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Near Miss of the Day 16: Police show how to overtake cyclists safelyNear Miss of the Day 16 - Dorset Police.JPG

Near Miss of the Day 16: Police show how to overtake cyclists safely

Dorset Police launched their close pass operation this week and are getting the message across on social media
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Jul 14, 2017 15:00
10

As we reported yesterday, Dorset Police, along with their colleagues in Devon & Cornwall, launched their Operation Close Pass this week.

The forces are the latest to adopt the close pass initiative rolled out last year to widespread acclaim by West Midlands Police.

> Close pass operations launched in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset

Plain clothes police officers take to the road on bikes, and radio ahead to uniformed colleagues when a driver gives insufficient space.

Footage is captured on bike-mounted video cameras supplied by Cycle Engage UK, and motorists caught in the operation are shown the safe distance to give riders with the help of close pass mats supplied by Cycling UK.

Today, Dorset Police have tweeted a video showing one motorist caught on camera giving too little room to the cyclist being overtaken, as well as another driver who overtakes safely, and the difference is clear to see.

The first incident, involving a yellow car, has a datestamp of October 2015, so wasn't filmed as part of the current operation, but it's encouraging that the force is using social media to get the point across to motorists.

And here's an informative video from Surrey Police advising motorists how to overtake someone on a bike.

Over in London, the Metropolitan Police in Winchmore Hill have also been educating motorists via Twitter about how to drive safely when sharing the road with cyclists, tweeting this graphic.

Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.

If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or contact us via the road.cc Facebook page.

 

Near Miss of the Day
Dorset Police
close pass
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

Avatar
ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
4 likes

Haha, I sometimes award a slow-hand-clap to drivers that overtake me approaching a set of traffic lights on red, the irony when I filter past then stare at them while I clap always seem to be lost on them. Amuses me though.

Do these people not read the road ahead? Regardless of what vehicle I'm in, always try to roll up to lights, roundabouts and junctions at an appropriate speed to give myself the best chance of not having to stop.

Also, when did Dorset police start giving a toss?

Avatar
Jitensha Oni | 6 years ago
0 likes

Here in Surrey, there's a significant proportion of drivers who, even with hundreds of metres of clear road ahead, seem to find it impossible to give you the full lane in an overtake. I'm hoping the police operations will help to reduce the number of these fools. It would be a welcome bonus if the type of drivers described by kil0ran and The_Kaner could be educated too.

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
5 likes

Entering my local town Ive had drivers, mainly old, force their way by ever so closely, only for me to overtake in 50 yards at an intersection. What is it with People? Just wait a few seconds you will get there.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
3 likes
CXR94Di2 wrote:

Entering my local town Ive had drivers, mainly old, force their way by ever so closely, only for me to overtake in 50 yards at an intersection. What is it with People? Just wait a few seconds you will get there.

Because the MGIF brigade aren't looking any further ahead than you. Get it all the time on my commute - there's a long straight (couple of miles) punctuated with four roundabouts and two sets of lights. 30mph limit and its slightly downhill. Nice and wide so plenty of room for cars to overtake, which they do, and on the whole very few close passes. But because its downhill and I can much better time the lights and roundabouts than a driver by the end of it they still won't have got there any quicker than me. And all this is to join a queue to join a bypass. On Thursday I got passed by and then filtered past the same car 4 times - the final time he positioned right up against the white line to stop me passing - not that he succeeded...

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
2 likes

The graphic used in the police tweet has been doctored. The original by road.cc reader Last Wheel shows riders 3 abreast (this is legal, the relevant rule in the HC is only a SHOULD)

Avatar
The _Kaner | 6 years ago
6 likes

An old dear behind me in a Micra (playing tunes on the gearbox - didn't have the first idea what gear to be in)...waited behind me until oncoming traffic had passed as she didn't want to drive into the oncoming traffic and break a solid white line.

When the road was clear (still playing tunes on the gearbox) she accelerated to pass and HIT ME ON THE ELBOW with her WING MIRROR. She still did not make any attempt to cross the solid white line.

I saw her look back at me in the rear view mirror, but she just kept driving...

The white van travelling behind her moved all the way over onto the other side of the road to overtake, drew level with me and looked at me, shrugging his shoulders...he had obviously seen what happened and was giving me a sympathy shrug...he continued on.

I managed to stay on the bike, only because she was travelling that slowly that the nudge (although painful) wasn't sufficient to send me sprawling...

Wish I'd had a camera then.

Avatar
burtthebike | 6 years ago
3 likes

Perhaps the video might benefit from a short section at the end, listing a few of the motorists who have been prosecuted for close passing and their sentences?  Just to concentrate the mind.

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KevM replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
3 likes
burtthebike wrote:

Perhaps the video might benefit from a short section at the end, listing a few of the motorists who have been prosecuted for close passing and their sentences?  Just to concentrate the mind.

They'd have to actually prosecute a few for this to happen...

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
11 likes

Hang on! That was a ruddy great 4x4 executing the safe pass, wasn't it?

I'm starting to get confused about who I'm supposed to be hating.

These videos aren't helping either.

Avatar
3mkru73 replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
2 likes
don simon wrote:

Hang on! That was a ruddy great 4x4 executing the safe pass, wasn't it?

I'm starting to get confused about who I'm supposed to be hating.

These videos aren't helping either.

I know what you mean. The Audi drivers of North Tyneside are increasingly giving me a huge amount of space, I'm struggling to find one to berate on my daily commute! 

Fiat 500 drivers though still drive like they imagine they are in a Humvee, requiring the entire road, regardless of traffic. 

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