Police officer caught on camera telling cyclists to ride in single file to be given "education around traffic offences"

[swldx...@gmail.com]

Ironically Grahame Cooper was on a Critical Mass ride in Bolton, Greater Manchester on Friday evening when a police van pulled up alongside his group and wound down the window.

"You can't ride out in the road like this" he says, before adding that the cyclists "have to ride next to the kerb" and are "supposed to ride in single file."

Grahame tells the officer that in fact – as the Highway Code now makes very clear –the group do not need to ride in single file, adding: "Talk to the people in your traffic division... they'll explain to you what correct road positioning is for cyclists."

Grahame told road.cc that after notifying Greater Manchester Police of the officer's incorrect assertions, he was very satisfied with the response the next day, with GMP apologising and saying the officer would be educated on traffic laws.

An officer at GMP told Graheme: "I have reviewed your complaint and the video footage and would like to apologise on behalf of GMP and the officer that had spoken to you. I am a cyclist myself and can understand your frustrations.

"I will ensure words of advice are given to the officer along with some education around traffic offences/ cycling legalities."

He told road.cc: "I then suggested wider guidance to officers might be good and got the response: "I will be sure to make staff aware during briefing due to the changes in the highway code in the past 12 months"."

GMP also promised to make all staff aware of the Highway Code in a briefing to avoid similar situations in the future.

This isn't the first time we've reported on serving police officers who need to brush up on their Highway Code: in March of this year a cyclist told of how she was pulled over by two Metropolitan Police officers for “putting [her] own safety before cars” and not riding "courteously" after she was close passed by a motorist.

In 2019, a cyclist who submitted close pass footage to to the Met Police was threatened with prosecution himself for riding on a footpath, when the stretch of path he was on was clearly marked as shared use.

“It highlights how clueless police are about cycling and to me seems to be an attack on cyclists”, said road.cc reader Giles at the time.

https://road.cc/content/news/police-officer-tells-cyclists-ride-single-file-296325

[swldx...@gmail.com]

eburtthebike | 3611 posts | 2 hours ago
7 likes
If the police don't know the law or the HC, how can we expect drivers to know them? Well done GMP for immediately holding their hands up and admitting the officer was wrong and will be given instruction.

Do we need a new category for road.cc to add to close pass? Faux-pass.

[swldx...@gmail.com]

Why do drivers insist on driving with seats 2 and 3 abreast even though they're empty most of the time?

[swldx...@gmail.com]

Why do some motorists:

Insist on not fully using the empty lane when passing a cyclist and at speed.

Overtake cyclists to immediately turn left or right.

Pull out of a side street immediately in front of a cyclist.

Stop in an ASZ.

Park in a cycle lane or on pavements for that matter.

Cut cyclists up to get through a traffic calming measure.

Throw items out of their windows at cyclists or simply into the verge.

Allow passengers to remove seatbelts to lean out window and push cyclists over.

Speed, jump lights, drive unroadworthy vehicles and many, many more offences and yet get clean away with it. I'm sure others can add to this short list. Please have the decency to explain all of the above with justifiable answers.

I really can't believe (well I actually can) that you could ask such a question when the answer is already there in the HC and in various road craft manuals. If you honestly don't know the answer to your question or to any of mine or that you've conveniently forgotten since receiving your licence then I suggest you cut it up and return it to the DVLA.

[JNugent]

On 03/10/2022 05:16 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> Why do some motorists:
>

> Insist on not fully using the empty lane when passing a fairy-cyclist and at speed.
>
> Overtake fairy-cyclists to immediately turn left or right.
>
> Pull out of a side street immediately in front of a fairy-cyclist.
>
> Stop in an ASZ.
>
> Park in a fairy-cycle lane or on pavements for that matter.
>
> Cut fairy-cyclists up to get through a traffic calming measure.
>
> Throw items out of their windows at fairy-cyclists or simply into the verge.
>
> Allow passengers to remove seatbelts to lean out window and push fairy-cyclists over.

[swldx...@gmail.com]

It was common knowledge when I was at junior school that cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast. When I say "common knowledge", I mean we ALL knew it, even those of us who didn't have bikes. I'm 73 so that was about 65 years ago. What has happened to our education system? How can any adult, let alone a police officer, not know this?

The mind boggles.

[Spike]

swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Why do some motorists:

Perhaps they are following the example of cyclists!

--
Spike

[swldx...@gmail.com]

That's embarrassing for the Police. They should send their vehicle users on a Safe Urban Driving course. Lorry drivers do it as part of their compulsory professional development. Perhaps Police officers should also do it.

[Spike]

Quite. Some pedal cyclists don’t seem to realise that the Highway Code
places obligations on them, who, judging by many comments, don’t seem to
like it up ‘em.

--
Spike

[swldx...@gmail.com]

The general standard of police education about anything is poor, so I think the Highway Code is more than a step too far for many of them. They can't even get traffic lights, or whether a vehicle on the road is supposed to be covered by a valid MOT, right!

[Spike]

swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:

> That's embarrassing for the Police. They should send their vehicle users
> on a Safe Urban Driving course.

Cyclists too, of course.

--
Spike

[swldx...@gmail.com]

It's usually two opposing cars with one trying to squeeze a cyclist that creates an emergency. If there's not enough space for an oncoming vehicle to pass safely you're much better off riding two abreast and making sure the temptation for them to risk an unsafe pass is removed.

[Spike]

Is it allowed to impede traffic in that manner?

What training is needed to perform that function?

--
Spike

[swldx...@gmail.com]

And yet in many countries it is recommended to only pass when safe to do so regardless of the positioning of the cyclists. You've highlighted NMOTD. If you follow you will see that 99% of the cyclists are solo. All in varying road positions. Yet they've all been subject to irresponsible passes be it deliberate impatience of simple inattentiveness. So pairing up has no bearing on the matter. In fact it is easier to pass paired up cyclists than it is to pass those singled out. Cycling is also a social activity. Do you expect people to cycle 50 miles plus with no conversation? If this is the case I hope when driving you and your passengers take a vow of silence as distracting a driver is pretty dangerous.