Campaigners have questioned Cambridgeshire’s police’s explanation that there isn’t sufficient road space to carry out a close pass operation. They point out that such initiatives are specifically designed to highlight why space needs to be given when passing cyclists.
Cambridge Cycling Campaign (Camcycle) has professed itself ‘beyond disappointed’ with Cambridgeshire police’s decision not to run a close pass operation similar to that pioneered by West Midlands police and has questioned the force’s reasoning.
Close pass operations involve plain clothes police officers out on bikes identifying drivers who don't allow enough room when overtaking. The West Midlands operation has led to a 20 per cent reduction in cyclists killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads since it was adopted in 2016.
A number of forces have since followed suit – most recently in Norfolk and Suffolk – but Cambridge will not be among them.
Casualty reduction officer Jon Morris explained:
"We have been liaising with officers in the West Midlands about Operation Close Pass and have explored the possibility of implementing something similar locally.
"The average road is approximately 3.5 metres from the kerb to the white lines. Cyclists are advised to cycle 0.75 metres away from the kerb to avoid drain covers and an average car is about two metres wide. Operation Close Pass recommends drivers leave about 1.5 metres when passing a cyclist. If we add all those figures together it would mean drivers are moving into the opposite lane to overtake.
"For Cambridge city where roads are narrower and often very congested we would be potentially forcing motorists to drive at the speed of cyclists when there isn’t the recommended space to overtake.
"Cyclists are vulnerable road users and it’s important that we are doing all we can to make the roads safer for everyone but at this time we don’t believe Operation Close Pass in its current format is practical in Cambridge."
Campaigners ‘angry’ at message being sent
Camcycle said: “We are angry that they are apparently advising drivers that it is OK to pass closely because maintaining the speed and flow of motor traffic is more important than the safety of vulnerable road users.
“The fact that Cambridge's roads are narrow is precisely the reason why close-passes are a problem here and action should be taken against them. Cambs police contradict Highway Code rule 163 'Give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car'. The accompanying image is clear: you should wait until the opposite carriageway is clear to overtake if there isn't space.
“Given the express intention of the police not to safeguard vulnerable road users, we suggest people cycling follow Bikeability training guidelines and cycle centrally in the lane on narrow roads, to prevent the kind of dangerous overtakes the police refuse to take action against.
“We have seen that Cambridgeshire Police have been very reluctant to enforce 20mph despite the proven benefits for road safety in other towns and cities. We see them once more refusing to take action that is proven to protect vulnerable road users because they do not wish drivers of motor vehicles to be delayed whether in the city or out on the country roads of the county.”
Sam Jones, campaign coordinator at Cycling UK, told Cambridge News: “Cambridgeshire police’s decision is very disappointing. Not only does it demonstrate a lack of understanding of the Highway Code’s guidance on overtaking people cycling, but it also seems to prioritise the inconvenience of one road user over the safety of another.
“Cycling UK would urge Cambridgeshire police to rethink their position, as clearly in a congested city like Cambridge, close passes are a problem, and need to be addressed if they are serious about keeping cyclists safe.”
The local view
Our own Simon MacMichael is a Cambridge resident.
“Compared to other places I’ve lived and used a bike to get around, we’re absolutely spoilt in Cambridge.
“We have some terrific off-road routes particularly on or close to the river, and the separated lanes on Hills Road are a delight to ride along, as are the cycle paths along the guided busways.
“And in many parts of the city centre, the introduction of filtered impermeability – barriers across streets that block through motor traffic but allow people on bikes to pass freely – means the streets are largely given over to cyclists.
“True, many drivers give you ample space when overtaking – here, given that levels of cycling far exceed those anywhere else in the UK, the likelihood is that they will ride a bike, or have family members who do.
“But, it only takes one close pass to ruin your day, and it is a daily occurrence for anyone who chooses to get around the city on two wheels.
“And in my experience, it’s due not just to sometimes shocking driving, but also poorly thought out road layouts.
“Late at night, on Mill Road, say, it’s not unusual to have a driver pass you closely at 40, 50mph on what is a 20mph road – and moreover, one that isn’t too far from the main police station.
