Close Pass: Cardiff drivers warned give cyclists more room
- Published
Most drivers did not know they were passing too close to cyclists, police said
Police are getting on their bikes to catch drivers who pass dangerously close to cyclists as they overtake them.
Six motorists - including one lorry driver - were stopped and given information on overtaking safely, in the pilot of a scheme in Cardiff.
A plain-clothes officer spent three hours cycling in the city and filming those who failed to give enough room.
Many drivers simply "don't realise they are driving too close," police said.
South Wales Police worked with Cardiff Council and South Wales Fire and Rescue to pilot Operation Close Pass on 31 July.
It involves the plain-clothes officer on a bicycle wearing a camera to film drivers who overtake them.
If the driver does not give the bike 5ft (1.5m) of room as recommended by the Highway Code, nearby colleagues flag them down and offer training on how to pass cyclists safely.
Those who refuse the training can be prosecuted - leading to penalty points and a fine.
During a late-morning pilot in Whitchurch, officers stopped six vehicles and also seized one after discovering it was being driven without insurance.
The first car stopped by officers in Whitchurch was also being driven without insurance - so was towed away
Wayne Tucker, road safety manager at South Wales Police, said the response from drivers was generally positive.
"A lot of people don't realise that they are driving too close," he said.
Operation Close Pass was originally developed by West Midlands Police in September 2016.
Officers say it led to a 20% reduction in cyclists being killed or seriously injured on the roads in just one year.
The scheme is now being piloted for the first time on Welsh roads - where 115 cyclists were killed or seriously injured in 2016.
More operations are planned "in the near future," police said.
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