A truck driver has been fined more than £1,000 after he was found guilty of overtaking a cyclist in a dangerous manner.
The driver, who has not been named, was convicted of driving without due care and attention after committing what was described as a “close-pass” by West Midlands Police.
The driver denied the offence, which took place on Park Lane West in Tipton in November, but was found guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 30 June.
He was given five points on his driving licence and must pay £1,038 in fines and costs.
It was the first conviction as a result of West Midlands Police’s Give Space Be Safe operation, which sees plainclothes police posing as cyclists to catch drivers passing cyclists in a dangerous manner.
PC Mark Hudson from the Central Motorway Police Group said: “This was a clear case of a close-pass - the cyclist was nearly forced into the kerb and the actions of the truck driver could easily have caused a very serious collision.
“Our advice to drivers overtaking cyclists and other vulnerable road users like horse riders is to be patient, plan your overtake, and give plenty of room – the Highway Code says drivers should give the same room as when overtaking another vehicle, which is about 1.5 metres or an open car door’s width.”
West Midlands Police are also encouraging drivers and cyclists to come forward with evidence of dangerous driving, or to submit camera evidence.
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