A ROAD safety charity has slammed “reckless” drivers caught performing dangerous and illegal overtaking manoeuvres on some of Bradford’s busiest roads.

The culprits have also been criticised by the officer responsible for Operation Steerside, the crackdown on road safety across the district, who stated that it was “not acceptable” that such actions were now a common sight in and around the city.

In a series of dashcam clips recently sent to the Telegraph & Argus, a number of drivers can be seen performing dangerous overtaking manoeuvres to avoid having to wait in queuing or slow-moving traffic.

In one incident, a driver of a Volkswagen Scirocco is seen heading at speed down Thornton Road towards the Fairweather Green area of the city, driving down the middle of the carriageway to avoid a long tailback.

In another piece of footage, a driver in a Ford Focus is seen avoiding a similar queue on Cemetery Road by driving around traffic islands on the wrong side of the road as it veers towards the junction with Clayton Road.

In one high-speed incident on Bowling Park Drive, a driver who refuses to get caught behind slow-moving traffic is seen overtaking a number of cars over speed bumps before then pulling out again and almost causing a head-on crash.

In another manoeuvre caught on Bradford Road in Shipley – branded “disgusting” by the driver who captured the footage – a driver in a Toyota mounts the pavement to pass the left-hand lane of traffic before then pulling across two lanes to turn right, forcing waiting motorists to brake and allow them to force their way into the road.

On viewing the clips, a spokesman for Brake, the West-Yorkshire based road safety charity, said: “This footage is deeply concerning, and shows the type of reckless driving that can, and regularly does, lead to collisions and deaths on the road.

“It is hard to imagine why anyone would take this kind of risk and show no consideration for other road users. Too many drivers seem to believe that their journey is more important than the safety of other road users, but thanks to technology we can now have permanent evidence.

“Reckless drivers must be caught and punished, and our police forces must be given the resources to allow them to do this.”

Sergeant Cameron Buchan has led Operation Steerside since it began in February last year, with more than 11,000 drivers snared by the campaign to date.

He said of the footage: “It’s almost an exact opposite of a greatest hits collection, it’s the greatest shames.

“It’s a really sad admission to make, but it’s far too common a sight, and it just underlines the importance of Steerside, doing something over and above what we do day-to-day.

“It is about getting Bradford’s reputation by the scruff of the neck.

“It has got to the point where driving like this is almost expected, and that is just not on. Being in a rush or thinking you are more important than other drivers does not excuse putting people at risk of injury or even death.

“It’s simply not acceptable and it’s dangerous with a capital D. When it’s happening and it’s no longer a shock for people, that is a sad state of affairs.

“But we are in it for the long haul and we are still determined to take the bull by the horns.

“This was never going to be an overnight fix.”

MORE TOP STORIES

Sgt Buchan said he was currently going into schools and colleges to speak to sixth-form pupils to promote road safety issues, also working alongside partners from the fire service.

Officers are also arranging meetings with community organisations and parents’ groups to try and reach the “target audience” of young adults and new drivers.

Sgt Buchan said he and other Steerside colleagues were willing to speak to “anyone who can have an influence in a positive direction” in spreading the message of the campaign, which he said was also set to branch out into Calderdale with a roadshow event for local schools next month.