"When education fails...."
You mean they were a repeat offender?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Operation Close Pass in Edinburgh
(630 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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How long does the reporting process normally take? I reported on 17th June, had footage viewed on 19th but haven't heard anything since.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Driver found guilty following first 'not guilty' plea case in West Midlands. Great news in setting case law.
https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-news/news.aspx?id=5843
Posted 7 years ago # -
From link -
"
But in addition to running regular operations the force has also prosecuted more than 300 offenders using helmet- and dash-cam footage provided by members of the public.
...
West Midlands Police has seen reports of close-passes halve since the scheme was introduced – and 16 police forces the length and breadth of the country are now considering embracing what UK Cycling described as the “best cyclist road safety initiative ever”.
"
Posted 7 years ago # -
This is encouraging and slightly worrying at the same time
However, 13 drivers went on to be prosecuted and two had licences revoked at the roadside for failing eyesight tests.
(my bold)
Have WMP said how many stops they've made?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@steveo - just under 200 police stops.
The 300 reported from the public is since September 2016. I think a high proportion of West Midlands' cyclists use cameras and they have an online reporting system (and a dedicated office of people to administer it).
I had a driver fail an eye test for me last week (non cycling related though). Frightening.
Posted 7 years ago # -
From looking at the today's worst driving thread, I've been inspired to explore the option of attaching a tag along to my stooge bike with the cameras. Does anyone have any 'reasonable' ideas/offers of how I can create a child like appearance on the back? (obviously health and safety won't let me use a real one and most of my colleagues aren't that small).
Posted 7 years ago # -
I may have mentioned this on here before, but my late Grandad eventually gave up driving in his 80s when he started to worry about his eyesight not being up to it.
It was tested the week after he sold his car and he was officially registered as blind.
It's time older drivers were made to have a mandatory health and eye test annually, and failure criteria were made more stringent. My Mum, who has Alzheimers and whose short-term memory is now utterly shot (as well as her increasingly losing the ability to speak or understand conversations) is still signed-off by the medical establishment as being fit to drive. She'd likely forget she was driving after a few minutes and try to do something else....
Posted 7 years ago # -
@threefromleith
"It's time older drivers were made to have a mandatory health and eye test annually, and failure criteria were made more stringent."Totally agree. There should also be a mandatory online test every 10 years for everyone when you update/renew your licence. Even if it was open book it would force people to learn/re-learn. Would be a perfect opportunity to cover (relatively speaking) new things like ASL's and red X's on motorway gantries etc.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom the 'pedalling panda' that used to attend POP was disconcertingly lifelike. I think its feet were clipped in so its legs went round. It might have been HankChief who was responsible. I don't know if you could find a realistic enough child doll to get beyond the uncanny though. Maybe just a child seat on the back with a helmeted passenger?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom D - How about a shop dummy? I'm sure a tagalong could be acquired from the Bike Station, and a dummy from the council civic amenities site...
As an alternative, I'm sure an all-in-one oversuit could be padded out adequately, although that might only work in appropriate weather (cold and/or wet).
In either case, the seatpost could have a rod attached to it, rising above the saddle, to secure the manikin.
You may find it easier to source a trailer which, with the raincover up, wouldn't need any occupants to be convincing as a child transportation device.
Robert
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom D there was an amusing video of a large toy panda going to PoP. I can't remember if it was on a tagalong or on the back of a Circe Helios tandem. I wonder if one could disguise such a thing as a convincing child?
Edit: crossposted with others
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom D - the panda Sally is referring to can be watched here:
Stick a jacket and helmet on it and you'll be a long way there.
The drivers you're really interested in won't be able to tell the difference...
Posted 7 years ago # -
'While other forces use a 1.5m guideline for overtaking, the Met are focusing on the Highway Code rule stating drivers must give cyclists as much room as they do a car.
