The police have been congratulated for their work encouraging drivers to provide a safe gap when passing cyclists.

Middle MHK Bill Shimmins said the officers’ work was ’incredibly appreciated’ by the cycling community during a debate on the Chief Constable’s Annual Report.

Officers have presented a roadshow over the safe distance of 1.5m to pass a cyclist following injuries and deaths on the roads.

Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey MHK said he had seen evidence of drivers allowing cyclists more room.

He said: ’I am seeing people deliberately going across to the other side of the road these days which I wasn’t seeing 12 or 18 months ago.

’I’m going down the road and watching drivers going ’where are they going?’ And there’s a bike and all these people are moving across the road. I think the message is getting through.’

In his report, Chief Constable Gary Roberts said the island’s roads were getting safer with six fatalities while crashes fell by 12% and serious accidents fell by 7% from April 2018 to March 2019.

He added: ’There is much work to do to make the island’s roads safer.’

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