“Riding into town along Cherry Hinton Road, you encounter another problem. There are narrow cycle lanes either side, but the space that leaves for the single lane of motor traffic going in each direction means that if you are riding in them, close passes are inevitable.
“Then, you have somewhere like Arbury Road where, particularly at the southern end close to the junction with Milton Road, parked cars either side mean that it’s highly likely you will be overtaken far too closely.
“As I said above, there are a lot of positives here, but there is also much that could be improved.
“And, is it just me, or is rejecting the concept of a close pass operation on the grounds that there isn’t enough space to do so missing the point, while at the same time reinforcing why it’s needed?”
Close pass crackdown
A close-pass enforcement day was held by Cambridge police two years ago, targeting motorists passing cyclists too closely.
It was subsequently reported that the operation ended with officers instead turning their attention to cyclists riding without lights.
Referring to close-passes, a police spokesman said of officers: “So far they’ve not seen it as a problem.”
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69 comments
What he said. (thumbs up)
YES. THAT'S THE ENTIRE FUCKING POINT OF A CLOSE PASS INITIATIVE YOU UTTER FUCKING MORONS.
When the police are quite happy to make this statement publicly, it make me wond- oh I can't be bothered anymore.
All true but in my opinion the principal difference is that a moving cyclists may deviate laterally intentionally or unintentionally for a number of reasons, many of which are actually spelled out in the highway code. I have yet to see a stationary car move laterally for any reason. I don't filter past moving vehicles too dangerous.
I literally can't have enough outrage for Cambridge Police's incompetence here, so I'll save expressing any and save it for something else that is less draining and less ridiculous.
"Above all else it puts the safety and security of the public first." The Office of Constable, Police Federation.
I always thought that the first duty of any police officer is the safety of the public. If somehow that doesn't apply to cyclists in Cambridge, then Casualty reduction officer Jon Morris should explain in words of one syllable, why not. Is he suggesting that cyclists aren't members of the public? Or that their safety is somehow less important than that of other members of the public?
I sincerely trust that local cyclists will be inundating the PCC with emails, letters and phone calls 24/7, demanding that the police perform their duty to protect the public who ride a bicycle.
There is very little to say that hasn't already been said, and isn't depressing to have to repeat when things should, and could so easily, be getting better. Except...
The average car width is not two metres. Increasing numbers are that wide, mostly SUVs, so how about banning them from the city centre? If safe passing is such a mathematical impossibility, surely that's the problem which needs to be tackled.
I both the views above have merit.
Barry's right, in that ultimately nothing but dedicated, high-quality, infrastructure is going to fix the (relatively, compared to a number of other European states) poor cycling safety conditions in the UK. And I think it's also right that that drum must be beaten loudly *every* time cycling safety comes up.
However, the police work with the conditions today, and the law as it is today. And they can improve things significantly in short order, if they'd bloody well enforce the law. The statements from the police in this story are clearly idiotic, showing an ignorance of the law and a dereliction of their duty.
One other comment I'd make... that high-quality, dedicated infrastructure.. it does NOT take long to do. Significant amounts of it can be built within /years/, "all" it needs is the political will to do so.
I remember (vaguely) the Netherlands in the late 70s. I remember watching the cycling infrastructure being built near us. We went from cycling on the road, to me being able to cycle on my own to school, aged 6.
The Netherlands went from no cycling infrastructure, to lots of it, in a relatively short space of time (in the grand scheme of things). Building it is easy, and does /not/ take that long. Once the will is there. Do not be defeatist about how "easy" it is do, in terms of the practical side.
Cycling was part of the dutch cultural identity then, and still normal. The normality of cycling has been lost here, unfortunately.
might just be deliberately passing on as a press release what he or she has been told is firm policy by more senior officers - knowing it is not a good road safety argument but that senior officers are responding to the car driving public's perception of what is right - probably add in pressure from local politicians who should know better
This from the cops in one of Britains "premier cycling city" folks.
You couldn't make it up.
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