Police launch cycle safety initiative

by Gráinne Connolly

Police have launched a new initiative in Mid Ulster to raise awareness of cycle safety. 

There's two parts to the initiative that works around keeping cyclists safe and making them more aware to other road users. 

The first part involves police officers in plain clothes on unmarked bicycles equipped with cameras, who will be supported by police motorcyclists. 

This approach will be taken to identify drivers who don't give cyclists enough room when they pass. 

Stage 2 of the pilot initiative is the wider education piece - #seethecyclist. 

This hashtag encourages all cyclists to see and be seen by other road users, whether by using day time lights or contrast clothing to increase their visibility. 

Additionally cyclists who are members of local cycling clubs are being encouraged to wear a camera logo badge and use special bicycle mounted cameras. 

By doing so, they can record any close-pass incidents which they can then share with police. 

Constable Aidan Rooney explains the initiative:

"#seethecyclist was launched previously as a pilot in Belfast. 

"The scheme had been adopted and tailored from a national scheme initially developed by West Midlands Police colleagues, to educate both drivers and cyclists to regard the roads as a shared place.

"The cycle officers wear helmet mounted cameras that capture footage of motorists as they pass by. 

"Where a driver has displayed potentially dangerous driving or has failed to allow a safe or adequate space when passing, the officers radio to uniformed motorcycle colleagues who stop the motorist identified and offer the appropriate advice." 

Constable Rooney says that while the primary focus is education, they will consider enforcement action for serious examples of dangerous driving. 

"Motorists will also be offered the opportunity to view the footage captured by the cycle officers so they can fully appreciate what 'close passing' is like from the cyclist perspective.

"As a minimum, 1.5m is the accepted safe distance a motorist should allow between their vehicle and a cyclist on the roadway. 

"Unfortunately, many drivers are falling far short of this safety requirement. 

"I should however also stress that police officers are also tasked to observe cyclist behaviour and intervene with any cyclist who fails to observe the rules of the road or where a cyclist may need to give greater consideration to the environment around them." 

Future plans for the initiative include the provision of training to cycling clubs and the limited provision of cameras to record incidents to be shared with police.