Today on West Yorkshire Cycling, we’re looking at a must-get-in-front and extreme close pass at a pelican crossing on the A650 Tong Street in Bradford. The incident happened on Friday 27th September 2024, and involved a red Vauxhall Agila.
The map shows the location of the incident along with the direction the cyclist was travelling.
Let’s take another look at this incident, but in slow motion.
The footage was uploaded to West Yorkshire Police via the Safer Roads Media Submission Portal on the same day, and we received an email acknowledgement with a unique reference number confirming the submission.
On Monday, 30th September 2024, West Yorkshire Police emailed again to confirm that enquiries were underway to identify the driver so they could be dealt with for the offence or offences shown in the footage. Possible outcomes include an educational course, a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty, or a court hearing.
The procedure begins with the police issuing a Notice of Intended Prosecution, or NIP, to the registered keeper of the vehicle. This must be served within 14 days of the alleged offence. A NIP is not a prosecution in itself; it is a formal notification that one may follow. The recipient is legally required to identify the driver within 28 days.
Accuracy is vital. Providing false information may constitute perverting the course of justice, an offence that can result in imprisonment or a significant fine. Failure to comply with the NIP is a separate offence, attracting six penalty points and a fine of up to £1,000 upon conviction.
According to Operation Snap records for July to September 2024, the driver was dealt with for offence RT88576: Drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or public place without reasonable consideration. This is an offence under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which applies when another road user is inconvenienced by the driver’s actions.
Under Rule 163 of the Highway Code, overtaking is permitted only when it is both safe and lawful, and drivers must give cyclists at least the same clearance they would give a car.
The guidance recommends leaving at least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 mph, increasing this distance at higher speeds. Where these clearances cannot be achieved safely, the correct action is to remain behind the cyclist.
Operation Snap confirms that the driver was offered an educational course. Such courses are available only once in a three‑year period and are designed to address driving behaviour and reduce re‑offending.
The driver was given 28 days to book and pay for the course, with 120 days from the date of the offence to complete it. The police reserve the right to withdraw the offer at any stage before completion. While the driver could have opted for a Fixed Penalty or a court hearing, they chose to undertake the course at their own cost.
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This brings us to the end of this edition of West Yorkshire Cycling. We’ll be back with another episode soon. In the meantime, please take care while out on the roads.
