CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

Operation Close Pass in Edinburgh

(630 posts)

  1. gibbo
    Member

    @Frenchy

    "We would be potentially forcing motorists to drive at the speed of cyclists when there isn't the recommended space to overtake."

    You get these muppets on twitter who respond to operation close pass tweets with, "What should I do if there isn't enough space to overtake safely?"

    People reply - sometimes politely, sometimes not - by pointing out that dangerous driving is dangerous driving. And, if you can't overtake safely, you can't overtake legally.

    Turns out Cambridge police are those muppets...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

  3. chdot
    Admin

  4. Dom D
    Member

    The Operation Close Pass message has been incorporated into the Young Driver Event this year, targeting the next generation of drivers (and hopefully correcting their parents!).

    http://www.roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/6055.html

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. Dom D
    Member

    There was Op Close Pass activity in Falkirk this weekend as well with the Forth Valley division also running the operation.

    http://www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/news/2017/october/more-drivers-educated-in-falkirk-as-part-of-operation-close-pass

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

  7. Frenchy
    Member

    Warning: please put down any fragile items before reading the article chdot just linked to.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. paddyirish
    Member

    Agreed, unbelievable.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    “The Operation Close Pass message has been incorporated into the Young Driver Event this year”

    https://twitter.com/stvedinburgh/status/917698763937820672

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. steveo
    Member

    My first priority is to reduce road deaths in our county, fatalities which are primarily car drivers caused by other people driving dangerously or inappropriately.
    (My Bold)

    Hate to say it but if this statement is true then its the same evidence based approach we lauded from WMP. Cambridge Police have set their priorities ther're just not the ones "we'd" like or perhaps even consider remotely sensible.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    "caused by other people driving dangerously or inappropriately"

    Well yes but such people are (probably) likely to close pass bikes so 'easy' way of identifying some(?)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. rust
    Member

    "one sounding of the horn and one verbal confrontation took place."

    There's no mention, but I assume either of those gets you more than just gentle education on a mat?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. stressed1976
    Member

    I have one from yesterday i want to report as it was close and into oncoming traffic at speed. When i confronted the guy he was a completely aggressive nutter and my concern is about either him finding out my info if i do report him or if i ever have to face him in court.

    When reporting a close pass what actually happens?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. Roibeard
    Member

    @stressed1976 - nothing much happens usually, however they do ask if you'd be prepared to go to court.

    If one isn't willing, they will be restricted to "having a word", however that may be all they would do anyway.

    Robert

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    @rust

    "There's no mention, but I assume either of those gets you more than just gentle education on a mat?"

    Personally, I'd assume not, given a warrant for an outstanding fine is seen as noteworthy and nothing else. So there you are, don't pay your TV license (and the resultant fine) or something and you'll end up seeing the inside of a police station, dangerously drive at or verbally threaten cyclists and you'll be on your way in a few minutes to do the same thing again

    #FakeOp

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Passed close enough on Good's Corner to inadvertently take the Lord's name in vain.

    Car in question had a rear light out and the driver was on the phone when I passed him fifty metres later. Any point calling that in?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

    Yes (if you got the reg).

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I got the dog's tags alright. Here goes...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    So called it in. Great customer service - callback and everything. No footage no action. They were all practically begging me to fit cameras to the bike, but I'm not a fan of those devices. I reckon they would change my behaviour and not for the better, so I shall abstain at present.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I run a camera when I use the torpedo, mainly because people either a) don't realise how quickly I'm going on the level, or b) don't realise that I can't pedal it up hills as fast as it goes down them, and thus they take great umbrage at the inconvenience to their journey.

    I don't (believe I) run a camera for the sole purpose of catching people; it's mostly to record fun stuff. But if an incident is serious enough for me to remember it 12 hours later, then I'll save the footage and make the relevant report. I encounter poor driving every day – today included; I encounter properly bad or dangerous driving only once in a while. I cycle more defensively than most, and quite often my journey takes a few minutes longer than someone who filters at every opportunity. Riding the torpedo around town forces you to relax and accept the fact that two wheels is generally faster than three.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. miak
    Member

    @IWRATS I've used my camera for years but rarely post but it has helped me defend myself in legal situations where false accusations were made against me by drivers who had either run me over or attacked me. The police have also used my footage in cases they've wanted to pursue when i was not involved.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

    "The police have also used my footage in cases they've wanted to pursue when i was not involved."

    ?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. Luath
    Member

    Presumably where @Ragingbike was only a witness to an incident and caught it on camera.
    The police have used various bits of footage I've captured of incidents where I've not been involved. Things like suspected burglars running away from the scene.
    The primary reason I use a camera is for my own protection against false accusations (and a particular incident where a dog owner accused me of cycling dangerously when their unleashed pet ran from bushes at the side of the road into my wheels).
    I'd not previously reported any dangerous driving as I didn't think there was the appetite within the justice system to pursue it but I think that's changed with operation close pass.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. Recently my footage was used to report three stolen bikes, with close-up and clear footage of the thieves. I'd been suspicious of the incongruity between the riders and the bikes they were on, and a quick Google for 'Stolen Bikes in Edinburgh' showed one of the three had been stolen that afternoon from George Square. I called 101, and a day later the police came to view the footage, obtain a copy and take a statement.

    I've never reported any bad driving to the police, despite recording a lot of it over the last 6 years. I might start submitting close-passes now that they're being taken seriously, though.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. miak
    Member

    @chdot remember the alleged cereal eating driver in the meadows a few years back... made the sun, metro, mirror and the police in edinburgh were running a bike/car safety campaign and wanted to pursue the case. I offered them much more serious footage of really bad driving but for reasons never explained to me they wanted to pursue this one ...case came to court and was dismissed as i suspected it would be.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

    Didn’t realise it was dismissed.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. Frenchy
    Member

    case came to court and was dismissed

    Do you know why?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. miak
    Member

    @frenchy Yes I was there. The film didn't actually show him eating and he said his girlfriend had got out the car passed him the bowl and he had driven off holding the bowl .. so sheriff said no case to answer

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. Dom D
    Member

    @Ragingbike @Frenchy - welcome to the JP court!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. miak
    Member

    :-) @Dom

    Posted 7 years ago #

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