Today we are taking a look at a close pass incident which occurred on Sunday, 15th September 2024, during wet weather and involving a white Citroen C5 on the A6025 Elland Road in Brighouse.
The map shows the location of the incident and the direction the cyclist was travelling in. Let’s take another look at that close pass in slow motion.
The footage was uploaded to West Yorkshire Police via the Safer Roads Media Submission Portal on the same day. An email was received confirming the submission along with a unique reference number. On Tuesday, 17th September 2024, West Yorkshire Police responded to inform us that enquiries were ongoing to trace the driver so they could be dealt with for the identified offences.
This process starts with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) being issued to the vehicle’s registered keeper within 14 days of the offence. A NIP is a formal warning that a prosecution may follow. The recipient then has 28 days to identify the driver. Providing false information may constitute the offence of perverting the course of justice, and failing to comply is an offence under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which carries six penalty points and a maximum ÂŁ1,000 fine.
Results published by Operation Snap for the period July to September 2024 show 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 is a clear violation of Highway Code Rule 163, which states you should only overtake when it is safe to do so, giving cyclists at least 1.5 metres of space at speeds up to 30 mph, and more at higher speeds.
The wet conditions on the day made this pass even more reckless. Spray from the vehicle can temporarily blind a cyclist, and wet roads reduce grip for both parties, leaving no margin for error.
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 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.