Says Castle: “If you’re following Rule 163 of the Highway Code and you’re leaving as much room as you would a car then it doesn’t matter whether the cyclist is in the gutter or the middle of the lane. You still should leave them the same amount of room.'
Posted 7 years ago # -
Lost a bit of concentration yesterday on the green lane going north on Minto Street and drifted from primary to primaryish, with queued traffic in lane two.
That was all the invitation the black cab behind me required to pass, close enough to brush the elbow of my jacket. Pretty ruthless as he turned left ten meters futher on.
Posted 7 years ago # -
'While other forces use a 1.5m guideline for overtaking, the Met are focusing on the Highway Code rule stating drivers must give cyclists as much room as they do a car.
IMO, there are 2 possible problems with that:
(A) Won't it make it harder to get a conviction?
(B) It doesn't give clear instructions to drivers.
The ultimate point is to get drivers to pass safely. Everything else is a means to that end (including prosecutions).
Saying, "give 1.5m space" is a specific, clear, easy to follow instruction.
Saying, "as much space as you'd give a car" is open to all sort of interpretation.
Posted 7 years ago # -
In some ways it's easier to interpret - if there's painted lanes and they're not in the adjacent one, it's an offence.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I think it's a bit like 'share the road' - cyclists interpret 'as much space as you'd give a car' as meaning 'pass as wide as if there were an invisible car there instead of a cyclist' while (some) drivers interpret it as 'brush as close past the cyclist as you would brush past a car' - i.e. if you are happy leaving a gap of a foot between your wing mirrors then feel free to leave a gap of a foot between your wing mirror and the cyclist's elbow. English is a wonderfully flexible thing. I'd be happier with 'Change lanes to pass' or, even better, enough Dutch style segregation that the point becomes moot
Posted 7 years ago # -
Heard back about my earlier report. Driver issued with a warning:
Posted 7 years ago # -
@rob, if he/she offends again does that mean automatic fine?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@gembo the message I got said "further action" if he comes to police attention again. I would guess that means a fine for anything similar.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@ Rob
Not remotely defending driver, but one contributing factor is the hatching - designed to discourage drivers from crashing into each other.
Maybe ask CEC to remove?
Use 'reclaimed space' for an uphill cyclelane.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@chdot it has a dashed line so, unless I'm mistaken he could've used it to overtake. He was approaching the crest of a hill so may have been being cautious but, to me, that doesn't sit right with the speed and horn abuse.
An uphill cycle lane is a good idea, if done properly. A narrow painted one would be worse.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"could've used it to overtake"
Yes.
"horn abuse"
Ah, had sound off. Probably illegal too.
"A narrow painted one would be worse"
Yes, ought to be room for a decent width.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Not a close pass, but a close encounter all the same.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Scary.
Out of interest, what's your camera setup, and what are you editing the video with?
Posted 7 years ago # -
Sony AS30v, running 720p at 30fps, mounted in front of my right-hand mirror. I'm using iMovie, but it's an ancient version that can't even do the speeding up thing, because my computer is too old. The camera will do up to 1080p at 60fps.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Terrifying but impressive observation and reflexes - also excellent comments. I used to do turn right from Calder Road to Longstone Road every day for years, and I also employed all manner of non-standard pointing and gesticulation in order to alert people to my presence - precisely for the very reason you have shown.
Posted 7 years ago # -
You have to be properly frightened to jump sideways like that on any bike, in the velomobile that must have quite something.
I've ridden that roundabout a couple of times and it is horrible, though not quite as horrible as the underpass.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The national meeting went well. Standby for an official announcement soon.
Busy, busy for me behind the scenes. Lots of educational activity ongoing and planned as well as work to try to simplify remote reporting.
We'll also be attending a national meeting in September chaired by the Parliamentary Road Danger Forum chairman (the ones who presented WMP with an award) where all Forces can come together including WMP and share best practices etc.
The good news is, it looks like it is starting to become an established police activity.
Posted 7 years ago #
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