A compilation of clips of drivers who are inconsiderate around cyclists has been released by Northamptonshire Police as officers warn against poor behaviour on the roads.

The clips were all submitted to Northamptonshire Police’s online portal Operation Snap and the video has been created using camera footage submitted by cyclists between January and September this year, during which period the force received 284 Operation Snap submissions from 69 individual witnesses.

Of the submissions, 207 led to prosecutions against the registered owners of the offending vehicles. Police say no further action was taken in the other 77 incidents due to evidential reasons.

Of those which did result in further action, 190 were offences associated to Operation Close Pass, which is a UK policing road safety initiative promoting how to pass vulnerable road users, including cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders, at appropriate speeds and safe distances.

As a result, nine registered owners received a fixed penalty notice, seven were issued with a warning letter, and, due to the serious nature of the offences identified, two drivers faced court proceedings after being sent Notices of Intended Prosecution.

The clips have been released to highlight examples of poor driver behaviour captured on the county’s roads, ahead of the clocks going back on Sunday (October 29). Police say the return of longer hours of darkness in the morning and evenings often coincides with an increase in collisions.

With this in mind, officers are urging everyone to be considerate to all road users. on our county’s roads which has prompted Northamptonshire Police to issue a timely reminder on the importance of being considerate to all road users.Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads team manager, Matthew O’Connell, said: “Cyclists are one of our most vulnerable road users and it’s therefore vitally important that drivers take extra care and show consideration for them when sharing the county’s roads.

“Shooting past at speed, or passing too close, can pose a real risk to a cyclist and we hope this video serves as a reminder of the need to slow right down when travelling behind a cyclist and wait for the appropriate time to overtake.

“When overtaking leave plenty of room to ensure the manoeuvre is carried out safely and considerately, without causing unnecessary risk which could put with yourself or the cyclist in danger.”

People can report driving offences by uploading video evidence via the simple online Operation Snap portal on the police website and completing a form, which automatically creates a witness statement to provide a full account of the incident.

Reports are then triaged by trained police staff, who check the footage to ensure it falls within the scheme's remit and contains clear views of an offender’s number plates so they can be identified.

If it matches the Operation Snap criteria, police officers in the Safer Roads Team then examine the footage. If a driving offence is identified, legal proceedings will begin where required.

The team has 14 days to investigate any offences so members of the public are asked to submit their videos as soon after the incident as possible.

For more information about Operation Snap or to submit video footage, visit the Northamptonshire Police website at www.northants.police.uk/OpSnap.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/watch-drivers-inconsiderate-around-cyclists-caught-on-camera-in-northamptonshire-as-police-release-warning-4386781