A cyclist who reported footage to Operation SNAP of “bad driving” on a recent ride was disappointed to be told that the portal “has become so successful that the team is no longer able to manage the demand submitted by the public”.
It means the driver — who would have previously received a warning letter, according to the reply — would not be contacted over the incident.
It’s confirmation of the situation we first reported back in June, South Wales Police having previously admitted some drivers who close pass cyclists will avoid punishment because there are too many Operation SNAP submissions for cops to cope.
South Wales Police said it would review its Operation SNAP reporting portal to ensure it “remains efficient and effective” – but would only deal with the “most serious cases” until further notice.
The situation appears to be the same in North Wales too, road.cc reader Neil sharing a similar tale having reported footage in May.
“This particular incident was a driver pulling out from behind a parked car and driving at me and my wife,” he explained. “We were both forced into the gutter. This was also outside an infant and primary school at three o’clock when the children were finishing school. We were both wearing hi-viz and using daytime lights. All of this was reported in my statement to Operation Snap.
“While it may not be the most hair raising event you’ve seen, I thought this warranted at least a warning letter to the driver, so I submitted it to North Wales Police via Operation Snap, which is operated by the GoSafe organisation. I reported that this was outside a primary (ages 3-11) school just as they finish for the day. You can see on the clip the number of people and pushchairs etc. about.
“The response I received says that a warning letter would previously have been sent. They go on to say ‘Operation Snap has become so successful that the team is no longer able to manage the demand submitted by the public’.”
Neil also questioned GoSafe Wales’s recent claim that it was stopping taking action on close pass footage due to “national guidance” advising forces to avoid “dealing with incidents involving distances”.
It’s worth pointing out here that when we raised that claim with the relevant national bodies, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Forensic Science Regulator, both were clear there is no reason for police in Wales to stop taking action on cyclists’ close pass videos.
Neil continued explaining how the response he received “in no way refers to speed/distance calculations but squarely says we don’t have the resources to help the public ‘help the police’ to tackle bad driving. This I believe flies in the face of their ‘we’re committed to road safety’ message”.
> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 – Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?
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@road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.
If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won’t show up on searches).
Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
46 thoughts on “Near Miss of the Day 934: Cyclist told video reporting portal now “so successful” team can no longer keep up with bad driving”
So the portal has had lots of
So the portal has had lots of of submissions:
Normal people: This shows that there is an epidemic of bad driving, and the police should crack down on it. It also shows public minded cyclists who are prepared to do 90% of the leg work by recording, snipping, and uploading videos
Police: This shows that our job has been done. No further action needed.
I don’t understand how it can
I don’t understand how it can be overwhelmed: all those drivers keep telling me that they don’t break the law, it’s those dastardly cyclists. Oh, maybe it’s all the drivers submitting vids of cyclists threatening their lives and intimidating them that’s jamming up the system.
This demonstrates beyond doubt that for the past hundred years, drivers have got away with murder, literally in some cases, because they were believed but cyclists weren’t. Now the incontravertible video evidence exists, suddenly they’re getting caught and the system can’t cope. Drivers don’t seem to have changed their ways much, even though the chances of getting caught are now high, which just goes to show how difficult it is to change ingrained behaviour.
You’d think that, now they’ve
You’d think that, now they’ve acknowledged the scale of the problem, they’d be planning action to tackle it…
if only someone had done a
if only someone had done a FOI request recently of all the police forces in the country for their operation snap data, we’d know exactly how many the police forces in Wales were dealing with.
Can we be assured that when
Can we be assured that when we get a Faragist government in 2029 that they will stick to their promise to crack down hard on the crime and lawlessness that is rife in our society and put an end to the wild west that is Britain’s roads by showing zero tolerance to drivers who run red lights, break the speed limit, hog the middle lane, drive on there pavement, park in the cycle lane etc etc?
No.
No.
I’d take the lane at those
I’d take the lane at those speeds and have a stand off. Otherwise I have swept my arm over the windscreen.
whilst Id always take the
whilst Id always take the lane in those situations, & often make the drivers stop, which makes them very upset alot of the time, stand offs arent always that much fun, you can meet a special kind of road (or roid) rager who really does see nothing wrong with using their vehicle as a weapon on you.
So I find its better to make the point by riding prime, so they have to at least react to you, and then leave them be to pass in the gap, its easier then if theres follow up from them, and often there is, to say but you let them pass, you didnt react in a bad way, you didnt swear or did anything amiss to them, so whats their major malfunction.
