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news
Lorry driver convicted of close pass baffled by verdict (+ video)
A lorry driver who pleaded not guilty after being caught by West Midlands Police’s close pass initiative has expressed confusion that he was subsequently found guilty. Dean Littleford claims that the video footage used to convict him proves his innocence.
Littleford was convicted of driving without due care and attention after being caught on camera squeezing past a cyclist on Tipton’s Park Lane West last November, becoming the first court conviction for West Midlands Police’s lauded close-pass initiative.
He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1,038 and given five points on his licence, but still doesn’t seem to accept that he was at fault.
Speaking to who else but The Daily Mail, he said that when he first found the video online, “I thought it was as clear as day to me. I had left more than enough gap.”
After receiving a court summons, Littleford had initially been willing to pay the £100 fine and accept the three points on his licence as he 'couldn't remember the incident well enough' – but after seeing the video, he changed his mind.
“He came up the side of me. He accelerated in my opinion. I thought it was a clear cut case and I wasn't going to accept the fine.”
Speaking about his appearance in court, he said: “How many people just accept the three points and a £100 fine? I imagine a lot of people do. Maybe I should have, but I just thought I was innocent.
“I thought I didn't need a solicitor. I explained to the magistrates what happened and they looked at the video. The case was only ten or 15 minutes long and then they said I was guilty. Well it was amazing, astonishing. I don't think they were really that interested.”
PC Mark Hodson from West Midlands Police’s Central Motorway Police Group commented:
“Most offenders watch the footage, accept their driving was below par, and elect for a driver improvement course or an offer of three licence points and £100.
“This was a clear case of a close pass. The cyclist was nearly forced into the kerb and the actions of the truck driver could easily have caused a very serious collision. He maintained his innocence, though, and has now been convicted in court.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- bensynnock 18 min 15 sec ago
The Tories being shameless shouldn't inform Labour's approach.
- belugabob 15 min 55 sec ago
We also need to shift people away from 'Right of way' and towards 'priority'....
- bikes 25 min 23 sec ago
They also ask you to email footage. To get that email address you need to go through the back and forth of them turning up at your house with no...
- Supervet 27 min 28 sec ago
I have started holding my breath for 5 x 30 seconds, that increases EPO, rebreathers not required....
- eburtthebike 30 min 40 sec ago
Not sure how popular. He just about hung on to his mayoral seat in the recent elections, frequently touted as a tory success.
- chrisonabike 1 hour 31 min ago
Another "who will win" but for posters here. On the one hand "read the notice!" eg. park there, accept the ParkCo's arbitrary rules. And if you...
- chrisonabike 1 hour 39 min ago
Generally agree but with caveat - we have over time achieved "road safety" at the expense of vulnerable road users (eg. their convenience, or...
- ktache 2 hours 21 min ago
Dodginess of the comment aside, your reply to it did mean I read the article, which I had not previously considered, and I'm impressed by this...
- RafaDy 2 hours 43 min ago
Reading this I couldn't stop laughing, 9kg bike not heavy and 8,5 kg Allroad SLR is. Same goes for geometry, higher, taller, longer Merida has a...
- chrisonabike 2 hours 43 min ago
It's choices again though including choosing "no change" - otherwise it's circular reasoning....
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54 comments
That is an attitude not limited to long vehicle drivers in my experience.
The lorry driver has an attitude that is ingrained into driving culture. He expected the case to be dismissed because his driving was "normal", and we know from experience it was indeed normal driving...
It will be interesting to see where this goes, I'm expecting a major backlash against these initiatives in the future, culture change never comes easily.
Given the traffic the car passes remarkably sensibly so credit where it's due there. The back end of the lorry though only seems to have a couple of feet between it and the kerb so good call that court.
Unfortunately given his attitude you can probably assume that he's already done it again...
The camera does not always convey how close the pass actually was.
It doesn't but it would be very easy to go back to the road and work out the exact measurements.
I'd have thought that would have been done as part of the case ?
This was in a Magistrates' Court. I'm amazed they had the capacity to successfully watch a video, or bothered to do so in the 10-15 mins.
Already been done on another forum. The side of the truck was between 14" and 16" from the cyclist's shoulder (from bike wheel position on red line, size of manhole cover (14") and a few other clues.
I would regard that as a remarkably unremarkable day-in-day-out passing distance for town/commute riding, regardless of the safety issues.
haha he tried to defend himself without a solicitor and is upset because he got taken to the cleaners over it. Good.
As lawyers are fond of saying "Someone who represents themself has a fool for a client."
I thought it was ¨has a fool for a solicitor¨. But maybe I misremembered.
Erm, no: the lorry driver is wrong and got something vaguely approaching what he deserves. That was too close. The lorry is barely further away from the kerb than the manhole cover, as you can see. And yet he thinks he moved out to pass safely? (Admittedly, the cyclist appears to be riding on the painted lines, but that is not exactly a big manhole cover...).
The comments... I know it's the Mail, but man... so much stupidity and ignorance on display.
Meh. I reckon that's about the average attidue to cyclists amoungst the population as a whole.
Sadly, I think you are right.
The BBC is itself is guilty of preaching hate towards cyclists. Room 101 extra storage on shown on Wed night had a whole section on cyclists in lycra (male) start at 25:11 which gets binned at 31:55.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08y2m11/room-101-extra-storage-ser...
Worth making a complaint perhaps?
Really?
What´s the ¨but¨ doing in that comment. It was perfectly true without it.
The fact he thinks that was acceptable is rather telling. Perhaps we should make HIM cycle and we'll instead drive his lorry past him like he did and see if he wets his little tighty whiteys?
Vehicles that wide (and long, because it is the rear end that comes closest to the rider) shouldn't be allowed on roads like that at peak times, when the opposite side is full of traffic. Or limited to 10 mph so the drivers aren't tempted to overtake cyclists when there isn't enough room.
Or have a man carrying a red flag walking in front of them.
Put the unrepentant prick on a bike and get a truck to overtake him at a similar safe distance. He'll be crying for his mummy within minutes.
And surely revoked licence until he sees the error of his ways.
On an average ride I could generate about a conviction per mile on this basis.
I suspect most of us could.
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