A road safety campaign aiming to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Essex roads is under fire after claiming some cyclists “proactively seek out examples of poor driving” and stating reports of footage showing dangerous driving will only be accepted from riders who “record it in passing while on their commute”.

The SaferEssexRoads Twitter account, representing the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) — a road safety group bringing together police, fire, highways, air ambulance and three local authority areas — shared its Extra Eyes campaign, asking people to report instances of poor and dangerous driving which will then be forwarded to Essex Police for consideration.

SERP replied to a question asking why one example of a cyclist’s footage of a mobile phone-using driver would not be accepted, saying: “We accept these if they are reported by cyclists who record it in passing while on their commute but not from those who proactively seek out examples of poor driving.”

The stance has drawn criticism, one cyclist calling it “shocking” and another saying it is a “completely unacceptable response”. Others questioned how SERP would determine the difference between someone who recorded something “in passing” and other footage “proactively” sought out.

“In the real world, prevention is not waiting for bad things to happen, it’s preventing things from happening in the first place. Completely unacceptable response,” one rider replied.

Another added: “You don’t need to ‘seek out’ bad driving, it usually finds us. That’s just how prolific it is. This has big ‘if I don’t see it it doesn’t happen’ energy. Do better and maybe take a leaf out of West Yorkshire Police’s book — a force that actually cares about reducing road danger.”

Someone else asked for SERP’s opinion on “those proactive speed cameras the police leave at the roadside to catch errant drivers?”

CyclingMikey — who has reported thousands of law-breaking drivers in London, often for using their phone behind the wheel in cases similar to the one SERP was displeased about — called the outlook a “disgrace” and said “you should accept all such reports”.

One reply shared an FOI request which showed the outcome of all Operation SNAP reports in Essex last year, showing just two phone-using motorists reported by cyclists were prosecuted. In total, 252 reports of mobile phone use resulted in 33 prosecutions.

Of the 252 reports, 15 came from cyclists, resulting in three prosecutions, four warning letters, one passed to another team and seven cases of no further action.

SERP’s website states its aim as reducing “death and serious injury on Essex roads to zero” and suggests enforcement is “far more beneficial” when “a driver attends an awareness/training course than simply paying a fine and accepting points on their licence”.

“We are dedicated to reducing death and serious injury on the roads in Essex to zero,” Nicola Foster, the body’s chair said. “However, as with all safety issues, each road user has to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. We also urge you to take responsibility for others too; those who are more vulnerable than you because they have less protection or because they are less skilled, less aware or just being daft.

“If we all make a small change to our driving, think about what we are doing, and take care of each other we should all be able to use the roads safely and make it home.”

Today’s backlash comes just days after a road safety group from Warwickshire was slammed for advising cyclists to “stop and allow drivers to overtake”.

Yesterday, the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, an equivalent body to SERP, told road.cc “one tweet cannot always explain the complex rules of the Highway Code” and clarified its stance.

road.cc has contacted SERP for comment.