London Cops Posing As Cyclists For Effective Crackdown on Motorists

An excellent, effective (and cost-effective) idea to keep cyclists safe...

London drivers beware: Starting this spring, the ordinary-looking cyclist pushing past your side mirror might just be a cop. That’s because, in a bid to enforce more careful driving around bikes, the city’s Metropolitan Police is going low key, with plain-clothes police officers pedaling through the streets on bikes to monitor and reprimand drivers’ behavior.

The main goal is to crack down on so-called close passing—that is, drivers overtaking bikes at a distance of less than 1.5 meters (just under 5 feet). The police will be able to make arrests if necessary, but they’re aiming to inform rather than punish. Motorists caught engaging in driving that compromises cyclists’ safety will be given the choice between prosecution or a 15-minute roadside safety training session. The operation won’t cover a very large area of London’s roads at any one time. By introducing the idea that cyclists on the road might just have a police badge in their pocket, however, it may have a far greater effect than punishment alone.

This isn’t just a hunch. The scheme has already been tried elsewhere with great success. Last Autumn, police in the West Midlands (the region that contains England’s second city, Birmingham) sent just two plainclothes officers out on bicycle patrol to monitor drivers. Within just nine hours, the pair had stopped 130 motorists, reported eight for serious safety offenses, and revoked one license on the spot. Among the other drivers, only one chose prosecution over an advice session.

Public awareness that the police were on patrol seems to have had as much effect as actual contact between officers and drivers. Since the scheme began, collisions between cars and cyclists in the area patrolled have halved. This striking drop has been achieved at almost no expense, just a few man-hours and a roll-up mat (pictured above) showing the safe passing distance for each officer.

Full article:

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/01/london-bike-police-officers-...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on January 30, 2017 at 6:52am

I love this! It would be great if Chicago would follow suit.

Permalink Reply by Chitown_Mike on February 2, 2017 at 5:18am
I can say from experience there are cops that do this, more so downtown since there is a population bubble during the day. But the city doesn't have enough cops assigned to bikes to cover all areas, especially outside downtown. They can barely man the beat cars in districts.
Permalink Reply by Babs Owca on January 31, 2017 at 1:35am

London has greatly prioritized cycling safety in the last few years and their new mayor is no different.

Sadiq Khan said he wants to make cycling a "safe and obvious choice for Londoners of all ages and backgrounds". AND he's actually putting money where his mouth is. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-38206830

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on January 31, 2017 at 4:20am

That's great. Thanks for sharing Babs!

Permalink Reply by KLM on February 2, 2017 at 4:55am

Fantastic idea!  Something Chicago should definitely consider doing.  Also worth considering is ticketing those bikers who blow through stop signs when there are cars around.  Also very dangerous.

Permalink Reply by Scott Chillson on February 2, 2017 at 5:36am

You'd have to have some mile-a-minute-Murphy level cops. In my early years in Chicago I've considered giving a driver or two a stern talking, but most of the time they drive off casually while I'm huffing and puffing to death. 

I guess that's my problem tho. 

It's a good idea. Really, any effort the cops make on the cyclist's behalf is cool. 

Permalink Reply by haruspex on February 2, 2017 at 6:09am

That is AWESOME! I would love to see something like this in Chicago.

Also noteworthy...1.5 meters is a pretty generous passing distance! Here it's just, what, 3 feet? I'd love an extra 2, but I'll take bike-safety-awareness-promoting plainclothes cops on the street any day! What a great idea.

Thanks for sharing!

Permalink Reply by Heléna Klumpp on February 2, 2017 at 6:23am

Remember that crackdown on law-breaking cyclists all those North Shore police departments announced a couple of summers ago? Wouldn't this type of program have been a nice corollary? Messaging: "We don't want you, cyclists, breaking traffic laws, but we get that it's unsafe out there for you, too, and we'll see what we can do about it."

Permalink Reply by KLM on February 2, 2017 at 6:45am

Love that idea!

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