Warwick man sentenced for careless driving after an incident with a cyclist in Bishops Tachbrook

A Warwick man has been sentenced for careless driving after an incident with a cyclist in Bishops Tachbrook.

Fifty-nine year old Barry Anthony Field from The Butts, Warwick was sentenced at Warwickshire Magistrates Court on July 7 for careless driving as he passed a cyclist on Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook.

The news of the sentencing has been shared by the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, which includes Warwickshire Police, councils, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire and Highways England.

The incident occurred on March 5, 2021 and was captured on the headcam of the cyclist who submitted the footage to Operation Snap.

Warwickshire Police reviewed the footage and determined there was evidence of an offence of driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road/in a public place without due care and attention.

A Notice of Intended Prosecution was served, with options including an offer to attend a What’s Driving Us retraining course, a fixed penalty fine and points, or electing to have the matter heard at court.

Mr Field elected to attend Court pleading not guilty for the offence.

He appeared at Warwickshire Magistrates Court where he was found guilty and sentenced to a £500 fine and three points on his licence, £620 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £50 victim surcharge.

PC Ken Bratley, Op Snap Coordinator said: “Fortunately the cyclist was not injured and on reviewing the footage there is no doubt that this was an extremely careless pass.

"Cyclists are much more vulnerable than drivers in cars and that’s why the Highway Code has been updated asking drivers to give cyclists more care and attention.

"This includes waiting behind a cyclist until it is safe to pass them and leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.

“Whilst we will continue to use Operation Snap and work with Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership to deliver road safety education, operations and initiatives, it’s really important that drivers understand their responsibility to look after more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians by slowing down and giving them extra space.

“If someone is found to have committed such an offence, where appropriate we have the discretion to offer one of the National Driver Offender Retraining Courses as an alternative to prosecution.

"Through this theory only course, drivers will learn how to reduce risks, recognise things that influence how they drive, and see how they can be safer on the road.”

The cyclist said: “I know there are bad drivers and bad cyclists out there but all I want to be able to do is go for a ride and come back home safely to my family.

"His impatience could have killed me. Bad cycling mainly causes annoyance to people but bad driving results in five road user deaths a day.”

More information about Operation Snap go to: www.warwickshire.police.uk/operationsnap