Warwick man, 59, sentenced for passing cyclist without due care and attention
A DRIVER has been prosecuted and sentenced for passing a cyclist without due care and attention.
Barry Anthony Field, 59, from The Butts, Warwick, was sentenced at Warwickshire Magistrates’ Court on 7th July for careless driving as he passed a cyclist too closely on Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook.
New Highway Code rules, introduced in January, say drivers must leave a minimum of 1.5m when overtaking a cyclist at 30mph.
The incident occurred on 5th March and was captured on the headcam of the cyclist who sent footage to Operation Snap – the Warwickshire Police line where members of the public can report bad driving.
Police reviewed the footage and determined there was evidence of an offence of “driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road/in a public place without due care and attention”.
Field opted to have the case heard in court and pleaded not guilty. However, magistrates found him guilty and gave him a £500 fine and three points on his licence. He was also ordered to pay £620 costs and a £50 victim surcharge.
PC Ken Bratley, Operation Snap coordinator, said: “Fortunately the cyclist was not injured and on reviewing the footage there is no doubt that this was an extremely careless pass. Cyclists are much more vulnerable than drivers in cars and that’s why the Highway Code has been updated asking drivers to give cyclists more care and attention. This includes waiting behind a cyclist until it is safe to pass them and leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.”
