It's getting "more dangerous" for cyclists on the road according to Leicestershire group
More than 1,000 incidents between cars and cyclists were reported to police across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire last year.
Last updated 18th Jun 2025
Cyclists are sending a record amount of video footage to police after being overtaken too closely by motorists, new figures show.
Some 15,779 clips of incidents were submitted to forces in England and Wales last year, information obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart found.
That is more than double the total of 7,249 in 2021.
How do cyclists report near misses with cars to police?
Many cyclists capture footage of their journeys, with basic cameras available for under £50.
IAM RoadSmart sent a Freedom of Information request to 43 police forces asking how many pieces of footage showing a close pass of a cyclist by a motorist were submitted as part of Operation Snap, an initiative introduced in 2017.
Twenty forces provided data.
Figures for the East Midlands
Derbyshire Police said that there had been 685 incidents reported to them in 2024, an increase of 239.1% from 2021.
Only 3.2% were prosecuted by Derbyshire Police last year.
Nottinghamshire Police said there had been 439 incidents reported to them in 2024, an increase of 348% from 2021.
Leicestershire Police did not provide statistics.
"He went over the handlebars and broke his hip"
Paul Simpson is Secretary at Kibworth Easy Riders and told us the issue comes from cars pulling out and not checking for bikes:
"One of our members is in his 80s. He had a car pull out right in front of him. He went over the handlebars and broke his hip.
"It is definitely getting worse because there are more cars and cyclists on the road. When it comes to electric cars, in particular, you cannot hear them behind you," he said.
Do road users face prosecution for near misses with bikes?
The responses for the country show the percentage of reports leading to a notice of intended prosecution being served rose from 38% in 2021 to 54% last year.
A separate survey of 655 drivers who are members of IAM RoadSmart indicated that 58% are not aware the Highway Code recommends the minimum gap they should leave when passing cyclists is 1.5 metres (4.9ft).
"Passing too closely can be intimidating and dangerous"
Harriet Hernando, the charity's active travel spokeswoman, said: "It is extremely concerning that more than half of motorists don't know how much space to give a cyclist when overtaking.
"Passing too closely to a cyclist can be intimidating and dangerous, especially if they need to move out to avoid a pothole.
"Record numbers"
"It is small wonder then that record numbers of cyclists are installing cameras and submitting footage of dangerous or careless drivers to the police.
"While it is heartening to see that prosecution rates have increased, it would be better if it didn't reach that stage and motorists weren't doing it in the first place."
Cyclist fatalities...
Provisional Department for Transport figures show 85 cyclists were killed on Britain's roads in 2024.
Between 2019 and 2023, most cyclist fatalities occurred in collisions involving a car.
IAM RoadSmart has launched a No More Close Calls campaign aimed at eradicating close passes.
The advice...
Ms Hernando said: "When overtaking a cyclist, always look beyond them to judge your ability to get past safely, leaving at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
"By hanging back two or three car lengths, you'll be able to see further up the road and look out for oncoming traffic.
"If it isn't safe to overtake then don't try and squeeze past - shaving seconds off your journey isn't worth taking someone's life."
"It's crucial to educate all road users"
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said it has "not seen the big safety impact we'd hoped for" from changes to the Highway Code in 2022 providing more protection to cyclists.
He went on: "The majority of people who drive simply aren't aware how much distance to give to people who cycle when overtaking.
"This is why it's crucial to educate all road users of their responsibility to protect those most vulnerable."