THE police’s Give Space, Be Safe campaign has returned this week to coincide with changing of the clocks and the early darker evenings.

It aims to target drivers who fail to follow the Highway Code rules on passing distances when overtaking cyclists, sometimes referred to as a near miss or close pass, which put cyclists at risk.

The most important message is for all road users to be considerate and respectful and to avoid confrontation.

In 2016, Hampshire saw a 50 per cent rise in the number of fatal accidents involving pedal cycles compared with 2015. Across Hampshire and the Thames Valley, 1,122 pedal cyclists have been killed or seriously injured in the last three years.

Run in partnership with local council road safety teams, officers will also be encouraging cyclists to be “more visible and less vulnerable”.

A police spokesman said that adult male commuters account for one third of casualties, cyclists tend to be injured close to where they live, 82 per cent of the cyclists are injured on urban roads, 58 per cent of the cyclists are injured near a junction or roundabout, and almost all of the collisions occur in daylight or during the night on roads with street lights.

Sergeant Rob Heard, from the joint operations roads policing unit, said: “A close pass not only presents danger to the cyclist but it’s also intimidating. Drivers should be allowing other road users as much room as they would a car, but many seem to not know this, or choose to ignore it.

“At this time of year we are coming into a time when it’s still dark in the early morning and dark again by late afternoon. Many cyclists will still choose to commute to and from work, so from a safety perspective motorists need to take added care to look out for cyclists. Equally, cyclists need lights on their bikes not only to avoid prosecution but to keep them safer and visible.”

Sgt Heard added: “Ultimately, we are about making the roads safer for everyone and making sure we all get to our destinations safely.”