In this episode we will take a look at a close pass on the B6432 St Andrew’s Road in Huddersfield. It occurred on Sunday 10th November 2024 and involved a black Ford Focus.
The map shows the direction the cyclist was heading in along with location of the incident.
Let’s take another look at that close pass in slow motion.
The footage was uploaded on the same day to West Yorkshire Police via the Safer Roads Media Submission Portal. An email was received with a unique reference number confirming the submission.
West Yorkshire Police responded by email on Tuesday 12th November 2024 to inform us that enquiries were underway to trace the driver of the vehicle, so they could process them for the offence or offences identified from the footage.
This starts by the police issuing a Notice Of Intended Prosecution within 14 days of the offence to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
When you receive a NIP it doesn’t automatically mean that you are going to be face prosecution, it is a warning that you may face prosecution. You have 28 days from receiving the NIP to provide the name and address of who was driving the vehicle at the time of the alleged offence. If you provide details of someone else but you were the driver, this may constitute the offence of perverting the course of justice, which may incur a prison sentence or substantial fine. It is an offence not to comply with NIP, and if you fail to provide the requested information, you will be liable under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This carries six penalty points and a maximum £1,000 fine on conviction
Information from Operation Snap for the period 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 and comes under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. A person is considered to have driven without reasonable consideration only if someone is inconvenienced by their driving.
This directly relates to The Highway Code, specifically Rule 163, which clearly states: “Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so.” It goes on to say, “You should give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.”
And for cyclists, the guidance is even more specific: “As a guide, leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.” If you can’t meet these clearances, the rule is simple: “You should wait behind… and not overtake.”
So, what was the outcome? The driver was offered an Educational Course. These courses aim to educate drivers, change attitudes, and prevent re‑offending. It’s worth noting you can only attend one such course within a three‑year period.
The driver had 28 days to book and pay for the course and needed to complete it within 120 days of the offence. While they could have opted for a Conditional Offer of a Fixed Penalty or a court hearing, in this instance, the driver accepted the offer of the educational course, which they attended at their own expense.
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Join us next time for more from West Yorkshire Cycling.
