We’ve seen it in the Midlands, even in Houston, Texas, and now it has reached Gloucestershire; police are targeting drivers who get too close to cyclists. Following a surge in complaints from cyclists, drivers are being warned they could be prosecuted if they get too close to bicycles when overtaking. Officers from Avon and Somerset Police say they’re receiving more than 50 reports of so-called “close passes” every month. Forces will be carrying out roadside checks at pre-selected locations to intercept drivers who pass cyclists too closely, and will run their operation for the next two months. Read more about Operation Close Pass in Gloucestershire here
This action fits with a campaign by Cycling UK that provides mats to educate motorists. The combined police forces of Avon & Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, are rolling out their Cycling UK close pass mats and begining their own close pass operations. Here’s a video showing their use.
So what should you do if it happens to you? Here’s how to report a cycling close pass or other near miss incident. Gloucestershire Road Safety and the Tri Service Centre have adopted the Collideoscope online tool for reporting near misses involving cyclists and other road users. This allows you to log the location, time and any other details of your incident along with supporting photos. Use the link: https://roadsafety-gloucestershire.org.uk/closepass/. They’s also produced a brochure that you can down load here.
Read more from Road Safety Gloucestershire about how to ‘Report a cycling close pass or other near miss incident’