The latest edition of Cycling UK’s monthly newsletter to member groups included this piece* :
Too Close for Comfort?
Cars overtaking too close…. we’ve all experienced it and we wish they wouldn’t. West Midlands Police back in September last year began to tackle this problem with plain clothes officers on bikes and close pass education mats. The results were instant, with a 50% drop in reported close passes. Cycling UK decided to try and make sure this result was replicated in other areas by raising enough money to ensure every force across the UK had its own mat.
Our ‘Too Close for Comfort’ appeal reached its target in 48 hours, and now we’re looking to pass these mats on to police forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
We’d love to get our groups involved in their handover and create a bit of a local PR about the perils of close passes, and how cyclists and police are working together to make our roads safer. If your group might be interested in taking part, please contact Sam Jones on 01483 238 313.
[*Edited slightly]
This sounds like a good idea; is there anyone in the club who would like to get involved in this? Please contact Sam Jones (phone number above) and post a comment on this blog to say you’ve done so. And many thanks to you for contributing to safe cycling.