"I have no doubt his intention was to kill me": Aggressive kerb-mounting driver tries to ram cyclist off bike after being caught using phone

You have to be really telepathic, as you must have two minutes before the life threatening ctash to prove you did not provoke the incident.

So incandescent with rage I was that I had failed to read the rest of the comments. My apologies to those who brought up the points I absolutely had to make.

You have to be really telepathic, as you must have two minutes before the life threatening crash to prove you did not provoke the incident

It amazes me that people put up with this without protest: even Lancashire Constabulary hasn't tried this dodge for years. I have pointed out that cyclists must be the only group who are obliged in these police areas to provide evidence to be pored over by the police to facilitate action against the cyclist. If the police and/ or the motorist wish to take action against the cyclist then they need to provide the evidence. We don't have to do it for them! Imagine what would happen to a complaint from you, a cyclist, about a traffic incident where you couldn't provide immaculate video evidence: nothing whatsoever. Therefore, any counter claim by the police/ motorist must be accompanied by evidence. We provide reasonable evidence to support our claim- admittedly, the police then ignore it, but the principle is there. 

Don't worry about it. You'll more likely to be hit by an indecisive pheasant than a motorist around there. If you like Hill-climbing, head for Terrace Hill.

Arrived today and thanks for the tip but where is Terrace Hill?. Can't find it on Google Maps.

And treat yourself to a Dickinson and Morris pork pie... food of champions.

I'll put one on the shopping list and if it's good I'll take some home with me.

Wingguy wrote:

No leads because the number plate did not match the driver? I can't even..... they have the number plate!

If your number plate is caught in a speed camera the police can demand that the registered keeper identify the driver or face serious consequences. How is this any different?

I assume because it was a false plate (not uncommon round this neck of the woods amongst the criminal fraternity), they'll have traced it and found that the number is legally registered to a different model of car or that the owner can account for where s/he and the car were at the time of the incident. I've had a couple of video submissions NFA'd because (in one example) the numberplate on a black BMW turned out legally to belong to a red Mini.

I had a nasty incident (or series of 4 incidents, depending how you measure it) that I reported to Southwark police, that despite me not having camera evidence, they decided to investigate. The final act of the car driver, parking to block the lane to get out and threaten me on foot was close to a six-form bus stop, so there would have been about 20 odd teenaged witnesses who would have been there at the same time daily to corroborate. Someone confirmed the plates from my adrenal memory and traced the car to an address where, according to the investigating officer, they found a frail old woman on oxygen who'd never lent her car out to anyone. 

They concluded that they were likely to be clone plates and unless they caught the suspect for something else while using the same fake plates there was not a lot they could do.

What do we need to start doing, taking a photo of the VIN?

markieteeee wrote:

Someone confirmed the plates from my adrenal memory and traced the car to an address where, according to the investigating officer, they found a frail old woman on oxygen who'd never lent her car out to anyone. 

They concluded that they were likely to be clone plates and unless they caught the suspect for something else while using the same fake plates there was not a lot they could do.

That's interesting because I have heard rumours (not necessarily true in your case, obviously) that some gangs will have a car registered with elderly relatives whom they can rely on to say the car's never left the drive (probably don't even know it has). I really don't see why there can't be a GPS tracker in every car so its location at any given time can be proven, obviously with suitable privacy safeguards. Why, they could even be used to catch speeders!

I hadn't heard this rumour but the thought did occur to me at the time.  I was pleasantly surprised that they chased it up without camera evidence though.

I thought the entire country was covered in ANPR cameras, a quick search of the database would supply a list of times and places for an officer to check out, you know actual police work?

Backladder wrote:

I thought the entire country was covered in ANPR cameras, a quick search of the database would supply a list of times and places for an officer to check out, you know actual police work?

Be nice, wouldn't it? I've often wondered why the ANPR network can't be used against speeders, you passed this camera at this time and that one at this time, can't have made that distance without breaking the limit, ticket's in the post.

I assume because it was a false plate (not uncommon round this neck of the woods amongst the criminal fraternity), they'll have traced it and found that the number is legally registered to a different model of car

It's just a police dodge, either to avoid doing any work or because they're getting paid to overlook certain offences. This is Brand's Scaffolding of Poulton lorry MX55 YKN about to go through a red light. 

Crop of the image below

This is the same vehicle at Brands Scaffolding Premises on 3rd April. They're changing the plates around. The police simply refuse to do anything about the red light offence 'because the plate is registered to another vehicle' even though it's labelled Brands Scaffolding and is obviously the same vehicle as the one bearing MX55 VKN a few days later.

Oh the irony.
I'm sure next time he'll just laugh at the thought of the police bothering to catch him.

Make sure you book your hit and run - don't forget the "we must have 2 minutes before and after" dodge!