Cyclist "dismayed" by police "not interested in taking action against drivers", as force admits "shortage in staff" and "very valid concerns"

A cyclist from Oxfordshire has warned that Thames Valley Police requires a "real change in culture" around road safety, the police force having failed to take action on multiple clips of "hugely dangerous" driving that the rider caught on camera during his rides.

The road.cc reader, Paul, reported a friend had stopped cycling outside after being "hit off her bike last year" and said he feared he will "at some point join the ghost bikes around Oxfordshire" (marking the sites where cyclists have been killed), as "unless there is real change in the culture of Thames Valley Police for cycling safety, we will keep being hit, injured and assaulted for riding a bike".

His concerns, expressed in a formal complaint to the Police and Crime Commissioner's office, were met with a reply admitting that there are "very valid concerns" and the force is recruiting to fill a "shortage in resources" and staff that has meant "Notice of Intended Prosecutions are not able to be sent to the offending driver within the legal timeframe of 14 days".

Paul spends on average about eight hours a week cycling for work and leisure and says "close passes are now a regular occurrence", happening "almost every time I cycle and [they] have got worse in the last 12 months".

Despite riding with a camera filming his rides, Paul told us that until this summer he had "given up" submitting footage of dangerous driving to Thames Valley Police as he was "dismayed" by the minimal contact and lack of response, as well as the fact action being taken against the driver responsible was rare.

> Everything you need to know about bike cameras — how to choose, tips for recording quality footage and what to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision

Due to the "severity" of several incidents this summer, and reading a social media post from Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber in which it was stated that "saving lives on our roads with better enforcement" was one of his key commitments, Paul opted to resume uploading video footage to the force's online reporting portal.

A few months on and he is again disillusioned at the state of policing in the county, citing the dangerous driving experienced while cycling in Oxfordshire, issues with the reporting portal, lack of action, and Thames Valley Police's response to a complaint he submitted as evidence for his conclusion: "I just feel they do not care".

Paul reported footage of three incidents in July and August this summer, one involving a driver "doing at least 60" when they overtook him so close "the wing mirror pretty much touched me".

In another, Paul said he and a friend were close passed at a roundabout near Wallingford, the driver "looking at me smiling and was aware how close he was".

The third, which left the cyclist "quite shaken", saw a driver beep their horn at him as he cycled through a chicane before overtaking and shouting, "f******g prick, there is a cycle lane there (pointing to a shared path that always has stones/debris all over it)".

"I believed he was going to go into me or would wait for me up the road, which he did not fortunately," Paul told us. "However I was quite shaken by this and reported this both as a close pass and as common assault.

"All of these were reported via the online portal that Thames Valley Police provides. You cannot upload the video to start with, merely a description of the incident and you are emailed within a few days to upload the footage. You are given a deadline of seven days from the incident to report this and a link is sent to you to submit the evidence. This can take a few days, meaning that you can be given 24 hours to upload the video or Thames Valley Police will not consider it.

"In all of the above reports it has never got past this stage as the complaint and evidence are with the 'processing officer'. Previously, last year, I got a text message to say the driver had been sent a letter and the police would not prosecute on this occasion. 

> Cyclist fatalities fall by 4% to lowest ever recorded level, but cycle traffic down 7% and serious injuries higher than 20 years ago, new government figures reveal

"In relation to the third offence, given the behaviour, I asked for it to also be considered as common assault. I received no communication or acknowledgement of this complaint either. To date I have not had a phone call or even a visit from a police officer, I have had no support and I just don't know how to comprehend this. I just feel they do not care."

In reply to multiple emails requesting an update on the reports, Thames Valley Police told Paul there is a "small backlog" and a "slight delay" that officers are "battling through". Paul then raised the issue in a complaint to Police and Crime Commissioner Barber.

"He advocates strongly how many more police officers we have recruited and also his tough stance on road safety," Paul continued. "I have now received a response confirming that the team is under resourced, they are recruiting and it's essentially unfortunate these haven't been actioned. Future reports may be but it depends on the demands on the team."

The full response from the Police and Crime Commissioner's office, seen by road.cc, accepts Paul's concerns are "very valid" and states that Barber too is "concerned that the shortage in resources means that, on occasions, Notice of Intended Prosecutions are not able to be sent to the offending driver within the legal timeframe of 14 days from the incident occurring."

Barber's office added: "It was agreed that an increase in staff was required. Recruitment is actively being undertaken at present which we do appreciate does take time but is the step needed in order to address this issue. Whilst recruitment is underway, the Traffic Team have also implemented processes which identify these specific cases in a more prompt manner enabling them to be dealt with as priority but in line with other competing demands on the department.

"Whilst I appreciate this does not fix the matter instantly, I would like to assure you that there are steps in place to make the reporting and investigation of these matters much more streamlined and to enable the team to address the concerns raised within the legal timeframe for such offences."

This has, however, done little to reassure Paul that he will be safe cycling on Oxfordshire roads in the meantime. He continued: "These passes were horrible and no action will be taken against the drivers. I've never felt so alone or so unsafe on our roads. It is hugely distressing and makes me feel that not only am I fair game if I cycle, but I will at some point join the ghost bikes around Oxfordshire. We literally could be killed out there and it feels as if this does not matter. I honestly agree with statements of some cyclists now that it is no longer if, it is when. 

"The abuse in relation to the second offence really upset me, as did his driving at speed towards me and yet these feelings of distress are essentially being condoned by TVP and this dangerous behaviour is fine. Also the first close pass was hugely dangerous and could have easily ended my life, but both of these drivers are unaware that I have made a complaint and are none the wiser. 

"My friend was hit off her bike last year and now does not cycle outside due to it. Every cyclist knows someone that has been hit. In addition a lot of my friends that used to cycle will not now, due to the dangers. 

"I have raised this with my local MP, who says he is aware of other constituents being close passed and he himself is, but I understand he is yet to meet Barber and raise these issues. In the absence of any real infrastructure for cycling outside of Oxford, which is finally moving in the right way due to Oxfordshire County Council, and the police simply not caring — I think it has never been more dangerous to cycle in Oxfordshire. 

"Unless there is real change in the culture of Thames Valley Police for cycling safety we will keep being hit, injured and assaulted for riding a bike."

road.cc contacted Thames Valley Police for comment but had not received a reply at the time of publication.

Additional reporting by Adwitiya Pal.