Several police forces look at introducing 'close pass' scheme after success in West Midlands

Hampshire Police are to follow West Midlands Police's 'close pass' scheme which was described as a success in improving the safety of cyclists.

Car,-Cyclist,-Traffic-island,-road-rage

After the success of 'Operation Close Pass' by West Midlands Police, a similar scheme is set to go on trial in five other areas of the UK.

In an effort to make sure that car drivers abide by the rule of giving cyclists a minimum of 1.5m of space when overtaking them, officers in plain clothes and with camera-equipped bikes have been patrolling the streets of West Midlands and alerting patrol cars if they spot a driver coming too close to a cyclist.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Chris Marshall-Bell

A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.