In this edition of West Yorkshire Cycling, we review a close pass incident involving a red Ford Focus on the A6026 Wakefield Road in Copley. The incident occurred on Sunday, 15th September 2024.
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 cyclist was in the narrow cycle lane when overtaken by the Ford Focus, which was still required to leave at least a 1.5-metre gap.
The footage was uploaded to West Yorkshire Police via the Safer Roads Media Submission Portal on the same day.
West Yorkshire Police replied by email on Tuesday, 17th September 2024, informing us that enquiries were underway to trace the driver involved so that they could be processed for the offence or offences identified in the footage. This may be by way of an educational course, a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty, or a court hearing.
This process begins with issuing a Notice of Intended Prosecution, or NIP, to the vehicle’s registered keeper within 14 days of the offence. Receiving a NIP isn’t an automatic prosecution; it is a formal warning that one may follow. The recipient then has 28 days to provide the name and address of the person who was driving.
It’s critical to be truthful. Providing false details may constitute the offence of perverting the course of justice, which can lead to a prison sentence or a substantial fine. Failing to comply with the NIP is also an offence and can result in six penalty points and a maximum £1,000 fine on conviction.
Information from Operation Snap for the period July to September 2024 confirms that the driver was dealt with for offence RT88576: Drive a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or public place without reasonable consideration. This offence falls under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. A person is considered to have driven without reasonable consideration if their driving inconveniences another road user.
This is covered by Rule 163 of the Highway Code, which states that overtaking should only be carried out when it is safe and legal to do so. Drivers should give cyclists at least as much room as they would when overtaking a car.
As a guide, at least 1.5 metres should be left when overtaking cyclists at speeds up to 30 mph, with greater clearance required at higher speeds. The rule also makes clear that extra care and additional space are needed in bad weather. If these clearances cannot be met safely, drivers should wait behind the cyclist and not overtake.
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.
