In today’s episode, we are taking a look at another close pass incident on the A6038 Hollins Hill in Shipley, which occurred on Sunday, 18th August 2024, and involved a red Audi TT.
The map shows the location of the incident along with the direction the cyclist was travelling.
Let’s take another look at this close pass incident.
The footage was uploaded to West Yorkshire Police on the same day via the Safer Roads Media Submission Portal. An email was received with a unique reference number confirming the submission.
West Yorkshire Police replied by email on Monday, 19th August 2024, informing us that enquiries were underway to trace the driver of the vehicle so they could dealt with for the offences indentified in the video.
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 is 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, and failing to comply is an offence in itself under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, carrying six penalty points and a maximum £1,000 fine.
Information released by Operation Snap for the period July to September 2024 shows the driver was dealt with for the offence RT 88576: ‘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.
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, leaving at least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Crucially, Hollins Hill is a 40 mph zone at that location, so the driver should have given even more space. This rule applies even when overtaking a cyclist in a cycle lane.
So what was the penalty? Operation Snap data shows the driver was offered an educational course. These courses are aimed at educating drivers to change attitudes and prevent reoffending. The driver had 28 days to book and pay for the course, and 120 days from the date of the offence to complete it. In this instance, the driver opted to take the course at their own expense, though they still retained the option of accepting a fixed penalty or having the matter heard in court. You can only attend an educational course once in a three year period.
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That’s all from this episode of West Yorkshire Cycling, so until next time stay safe while out on the roads.
