West Yorkshire Police has responded to criticism of its handling of incidents involving cyclists, the force insisting that all video footage sent to the force is reviewed and two-thirds of Operation Snap submissions “have resulted in action being taken”.
The statement provided to us this lunchtime comes following the latest edition of our Near Miss of the Day series, which this weekend showed the moment a cyclist narrowly avoided a crash with a taxi driver who, the rider alleges, was “too busy checking their phone” to see them.
West Yorkshire Police disagreed with the cyclist’s assessment that it was “a cut-and-dried example of careless driving”, officers suggesting that “no crime had been committed”.
A spokesperson for the force told us today: “In the past year more than 65 per cent of all submissions to Operation Snap resulted in further action being taken. All submissions are reviewed by officers and staff trained who are experienced in the application of road traffic law.
“For action to be taken submissions must meet the required evidential threshold to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. Operation Snap continues to offer an important opportunity for the public to work with the police to improve driver behaviour and help support our Vision Zero ambition to prevent road death and serious injury.”
The incident which sparked the response was shared by a road.cc reader, having happened last Wednesday (14 January) on Moorhead Lane in Shipley. The rider, who wished to remain anonymous, descended the road and angled out to filter past backed-up traffic when the taxi driver, abruptly and without indicating, made a right turn onto a side road across the cyclist’s path.
“A sudden stop — not an easy feat on wet, slimy, icy roads — prevented me from going into the side of their taxi,” the road.cc reader explained. “This seems to me like a cut-and-dried example of careless driving. Making a turn without indicating, without looking, and putting a vulnerable road user at risk.”
The reader did accept that the alleged mobile phone use was not visible on camera, but believed the video amounted to sufficient evidence for action to be taken. However, West Yorkshire Police told them and us “that no crime had been committed”.
West Yorkshire Police’s assertion that 65 per cent of all submissions result in further action being taken may raise some eyebrows. We asked for clarification about what ‘further action’ means in this case, as many forces include minor engagement, such as warning letters, as ‘action’. A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson explained it was any time a notice of intended prosecution is sent, meaning the 65 per cent figure includes retraining courses, as well as more severe punishment options.
Research for the 2021 to 2024 period found that West Yorkshire Police had received 19,729 Operation Snap reports, the second most of any police force in England and Wales, just 220 behind Avon & Somerset.
It is worth noting that those figures refer to submissions from all road users, not just the statistics repeatedly showing that the vast majority of Operation Snap submissions come from motorists, even if cyclists reporting footage regularly make headlines in the local and national press.
While West Yorkshire Police has expressed confidence in its handling of Operation Snap footage, we have reported several cases in recent times involving cyclists who were left unhappy by the treatment of their submissions.
Just last month, road.cc reader Rob McGibbon was cycling to work on the outskirts of Leeds when he was hit by a van driver. The driver was sent on an education course, something Rob told us “hardly seemed a deterrent at all” considering the nature of the incident.
Collision with Citroen Berlingo video screenshot (credit: Rob McGibbon)
“Operation Snap do that for just a close pass, not running into someone,” he said. “The weather was clear and dry. I had a front light and three rear lights, a fluorescent orange helmet, reflective gloves and a hi-vis cycle clip on the driver’s side. He still managed to drive into me.”
Likewise, in November 2024, another road.cc reader questioned West Yorkshire Police’s approach to investigating road incidents, concluding that he fears the force is “completely unwilling to prosecute drivers” who hit cyclists, after he was knocked off his bike in a collision. The elderly driver involved was referred for a Fitness to Drive Assessment as an alternative to proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court for driving without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other road users.
Yorkshire cyclist hit by driver (credit: road.cc)
Having made a complaint to West Yorkshire Police questioning if there is an “institutional lack of understanding, or perhaps even prejudice, towards cyclists” — the rider involved was told the force is “satisfied” with its initial decision.