The number of cyclists killed or seriously hurt on West Midlands roads has dropped by 20 percent since the launch of a police operation to identify “close pass” drivers.
The operation, dubbed #OpClosePass was introduced by the UK’s West Midlands Police a year ago and sees plain-clothes officers pedalling busy roads on the lookout for motorists who pass cyclists too closely. To date, almost 200 offenders have been pulled over. Most have been allowed on their way after being given an on-the-spot educational input on safe overtaking using a specially designed floor mat.
The number of cyclists involved in serious road smashes in the last year has dropped by 20 percent compared to the previous 12 months.
“I am in no doubt the operation has played a big part in that reduction: we regularly speak to cycling groups and their members are telling us that the message is getting through to drivers,” said PC Mark Hodson from West Midlands Police Force Traffic Unit. “They are, on the whole, being more considerate and understand we will prosecute them if they endanger cyclists.
“To see a fall of 20 percent in the number of serious collisions involving cyclists is incredible especially against a backdrop of increasing numbers of people cycling on our roads. We’ve seen reports of close-passes halve in the West Midlands since we started the project and it’s great that so many other regions are looking to adopt the approach.”
Helmet and dash-cam footage provided by the members of the public has resulted in 13 drivers being prosecuted since the launch of the campaign and around 350 others fined and given licence points.
UK Cycling describes #OpClosePass as the “best cyclist road safety initiative ever”.
