Driver, 77, fined £1,800 for passing cyclist too closely on country road

Watch: Driver fined £1,800 for overtaking cyclist too closely

This is the moment that cost a driver £1,800 and points on his licence, after he overtook a cyclist on a country road without leaving enough space.

Company director Wayne Humphreys, 77, was captured coming close to a cyclist while passing them in a white Audi Q8 in Pant Hirwaun, Bridgend, in September last year.

Humphreys was forced to pay out a total of £1,887 in a fine and costs. He was also given four penalty points following an Operation Snap submission to roads policing team GoSafe.

GoSafe regularly receives submissions through Operation Snap, which encourages the public to report close pass incidents in order to protect cyclists on the road.

Humphreys, of Tyla Garw, Pontyclun, was offered a course as an alternative to prosecution for driving without due care and attention.

However, he failed to accept the course and later failed to comply with a fixed penalty notice resulting in him appearing in Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 8 June.

He was found guilty of driving without due care and attention and as well as the penalty points on his licence he was given a £1,152 fine and ordered to pay £620 costs to the CPS and a £115 victim surcharge.

A GoSafe spokesman said: "Despite this, unfortunately, GoSafe continues to receive regular Op Snap submissions relating to close pass incidents.

“This outcome shows that these submissions are taken seriously and given the appropriate amount of attention as we continue to work towards ensuring that our roads are safer for everyone."

The Highway Code states that drivers should give cyclists at least as much room as when overtaking a car, leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph, and more space when overtaking at higher speeds.