In this episode, we’re diving into a close pass incident that occurred on Sunday, August 18th, 2024, on the A6038 Hollins Hill in Shipley. The vehicle involved was a silver Ford Fiesta.
The map you see now shows the incident’s exact location and the direction our cyclist was traveling.
Let’s take another look at the footage and break down exactly what happened.
The video was submitted to the West Yorkshire Police Safer Roads Media Submission portal on the same day, August 18th, 2024, and we received immediate email confirmation of its upload.
On August 20th, 2024, West Yorkshire Police informed us that inquiries were underway to trace the driver and address the offenses identified in the footage.
This process typically begins with the police issuing a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to the vehicle’s registered keeper, usually within 14 days of the offense. It’s important to remember that receiving a NIP doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be prosecuted; it’s a formal warning that you may face prosecution.
You then have 28 days to provide the name and address of who was driving the vehicle at the time of the alleged offense. Be aware: if you provide details of someone else when you were actually the driver, you could be committing the offense of perverting the course of justice, which carries severe penalties, including potential prison time or a substantial fine.
Crucially, failing to comply with a NIP is an offense in itself. If you don’t provide the requested information, you’ll be liable under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which carries six penalty points and a maximum £1,000 fine upon conviction.
Information released by Operation Snap for the period July to September 2024 shows the driver was indeed dealt with for the offense identified as RT8876: Driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or public place without reasonable consideration. This falls under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. For this offense, someone is considered to have driven without reasonable consideration only if their driving inconveniences another person.
This incident is clearly covered by Rule 163 of the Highway Code. It states that you should only overtake when it’s safe and legal to do so. As a guide, you should leave at least 1.5 meters when overtaking cyclists at speeds up to 30 mph, and give them even more space when overtaking at higher speeds. The rule is clear: you should wait and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances.
So, what was the penalty for this driver? Operation Snap data reveals the driver was offered an educational course. These courses are designed to educate drivers, promote positive attitude changes, and ultimately prevent re-offending.
Once offered, you must book and pay for the educational course within 28 days from the document date, and you then have 120 days from the date of the original offense to attend and complete it.
The police retain the right to withdraw a course offer at any time before completion.
The driver in this case opted to pay for and successfully complete the course.
Remember, even when offered a course, you always have the option of accepting a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty or having the matter heard in court.
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That’s all from this episode of West Yorkshire Cycling. Until next time, stay safe out there on the roads!
