Surrey cyclists say it's "frightening" on the road

Cyclists are sending a record amount of video footage to police after being overtaken too closely by motorists, new figures show.

John Child, Committee Member of West Surrey Cycling Club told us what it's like to be a cyclist on the roads in Surrey:

"Well, it can be very it can be actually very frightening at times, particularly if they pass us at high speed, not giving us the clearance that they should do under the highway code. I mean, they're supposed to, under the new regulations, give us a one and a half meters clearance. To be honest, most car drivers are actually very good. It's just the odd one thatis a problem. Lorry drivers, on the other hand, are generally excellent.

"I think there's more awareness in the media and possibly changes to the highway code has made people a little bit more, tolerant of cyclists or aware of the of the issues. But when you do get somebody who cuts across cuts close to you then zips in very close, whether to make a point be or because they're overtaking on a blind bend and the car come the other way, yes. It can be a bit intimidating at times.

"I just encourage people to be generally very much more tolerant of other rider other road users, whether it's cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians, sometimes. Because around the lanes around here, often you come across pedestrians walking on the road and you need to give them as much clearance as well."

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.

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.

The responses 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).

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.

"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."

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.

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."

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."

He called on the Government to "address this oversight by better promoting the new Highway Code".