FOI 1107-2024/25 Op Snap

Request
Q1. How many individual cycle/dashcam video footages showing close passes of cyclists by a motorist were submitted to your force in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as part of Operation Snap? 

Q2. How many of these submissions resulted in follow-up prosecution of the vehicle keeper or driver in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024? (under Driving without due care and attention).

Q3. Only if possible: How many of these prosecutions resulted with the driver being offered a course as opposed to a fine and endorsement only in each of these years? 

Note – if the last question takes the length of time/resource above the threshold where a fee is liable, please only answer the first two questions.

Extent of Searches to Locate Information
Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police to locate relevant information. 

Decision
I am not obliged to provide you with a response to your request pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please note that when one part of your request falls under Section 12, we are not obliged to review the rest of the questions and the whole request is therefore exempt.

Section 12(1) applies to your request as the cost of complying with your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of identifying and retrieving any relevant information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. Our information retrieval process generally relies on a computer ran report which captures any information recorded upon the surface of a record or within specified fields. Where relevant information is held deeper in the record, or outside of a specified field, a manual assessment is required to retrieve that information.

To determine the number of offences involving the close pass of a cyclist dating back to 2021, a manual review of all reports would be required. A further manual review would then be required to provide the number of fine/endorsement/course outcomes. This would exceed the time allowed under the Act.

However, we can confirm that prosecution can result in a course, fixed penalty or court for either the original offence or if the registered keeper fails to furnish driver details. Initially we offer drivers a What’s Driving Us Course, unless they are not eligible to take this due to having previously completed it within the last three years, the offence is fixed penalty only or the driver has existing points on their licence preventing this option being made available to them.

Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

Pursuant to Section 16 of the Act I am required to offer you advice and assistance with regarding to refining your request to within the ‘appropriate limit’ (time/cost limit). However, due to the information provided above I am unable to suggest how you may refine your request and still receive the information within the cost threshold.  If you wish to discuss this please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.