This incident happened on Sunday, 11th August 2024, and involved a white Skoda Octavia close passing a cyclist after overtaking illegally on a solid white line on the A646 Halifax Road in Hebden Bridge.
The map shows the location of the incident and the direction the cyclist was travelling. Let’s take another look at that dangerous manoeuvre in slow motion.
The footage was uploaded to the West Yorkshire Police Safer Roads Media Submission Portal on the same day. An email was received with a unique reference number confirming the submission. West Yorkshire Police responded on Wednesday, 14th August 2024, to inform us that enquiries were ongoing to trace the driver for the identified offences.
This starts with the issuing of a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP). This is to inform a potential defendant that they may be prosecuted while the incident is still fresh in their memory. They have 28 days from receiving the NIP to provide the name and address of the driver. Providing false details may constitute the offence of perverting the course of justice, and it is an offence in itself not to comply. Failure to provide the requested information makes the recipient liable under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which carries six penalty points and a maximum £1,000 fine.
Data released by Operation Snap shows the driver was dealt with for the offence RT88576: ‘Drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or public place without reasonable consideration’, under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
This dangerous manoeuvre is a clear violation of two separate Highway Code rules.
First, Rule 129, which covers double white lines. It states that where the line nearer to you is solid, you MUST NOT cross or straddle it to overtake a cyclist unless they are travelling at 10 mph or less.
Second, Rule 163, which deals with safe overtaking. It requires drivers to give cyclists at least as much room as a car, providing a guide of at least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 mph. If this clearance isn’t possible, the driver must wait.
So what was the outcome? Operation Snap data shows the driver was offered an Educational Course. These courses are aimed at educating drivers to change attitudes and prevent re-offending, and a driver can only attend one in a three-year period. They had 28 days to book and pay for the course and 120 days from the date of the offence to complete it, while still retaining the option of a fixed penalty or court hearing.
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We will be back with another edition of West Yorkshire Cycling soon. Until then please take care when out cycling.
