185 motorists stopped in scheme to give cyclists more protection
Cyclists across the region have been receiving extra protection, thanks to a police initiative.
The Operation Close Pass initiative by West Midlands Police has seen 185 motorists stopped due to potentially risking the safety of other road users.
The action took place between July 29 and August 11 as part of a series of days of action where routes of concern were highlighted in partnership with West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).
Around 30 people were reported for driving offences, ranging from driving without due care and attention to driving without insurance.
Others were educated around the dangers of not keeping at a safe distance - a minimum of 1.5 metres, when travelling past cyclists - by road casualty reduction officers from WMFS.
The operations took place at locations that were highlighted by TfWM, including Chester Road in Birmingham; Foleshill Road, Manor Way, in Dudley, Birmingham New Road in Sandwell, Wolverhampton Road West in Walsall and Cannock Road in Wolverhampton.
The Close Pass initiative started in 2016 and helped reduce the number of road casualties among cyclists, from 124 in 2017 to 88 in 2020.
Sergeant Jon Butler, from the road harm prevention team, said: "We want all of our road users to be safe and feel safe when travelling across our region.
"Operation Close Pass enables us to speak to road users individually and educate them on the dangers of overtaking too close. This includes an interactive input from our fire service colleagues."
He added: "In the most serious cases, we won't hesitate to prosecute those who recklessly put lives at risk.
"It is important everyone feels a sense of responsibility in keeping each other safe and preventing collisions.
"I would encourage all road users who see anyone falling below acceptable driving standards to report this, with camera footage, via our online portal."
Deborah Fox, head of demand management at TfWM said: “Across the West Midlands, we have an ambition to increase cycling journeys to five per cent of all journeys by 2023.
"To do this, we are working hard to create safe spaces for people to cycle, increase their confidence and access to bikes and help them feel safer on the roads.
"Having more people out of cars and cycling their journeys benefits us all, by reducing congestion and cleaning up our air.
"We’re really proud of our partnership with West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Police and the work being done to educate all road users in protecting and respecting each other."
Watch Commander Adrian Spencer, of WMFS’s road casualty reduction team, added: "In helping to deliver the West Midland’s Regional Road Safety Strategy, we’re working to reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.
"By joining forces with our police colleagues on behalf of TfWM Active Travel Fund, we’ve been spreading the ‘share space’ message among drivers and other road users to help everyone enjoy safer journeys.
"The majority of drivers we’ve spoken to have welcomed our approach, which involves showing them videos, scenario-based demonstrations and simply talking through the issues.
"It’s a great example of how our partnership work is making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier."