I’ve noticed that driving at
I’ve noticed that driving at you seems to be more prevalent on some roads than others, a route that we’re taking a lot currently it seems to happen frequently. The kids happily thank drivers for stopping / slowing down unaware that I’m blocking the lane behind them. Several years ago I had to sprint to catch up the youngest to stop some t*sser in an SUV who’d pulled out round a parked car on a narrow road. There was about 0.5m between the SUV and offside kerb. He’d have been completely unaware if he’d caused them to fall off because they were below his window line.
It’s an odd situation this
It’s an odd situation this one. The correct thing for the driver to do, would have been to stay put or pull into the gap in cars. But there’s no advice in the Highway Code that explains to drivers how much room to give an oncoming cyclist in a narrow section of road like this.
By cycling on the left and then stopping pedalling and moving towards the gutter, the driver was encouraged to squeeze past – because that’s what they would do with another car (if there was just room for two to pass). Riding abreast, or at least taking the lane might have stopped this happening.
I don’t think I would have bothered reporting it. More likely I would have made an abrupt swerve up onto the pavement or made a ‘right turn’ signal, perhaps slapping the roof as they passed to make a point.
HoarseMann wrote:
Rule 163 seems to have that covered
belugabob wrote:
…But there’s no advice in the Highway Code that explains to drivers how much room to give an oncoming cyclist in a narrow section of road like this.
…— belugabob Rule 163 seems to have that covered— HoarseMann
Unfortunately rule 163 doesn’t adequately cover this situation, as the passing distances mentioned only apply to overtaking.
This is a big issue. Out at
This is a big issue. Out at the weekend there were four occasions where I had to check my speed due to oncoming cars on my side of the road not giving me room, twice coming to a stop. This was not them moving round parked cars but because they were allowing sufficient room when overtaking cyclists.
I’d prefer a bit less room when the speed difference is 20mph and we’re all heading in the same direction’ maybe a bit more when it’s a 70mph closing speed and they can’t see where I’m trying to go.
HoarseMann wrote:
“give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road”
Anybody who finds this unclear, is part of the problem.
belugabob wrote:
…But there’s no advice in the Highway Code that explains to drivers how much room to give an oncoming cyclist in a narrow section of road like this.
…— belugabob Rule 163 seems to have that covered— HoarseMann
Unfortunately rule 163 doesn’t adequately cover this situation, as the passing distances mentioned only apply to overtaking.
— belugabob “give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road” Anybody who finds this unclear, is part of the problem.— HoarseMann
I’m afraid it’s just not good enough to say ‘give way’. There also needs to be some guidance on the space to leave cyclists. The HwC is extremely deficient in this area.
HoarseMann wrote:
Anyone who has to refer to the Highway Code to know ‘Don’t drive like an arse’ really shouldn’t be driving in the first place.
mdavidford wrote:
In an ideal world I would agree. But unfortunately there are a lot of inconsiderate drivers out there so we do need rules and laws to govern the use of motorised vehicles on the roads. Those rules should be amended where there are clear deficiencies – as there are in this case.
Yet another manifestation of
Yet another manifestation of one of the police favourites: Get yourself KSI’d and we’ll see what we can do.
Hard to imagine a better
Hard to imagine a better place to take the lane than this, given that the driver has a opening to pull into and would barely need to slow down. Were the cyclist in the video in another MV, this is exactly what would have happened with the oncoming car best positioned to give way.
cmedred wrote:
You’d think so, wouldn’t you – until you.come on my twice daily dog walks and see drivers behave exactly as seen in this clip, in the face of oncoming cars (not even slowing down, either)
Whilst I agree the motorist
Whilst I agree the motorist should have been more patient, I would be riding slap bang in the middle of my lane in that low speed situation, exactly as I would in my car. Don’t ride in the gutter and allow drivers to squeeze past you. Cycle confidently and defensively.
How difficult would it have
How difficult would it have been to send a letter that said “you’ve been seen driving in a manner that would fail a Driving Test, don’t do it again or you will get points?
I received a reply from the
I received a reply from the one of the Welsh Police and Crime Commissioners office, who stated, going forward the Police in Wales will no longer be judging distances when reviewing video footage and the cyclist (or horse rider) has to be seen to have swerved or taken evasive action of some kind in an interaction with a motor vehicle, then that would assist in arriving at a decision to prosecute.
So in Wales you must remember to swerve or take evasive action of some kind when passed at 60mph by a car a few cm from your shoulder.
Just practice swerving and wiggling the handlebars or your head, depending on where the camera is mounted, on a bit of quiet road.
