apparently west midlands police are trapping drivers and fining them for not giving enough room to cyclists,they have a policeman on a bike and any vehicle not giving enough room are pulled up further on and given a ticket,sounds like another revenue earner for coppers
Which RDC were you in when you heard that? 
I heard that on the radio a few weeks ago maybe they could fine a few of the cyclist’s that jump red lights and sneak down the side of you
Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk
I think you will find its West Midland Police,reported Midlands News a few days ago, not Manchester,amazing how these stories get changed from one RDC Drivers room to another.
Yes it’s true but it’s West Midlands not Manchester.
I wouldn’t say they are trapping drivers either. They’ve said that the majority of drivers give plenty of room to cyclists, and are good drivers. They are just after the ones who pass dangerously close. Good on em. After all, it’s them who has to turn up to seen when a cyclist is in pieces in the floor and then has to go and tell the family because an imatient car passed too close.
RDC talk has changed it from one force to another almost 100 miles away and has called potential saving someone’s life “trapping” motorists.
If motorists are to be penalised for not giving cyclists enough room , what should the penalty be for cyclists who don’t give themselves enough room sneaking down the inside with inches to spare ?
Rowley010:
RDC talk has changed it from one force to another almost 100 miles away and has called potential saving someone’s life “trapping” motorists.
What is the legally defined minimum distance? Without that its down to interpretation and the issuing of a FPN based on what someone observing from some distance deems to be close or not is trapping motorists. Its about as fair as judging someone was speeding by standing at the side of the road, seeing a vehicle they think is a mile away and going “one Mississippi, two Mississippi” etc and giving a penalty notice to anyone who gets there before they get to “sixty Mississippi”.
You could argue the finer points until you are blue in face but I’m sure they have some legitimate legal grounds for what they are doing. But if you think it’s better for the police to leave everyone to it and to not make attempt to reduce accidents/injuries/fatalities on the road then you go and complain to the force, seek legal advice to see what the legality of it actually it is.
My point is, it makes me mad when the police are just trying to do something to make the roads safer and people just have a go at them for it saying its some how not fair. How’s it not fair to take action against someone who has just nearly knocked a cyclist off through being impatient?
I agree that when cyclists come down the inside 1 inch away from the vehicle they are as much to blame. But they have control over that. Some have the common sense not to, but some don’t.
What the police are targeting here is something the cyclist (who is always going to end up worse off) has no control over.
I don’t see why people have a problem with a police initiative to save lives!
Conor:
Rowley010:
RDC talk has changed it from one force to another almost 100 miles away and has called potential saving someone’s life “trapping” motorists.What is the legally defined minimum distance? Without that its down to interpretation and the issuing of a FPN based on what someone observing from some distance deems to be close or not is trapping motorists. Its about as fair as judging someone was speeding by standing at the side of the road, seeing a vehicle they think is a mile away and going “one Mississippi, two Mississippi” etc and giving a penalty notice to anyone who gets there before they get to “sixty Mississippi”.
There no legally defined minimum distance. In court it’s what “the reasonable person” would deem to be dangerous. This isn’t just the officers word, it will all be filmed, so it’s totally fair if the reasonable person views the footage and would see how close a car passed was dangerous.
rigsby:
If motorists are to be penalised for not giving cyclists enough room , what should the penalty be for cyclists who don’t give themselves enough room sneaking down the inside with inches to spare ?
No, I agree. But that’s a totally different issue to what the police are targeting here.
Like the cyclist who went down the L/h side of me when i was indicating left to turn in to Alexandra palace 
blue estate:
Like the cyclist who went down the L/h side of me when i was indicating left to turn in to Alexandra palace
Again, this isn’t the issue the police are looking at.
It’s almost like being caught red handed doing something, and saying “yeah but he did this so it makes what I’m doing ok”.
Cyclist comes down the inside (stupid I agree) but then makes it ok for a car to brush past at speed nearly knocking them off does it? I’m a cyclist and I’ve had to literally dive into the pavement once with how close a car cut in front. There the ones the police are after. Not the one who only left 1 foot when they could have left 2 foot.
Phew, had me a tad worried!
Since my little episode, I have been trying to educate suicyclists on the dangers of sharing the road
Conor:
What is the legally defined minimum distance?
The legal distance is just over what would be needed for your passenger to reach out of the window and push him off his bike 
Heard this on a local radio,the distance you should give is minimum 1.5m this came from one of the officers involved in the operation which was going on in the west midlands on Hagley Road.
I wasn’t far out then …
xichrisxi:
Heard this on a local radio,the distance you should give is minimum 1.5m this came from one of the officers involved in the operation which was going on in the west midlands on Hagley Road.
Well the “Highway Code” states, “give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211-215)”
Now the problem with this is, it doesn’t state the type of road. I’m sure we have all been in the situation where you over take an fellow lorry driver be it in a strech of motorway roadworks, or a motorway with norrow lanes, Stockport on the M60 either way rings a bell.
So with this “Highway code” statement, can I hog the middle of the outside lane whist overtaking a lorry limited to ■■■■■■■ 52mph or some old ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■ doing 45 mph in his volvo estate?
And how do you pass these annoying charity cycle eventers and their bloody support vans? Saw a group in Chipping Norton this morning about to set off; Must’ve been thirty of them along with at least two vans with flashing beacons on and signwriting to let us know what charidee this rolling roadblock will be supporting. I was doubly lucky in that I just went by before they set off, and also because they didn’t ask me for a donation.
Honked:
Phew, had me a tad worried!Since my little episode, I have been trying to educate suicyclists on the dangers of sharing the road
So you’re saying Chris Eubank was good at educating people? 