Video: British Transport Police show how NOT to pass a cyclist

Here’s a video showing how NOT to pass a cyclist – courtesy albeit unintentionally of British Transport Police (BTP).

It was filmed in Leeds at the interchange of the A58 and A58 (M) from a vehicle travelling behind the police car which is initially stationary behind the cyclist, who is in an advanced stop line box.

The video shows the BTP 4x4 accelerating away from the lights as they change, swerving to the rider’s left and into a lane that would take it onto the A58 (M) to pass him, before cutting back in in front of the rider to return to the A58.

YouTube user arronls, who posted the video under the title ‘British Transport Police show us how it’s done,’ wrote in the description: “Nice to see them setting an example and demonstrating the safest way to approach vulnerable road users.”

Rule 163 of the Highway Code tells road users “Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so,” and that among other things “you should:

• not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
• use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out
• move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
• only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
• give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.”

Guardian journalist Peter Walker, who retweeted a link to the video posted by Cycling Embassy of Great Britain chair Mark Treasure, was told by BTP on Twitter that the footage had been referred to the force’s Driving Standards department.

RT @btp_uk: @peterwalker99 We're aware of the video Peter; it's been referred to our Driving Standards dept. We'll keep you updated.

— peterwalker99 (@peterwalker99) September 15, 2014

A spokesman for BTP told road.cc: “We are aware of a video online, showing one of our vehicles and a cyclist at traffic lights, said to be in Leeds. We are carrying out enquiries into the contents of the video.”