All the horse riders will have to have a quick word with their steed so they are adequately briefed, so as to act appropriately, or wear some sharp spurs so you can jab the horse when close passed to get the desired effect.
I have been practising this (not the spurs) and have become quite proficient at wiggling the handlebars (where my camera is located) when passed and it looks quite effective on the video.
Just have to wait for my next submission to see if it tickles Gosafe and the Welsh Police’s fancy or not.
Ah, but if you swerve to
Ah, but if you swerve to avoid being mowed down, my experience is that it can be interpreted by West Yorkshire Police as inviting the overtake.
so be sure to swerve, but not too much. And be sure to show alarm using your voice, but don’t swear. And be sure not to wear a short skirt because then if you get sexually assaulted, it is your fault.
Yes, you really can’t win
Yes, you really can’t win either way.
I usually scream as loud as possible so that I can state ‘as you can hear on the video, the pass frightened me so much it made me scream in terror’, this has always worked up until now in Wales, but going forward, a different strategy may be in order as well!
I have never worn a skirt being male but I have worn a kilt in the past when summer commuting, but found padded cycling shorts more comfortable.
yupiteru wrote:
Yep. I’ve been told this repeatedly since I started reporting so I now ride primary almost all of the time. Below is a link to a NMOTD with a very similar situation to this NMOTD where the driver got a warning letter (obviously it should have been more). If I hadn’t been riding primary I would not have had to swerve and it would have been NFA.
https://road.cc/content/news/nmotd-833-oncoming-driver-forces-cyclist-swerve-297295
It seems a pity that you have to put yourself in harms way to get the police to take action but the police, and every one except cyclists who report, seem happy with this state of affairs.
This isn’t the only reason I cycle primary. It seems to me that the more assertively I cycle the fewer problems I get.
One thing I haven’t mastered yet is managing to to swerve for close passes so in almost 5 years of reporting in Gloucestershire I’ve only managed one points and fine for a close pass.
https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-931-314751
instructions unclear – I
instructions unclear – I jabbed spurs but mixed up my horse with my ebike and now electrocuted myself
I guess this is pretty much
I guess this is pretty much the same situation with the Met police now.
In the past I was getting at least 70% of my video evidenced reports for any form of dangerous driving (red light jumping, close passing, phone use etc) actioned with an NIP.
With at least a confirmation of that by email if not also an end result.
Now it has dropped to 10% if that.
A few years ago I spoke to a leader of the Met team that processes reports.
He said that as they were getting so many reports that to be more efficient they asked the CPS which cases they won most if the driver challenged it in court.
Their answer: phone use.
(And I’m sure this was before the 2022 Highway Code update that tightened up the law.)
So I guess now unless the reports and evidence of other forms of dangerous driving are extremely outragous they will pretty much ignore them.
CyclingMikey has said that island hopping has been decriminalised so he no longer bothers with Gandalf Corner.
For anyone complaining that police staff are not doing their job, the issue is resource which falls to management/leadership/government allocating the funds and making sure that the teams have enough staff, equipment and sensible processes in place.
In the past, the Met police used to ask for 2 minutes of footage before and after an incident to ensure the cyclist hadn’t done anything to provoke the driver or retaliated in any way.
They then dropped it to 1 minute i guess to help speed up the review process presumably because they found 2 minutes wasn’t justified.
mitsky wrote:
The highway code was changed but the law stayed exactly the same and this, in my opinion, is where the problem lies. It seems to me that the police are not concerned at all with the highway code as it does not seem to affect the way the law defines a competent and careful driver. The highway code does kick in for the aftermath when civil procedings take place but it’s often too late then.
Not a bad thing, IFF its
Not a bad thing, IFF its being recorded that they can’t cope.
Because that is the only way more resources will be allocated.
(Of course the letter should be forwarded to MP to ask when more resources are going to be allocated to this incredibly efficient, cheap, effective, popular policing method…)
qwerty360 wrote:
I’m puzzled as to the relevance of the International Friend or Foe system to this case.
eburtthebike wrote:
Easy mistake to make – it was of course the Internet Freedom Foundation that are involved here.
This is my clip. Some people
This is my clip. Some people appear to be missing the point. The reason I contacted Road.cc was to highlight the response from North Wales police. They stated that a warning letter would previously have been sent. To the people who have stated it was our own fault for our actions, my wife and I thank you for your splendid ideas to ride straight at the oncoming car. Seriously, thanks.
