In today’s episode, we’re looking at a close pass incident that took place on Sunday, 11th August 2024, on the A6033 Rochdale Road in Todmorden. The vehicle involved was a blue Toyota Corolla.
On screen, you’ll see a map showing the location of the incident, along with the direction the cyclist was travelling.
Now, let’s revisit the footage in slow motion to get a clearer view of what happened.
The video was uploaded to the West Yorkshire Police Safer Roads Media Submission Portal that same day, and we received a confirmation email in response.
On 14th August 2024, the police informed us that enquiries were underway to trace the driver for offences identified in the footage.
This process begins with the police issuing a Notice of Intended Prosecution, or NIP. This document notifies the registered keeper that they may be prosecuted for a driving offence. It’s a formal request for information issued while the incident is still recent and fresh in memory.
Once received, there are 28 days to provide the name and address of the person driving at the time of the offence. Knowingly providing false information could result in a charge of perverting the course of justice, with penalties including prison time or substantial fines.
It’s also an offence to ignore a NIP. Failure to respond is dealt with under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and carries a penalty of six points on your licence and a maximum £1,000 fine upon conviction.
Information from Operation Snap for the July to September 2024 period confirms the driver was dealt with for offence R T 8 8 5 7 6 – Driving a mechanically propelled vehicle without reasonable consideration for other road users, under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
A person is considered to have driven without reasonable consideration if their driving inconveniences someone else.
This is covered by Rule 163 of the Highway Code, which states that overtaking should only occur when it is safe and legal to do so. Drivers must give cyclists, motorcyclists, and horse riders at least as much room as they would when overtaking a car.
As a guide, that means leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking at speeds up to 30 mph—and even more space at higher speeds. If these clearances can’t be met, drivers must wait behind until it’s safe to pass.
In this case, the footage shows the cyclist overtaking a line of parked vehicles. At the same time, the Toyota Corolla overtook the cyclist, failing to leave enough space and causing the close pass.
So how was the driver dealt with? Operation Snap confirms that an Educational Course was offered—these courses aim to improve understanding, change attitudes, and prevent future offences. Drivers are only eligible to attend one such course in any rolling three-year period.
The course must be booked and paid for within 28 days of the offer being made, and completed within 120 days of the original offence. The police can withdraw the offer at any time before completion.
The alternative options are to accept a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty, or to have the case heard in court.
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That’s all from this edition of West Yorkshire Cycling. We’ll be back soon with another episode. Until then, take care out on the roads—and remember, every metre matters.
