Request for information on cycling close passes by vehicles
Reference: 21041
Date Added: Friday, January 7, 2022
Category:
Disclosure Details
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
Two duties are placed on public authorities under Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Notwithstanding applicable exemptions, the first duty at, Section 1(1) (a), is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at, Section1 (1) (b), is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Under the provisions of those sections of the FOIA, we can confirm that the information you seek is not held by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent.
You have requested the following information:
- I’d like to know how many close passes involving cyclists have been reported and how many of them were accompanied by supporting video evidence.
No information held
- I’m also interested in the outcomes of the reports. What are the outcomes and what is their split amongst the reports? E.g., how many reports result in no further action being taken, how many resulted in the driver being written to, how many resulted in the drivers being asked to attend an awareness course, and in how many instances were drivers prosecuted etc.?
No information held
- Also, in how many of the reports did the cyclist receive a warning or prosecution relating to their part in the incident?
No information held
Having submitted many videos to different regions, highlighting what I believed to be obviously dangerous close passes that have resulted in different outcomes, I’d also like to understand how the level of outcome is arrived at and how the consistency of the evidence review is ensured? For example:
- Is there a minimum level of training required for each person reviewing evidence?
No information held
- Is it ever acceptable for a vehicle to pass close within 1.5m of a cyclist? If not, how is the proximity assessed from video evidence? If so, how is the speed of pass or risk presented assessed from video evidence?
No information held
- What are the documented guidelines/standards that those reviewing the video evidence follow?
No information held
- Finally, with respect to the changes in the Highway Code concerning a hierarchy of vulnerable road users, will this be acknowledged in your regions budget spend and what will I notice as a cyclist?
No information held
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent (OPCC) and Gwent Police are two separate organisations. Therefore, the OPCC are not responsible for and do not hold operational policing information, this is the responsibility of the Chief Constable of Gwent Police. You may wish to contact Gwent Police directly to determine if they have the information requested via the following link https://www.gwent.police.uk/rqo/request/ri/request-information/rip/request-information-police/
The Freedom of Information Act is a public disclosure regime, not a private regime. Any information disclosed under the Act is thereafter deemed to be in the public domain, and therefore freely available to the general public and will be published on the OPCC website.
You have the right to appeal our decision if you think it is incorrect. Should you feel dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was handled, information on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent FOI Appeals Procedure can be found on our website: http://www.gwent.pcc.police.uk/en/transparency/know-your-rights/your-information-rights/freedom-of-information/appeals-process/