It is a truth universally
It is a truth universally acknowledged that as soon as any clip of bad driving is published on the internet someone will say the cyclist should have taken primary. I’ve been told it for clips in which I could not have been closer to the centre of my lane. I’ve also had, numerous times, to take evasive action when oncoming cars have driven straight at me in my lane when I’ve been in primary. It’s a good technique in many situations, it’s not the panacea some people believe.
I just hate that sort of
I just hate that sort of bullying behaviour and am prepared to be awkward.
But always have an escape line.
Except no one said it was
Except no one said it was your fault.
People have said what they would do. Any cyclist’s actions revolving around conflict should include an escape route. Eg taking the lane when being approached from behind you should be able to escape to the left.
Incidentally, I witnessed the same stupid driver behaviour as in the clip yesterday – cyclist was not impressed. Shame I don’t have a dash cam.
I’d have been in primary in
I’d have been in primary in advance of the car pulling out, because that’s how I ride as standard on narrow roads like that. Would that have discouraged the driver from pulling out? I honestly can’t say.
But I would have relinquished primary once they were coming at me, as I don’t want to play chicken with a ton and a half of metal. So I agree with you there.
Either way, all the fault is with the driver, not you.
No one is blaming you for
No one is blaming you for this, but the police are no help here – nor is the Highway Code (as it does not specifically mention how much distance to leave when passing an oncoming cyclist). Basically, the only option is to think about what you might be able to do differently next time.
Riding more defensively can help mitigate against this sort of thing. No one is saying ride straight at the car (although I have found this does sometimes work!), but to be in a more dominant road position before the driver decided to pull out. A lot of drivers just don’t see the cyclist, they only see a gap – so don’t let them have a gap!
If they still drive at you, then of course you submit and have a planned escape route.
Try not to take this personally. It’s an objective appraisal of the video; which is going to happen, no matter your intended point. Rule 72 advises you ride in the centre of the lane on the approach to junctions and road narrowings. It’s advice that I do follow. As Rendel says it’s ‘not a panacea’, but it’s a good habit to get into, as it can deter many of these bad drivers from taking a chance.
A lot of drivers are just
A lot of drivers are just ignorant of the dynamics of a situation. Removing an option from them often gets the result you need.
May not work with wankpanzer drivers.
NewNeil wrote:
I apologise if I gave the impression that I was blaming you or your wife for the incident. The fault lies 100% with the driver and I think it is very short sighted of North Wales Police to adopt the attitude they have. Thank you for highlighting the issue and I hope I haven’t put you off sending in more videos for NMOTD.
Cyclists submit record number
Cyclists submit record number of close pass videos, as road safety charities warn over half of drivers still don’t know the Highway Code’s minimum passing distance
They know it all right- they just have no intention of complying with it because there are no penalties- officially no penalties when it’s in Wales. It’s now 4 years since moron driver of BMW PK14 HLW claimed (he was stopped at temporary lights just ahead) ‘I gave you 1.5m’ before threatening to ‘fucking flatten’ me and to knock me off my bike. And things are getting worse, of course
https://upride.cc/incident/wk66uhc_transporter_closepass/
over half of drivers still
over half of drivers still don’t know the Highway Code’s minimum passing distance
Yet the same physics scholars! are quick to qoute the minimum passing distance when a cyclists passes less than a foot from their precious car :-/
OT before I click is that Upride site full of the same vile trolls that follow their Farceboke site?
No comments on UpRide!
No comments on UpRide!
So they are basically
So they are basically admitting the standard of driving is shite?
Deal with the minor infractions and you deal with 95% of the major ones. When people get away with small stuff they think “I got away with that so it doesn’t matter” and their little things become bigger and bigger.
One of the many reasons I wear my body armour and armoured gloves. When I challenge a driver I know who is going to hurt more.
I don’t agree that the
I don’t agree that the standard of driving is shite.
I cycle in and around Peterborough.
Taking into consideration that many of the drivers are drunk, high on drugs or never had any lessons or taken a test, the standard of driving is exemplary.
No doubt they still have
No doubt they still have sufficient resources to process speed camera video footage?
Perhaps AI can assist in this instance?
I’ve submitted 30+ reports and have about a 30% success rate. Northumbria Police seem to only accept footage showing a close pass less than 50cm and a clear view of the number plate in order to progress.
I have front and rear cameras which provide very clear evidence of the incident and have to spend a couple of hours cobbling together an edited video clip of both, along with my statement to achieve “the threshold.”
Guessing this level of evidence is now mandatory for all victims of crime or is it only cyclists who have to go through this rigmarole???