Operation to improve road safety of cyclists and motorcyclists

As part of a national 2Wheels two operation in June to improve the safety of cyclists and motorcyclists on our roads, we are sharing moving footage that members of the public submitted to us via Operation Snap as evidence of a potential moving traffic offence.

This includes this motorcyclist who got three points and a fine for careless driving after passing a cyclist too fast at 120mph near Stratford. 

This driver had to do a re-training course after passing two separate cyclists too close at speed near Wootton Wawen

Driving like this puts lives at risk.

Drivers should allow 1.5m when passing cyclists and give even more space at higher speeds.

This isn’t the only hazard that cyclists face.  This young driver was lucky to be offered a driver retraining course after failing to look properly at a junction and narrowly missing a cyclist. 

That’s why we are also reminding drivers to please stay alert and look at least twice for cyclists and motorcyclists especially at junctions where collisions are most likely to occur. This is important because over 1,000 motorcyclists and cyclists have been injured on Warwickshire’s roads since 2020. 

These are just three of 634 submissions we have received so far this year from cyclists to Operation Snap.  Most reports are of drivers passing them too closely. Motorcyclists also report dangerous and careless driving to us but in much lower numbers.

Offences that can be submitted to Operation Snap range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.

PC Ken Bratley who manages Op Snap said “1000’s of road users submit footage of incidents like this to Op Snap so that we can take action to stop dangerous driving.

“Operation Snap plays a major part in making Warwickshire’s roads safer, and we thank all those who have already submitted evidence for us to review.”

“The video footage needs to be good quality where you can clearly see each character of the registration and contain clear evidence of the alleged offence.  So for example we need to see a driver go through a visible red light in a video for it to be accepted as evidence. 

When people submit video footage to Operation Snap they will be informed if the case will be progressed or not. and where the case isn’t evidentially strong the rationale for no further action will be explained. 

For more information about Operation Snap please visit our website www.warwickshire.police.uk/operationsnap The footage above can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram Search @WarwickshirePolice and follow us for more.