Today we’re breaking down an extreme close pass incident from Sunday, 20th October 2024, involving a brown Skoda Fabia on the B6409 Savile Road in Dewsbury.
The map shows the location of the incident and the cyclist’s direction of travel. Let’s review that extreme close pass one more time.
The footage was uploaded to the West Yorkshire Police Safer Roads Submission Portal on the same day. An email with a unique reference number was received confirming the submission. On Wednesday, 23rd October 2024, West Yorkshire Police responded, confirming that enquiries were underway to trace the driver so they could be dealt with for the identified offences.
This process starts with a Notice of Intended Prosecution, or NIP, being issued to the vehicle’s registered keeper within 14 days of the offence. Receiving a NIP doesn’t automatically mean a prosecution will occur; it’s a formal warning that one may follow. The recipient then has 28 days to identify the driver. Providing false information may constitute the serious offence of perverting the course of justice, which can lead to a prison sentence or a substantial fine. Failing to comply with the NIP is also an offence under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which carries six penalty points and a maximum fine of ÂŁ1,000 on conviction.
Information from Operation Snap for October to December 2024 shows the driver was dealt with for the offence RT88576: ‘Drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or public place without reasonable consideration’. This falls under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and applies when a driver’s actions inconvenience another road user.
This is a clear violation of Highway Code Rule 163, which states you should only overtake when it is safe and legal to do so. The rule specifies giving cyclists at least as much room as a car and provides a clear guide: leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking at speeds up to 30 mph, and even more space at higher speeds. If this is not possible, you must wait.
So, what was the penalty? Operation Snap data shows the driver was offered an Educational Course. These courses are aimed at changing driver attitudes to prevent reoffending, and a driver can only attend one such course in a three-year period. The driver had 28 days to book the course and 120 days from the offence date to complete it, while still retaining the option of a fixed penalty or having the matter heard in court.
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We will be back with another edition of West Yorkshire Cycling soon. Until then, please take care when out cycling.
