I think my mother also didn't need to take a driving test (Suez suspension? Norn Iron peculiarity?), and she's only in her 70's.
Robert
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Operation Close Pass in Edinburgh
(630 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
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@Frenchy - I’ve already suggested a team similar to their set up. Although corroboration in Scotland makes life much harder for this type of offence. We’ve got something similar on the burner for Highway Code Rule 170 with Living Streets but the funding window didn’t reopen this year as expected so likely be a 2018 project at best.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I think my mother also didn't need to take a driving test (Suez suspension? Norn Iron peculiarity?), and she's only in her 70's.
Probably the former - the competency test was suspended for a year in 1956.
The Queen doesn't need a licence at all and she's 91.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom D - Interesting, thanks.
I was picturing a setup involving a police officer with a video camera pointed across the street. With the right set up, you would be able to say:
"You only left a gap of 1.2s between you and the cyclist in front of you. Highway Code says at least 2s in the dry and 4s in the wet, stick to this in future."
or even
"You only left a gap of 0.5s between you and the cyclist in front of you. Highway Code says 2s in the dry, 4s in the wet and 10s on ice, stick to this in future. Your Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty will be in the post."
If you did this at a particular junction at the West End, I'm sure you'd get plenty of media attention.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Decent program from down South on close passing, with Rachel Aldred
Posted 7 years ago # -
Lose the Blinkers: Police launch mission to reduce road riding deaths
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/lose-the-blinkers-scotland-police-riding-road-safety-campaign-horse-rider-deaths-635521#IT198Dw5r65P9Rts.99Posted 7 years ago # -
Presume horse and bicycle sections are talking to each other!
"
Operation Lose the Blinkers will involve plainclothes officers from Police Scotland’s mounted branch patrolling areas of concern and recording incidents of bad driving on camera.
“In the first instance, drivers will be stopped by road policing officers and educated in the hazards of passing horses incorrectly, however we will move to an enforcement phase in early November, and so I would urge all road users to take care and drive or ride appropriately at all times” said inspector Janet Dickie from the force’s roads policing division.
"
Posted 7 years ago # -
See horse-rider, think cyclist.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I have reported a close pass incident I had this morning with an SUV of a particular make to 101, all of which was captured on my rear camera & I have an appointment with PS this evening.
Any advice from those people with experience of doing this?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@chdot
however we will move to an enforcement phase in early November
Sure they will. They always promise this, never deliver.
When's was the "enforcement" of close passes on cyclists meant to start? Was it June?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@davidsondave it'll probably be regular local cops that come round, i.e. not traffic cops. So they might need a bit of help interpreting camera footage, for example in understanding how close the pass was and how dangerous that is to cyclists. Try to keep calm if they start going off message with statements like "ah, but the road is quite narrow".
To be honest though, this stage seems to be just a formality to weed out hoaxers, my guess is that they'll take a quick look at the footage then ask you to send it to them so they can pass it to the traffic guys for assessment.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Luath Thanks!
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Luath is right, although sending it to them involves putting it on some kind of physical medium, CD or USB.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I've reported three: each time I uploaded to YouTube with a private setting and emailed the URL to the police, who then phoned me for more details.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Interesting, I thought there were issues with YouTube being blocked, and them needing a physical copy for evidence.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The drivers only got "education". If it had gone any further then I'd imagine physical copies would have been required.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Meeting with PS went well, although they have suggested treating it as a public order offence rather than a driving offence.
To my mind it would be likely that the driver would just get "education" for the close pass anyway and it is his aggressive behaviour and short-temper that really need to be addressed.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@DomD - I believe I've suggested The Wisp as a location for OpClosePass before, but cycled up it again the other day and it was horrible. If you've not considered it, could you?
Also, whilst the West Midlands police are clearly an act to follow, should you perhaps be looking further afield for inspiration as well? Say...Russia?
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Frenchy - noted re The Wisp. Next activity planned for this week is Mayfield Road from Kirk Brae to West Mains Road inspired by recent reports and proximity to King Building to support the Be Bright Be Seen campaign starting on Monday run by Edinburgh University and Edinburgh Council. This will be the first Edinburgh activity without me as I’m injured just now. I approach it with equal measures of excitement and trepidation!
I like the Russian approach but can only imagine the articles in the Daily Fail!
Posted 7 years ago # -
Great to hear Mayfield Road's getting the treatment - I've now started avoiding that bit of road due to repeated close passes.
Get well soon, too.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Dom, if you're in the Newington area, you might also wish to consider Lauder Road (full length, including section north of Grange Road).
Despite the width of the carriageway (admittedly narrowed by parking in the northern section), this is a road where I routinely get close passes during the morning school run.
The council think this doesn't need a segregated cycle track (back street, 20 mph "limit"), but the width available means that it is impossible to take control the lane and prevent dangerous overtaking.
Robert
Posted 7 years ago # -
Could see today's operation through my office window. I'm a bit surprised how few people in the department seemed to have heard of it before.
Posted 7 years ago # -
You beat me to it. I had a terrifying journey along the A702 earlier this year, so delighted to see this road getting attention.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Well done to whoever is running the Police Scotland twitter account: this is exactly the kind of response we need to see (and the other replies in that conversation):
https://mobile.twitter.com/polscotrpu/status/935534027024621568
"#OpClosePass seeks to change the attitude of certain road users who believe that it is "my road" rather than "our road". Yes they are slower moving than a car but have as much of a right to be on the road"
also
https://mobile.twitter.com/polscotrpu/status/935533271957549056
"Yes the "airport road" is subject to 70mph and as such similar to the A720 & motorways, however the only thing that makes it dangerous for cyclists are other road users not giving enough space or being impatient when waiting to pass."
Posted 7 years ago # -
LOL at the guy who is desperate for cyclists to get collared for riding where it is legal by saying they'd get stopped if they were riding on a similar road with an entirely different legal status.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Depressingly I cycled from Roslin into the Bush Estate this morning up Bush Loan and had umpteen close passes (including from the #40 bus). I generally get about 1 a week on that route as its so wide and has great sight lines.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Re those Police Twitter responses: if they are being contributed by a member of this forum, then a big shout-out to him*. If they are being contributed by someone he's influenced/educated then a big shout-out too. Even if he's had nothing to do with it, they are pretty good.
*When the OpClosePass mat came to my work earlier this year, the police officer who attended was using a very similar script with colleagues of mine who complained about people on bikes on the A8 dual carriageway...
Posted 7 years ago # -
Definitely worth making sure praise is given where due!
Posted 7 years ago # -
Feels like a bit of a eureka moment! I’m on annual leave so the credit is entirely for my colleagues. We learnt from the Edinburgh pilot that we needed to be better with social media so we included social media training (with immediate account access rights) in with the Close Pass roll out. Great to see activity coming to The Lothians.
Posted 7 years ago #
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