC Mark Hodson, from West Midlands Police’s Force Traffic Unit, said of Operation Close Pass: “I am in no doubt the operation has played a big part in that reduction: we regularly speak to cycling groups and their members are telling us that the message is getting through to drivers. They are, on the whole, being more considerate and understand we will prosecute them if they endanger cyclists. To see a fall of 20 per cent in the number of serious collisions involving cyclists is incredible especially against a backdrop of increasing numbers of people cycling on our roads. We’ve seen reports of close-passes halve in the West Midlands since we started the project and it’s great that so many other regions are looking to adopt the approach.”

Operation Close Pass is welcome - not least because it demonstrates that the police forces concerned are proactive in their concern for vulnerable road users.

The photograph at the top the page was taken by a coordinator at the Richmond Borough group of London Cycling Campaign when he was out with his 7-year-old daughter. Luckily the dangerous driving did not injure the little girl...or put her off cycling. Perhaps those drivers putting lives at risk in this way should be asked whether their actions are due to incompetence or malice before they are dealt with appropriately. Motorists who drive carelessly or dangerously to such an extent that they kill or seriously injure a cyclist routinely walk away from court with little more than a slap on the wrist. Little wonder that drivers overtake too close with impunity.

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Not only are we ethical, we campaign for sustainable transport. Sometimes that means protesting until a school gets the zebra crossing they've been refused or running 60 roadshows this year to encourage people out of their cars, or fixing bicycles for free. We also launched Green Transport Week and helped establish Car Free Day and Twenty's Plenty to name just a few. We've been campaigning for sustainable transport in this way for over 27 years with the help of people like you. Supporting this work is easy - you simply have to take out insurance with us. Home insurance, cycle insurance, travel insurance and breakdown cover and we take care of the rest. We provide an excellent level of cover while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

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