Close-pass zero tolerance welcomed by cycling chief constable

Dave Thompson, chief constable of the West Midlands police force, has welcomed his traffic unit’s new no-nonsense stance on close-pass motorists. Friday’s news story on the stance has had nearly 7000 Facebook likes. The official announcement for the policy will be held on Friday, attended by the unofficial "cycling Csar" Chris Boardman.

Thompson tweeted: "I have to say as a cyclist and Chief Constable this is really useful and excellent sense." 

In the blog, the West Midlands Police Traffic Unit said that motorists who overtake cyclists too closely can “expect prosecution, not education.” The blog also left in no doubt who the police unit believes is normally most at fault in smashes involving cyclists and motorists (hint: it’s not cyclists). The statement also said the force has a "zero tolerance approach for any offence involving a vulnerable road user."

The West Midlands Police Traffic Unit said it anticipates a "change in driver behaviour" because of its tough new stance especially once "awareness of the tactic spreads." 

And part of this awareness spreading exercise is the official roll-out of the new stance on Friday. The event will also be attended by representives from Cycling UK and other cycling organisations.