Police officers in Warwickshire spoke to 58 motorists last week, as part of a three-day operation to improve safety for the increasing numbers of cyclists using the county’s roads.
Organised as part of National Bike Week, Operation Close Pass involved a plain clothed police officer – fitted with front and rear facing cameras – taking to the road to spot motorists failing to leave a safe passing distance of 1.5m
Offending drivers were pulled over to a suitable location – and offered the opportunity to have a short educational input using material provided by Cycling UK and RoSPA.
In total, 35 drivers were educated on safe passing distances – with a further 20 stopped for speeding. Three drivers received Traffic Offence Reports for having no insurance.
The cyclist used in the operation rode more than 75 miles during the three days.
Sgt Leanne Mason, Warwickshire Police, said: “We are seeing unprecedented numbers of cyclists on Warwickshire’s roads.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to road safety, officers have been running Operation Close Pass to raise awareness and educate both drivers and cyclists about safe passing distances to help reduce the number of cyclists killed or injured on the region’s roads.”
Statistics show four cyclists were killed and 24 seriously injured on Warwicksihre’s roads in 2019
Sgt Mason added: “[The operation] plays a part in helping to reduce these numbers, but we are also encouraging cyclists and drivers to refresh their knowledge of the Highway Code and to self-educate as there are some great materials available online.”
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