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news
Near Miss of the Day 459: A close pass that bucks the usual trends
Here’s a Near Miss of the Day video that bucks some of the trends we usually see – with a motorist who doesn’t overtake a cyclist despite the fact there is approaching traffic, and doesn’t overtake him through roadworks.
Instead, the driver waits until they are through the roadworks, and the road is clear – and then still manages to make a close pass, at speed, on the rider.
The video was sent in by road.cc reader William, who said: “This is a close pass from 29 February 2020.
“The interesting feature is that I received a surprise message from Lancashire Constabulary yesterday (Wednesday 19 August) saying the case was to be prosecuted and asking me to approve and sign a court statement.
“There has been no other communication about the case from Lancashire Constabulary since I submitted the report online on 1 March.”
> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 - Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?
Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.
If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.
If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).
Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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38 comments
That happens all the time with drivers up here, they do wait but then cannot be arsed to turn the steering wheel a few degrees more to move the car into the other lane properly.
I'd like the law to say that cars should move into the other lane fully to overtake, then there'd be none of this 5 feet bollocks, to much ambiguity when trying to convince a police officer it was a close pass. If the wheels are on your side of the white line, it's easily proven.
Obviously on some small back roads there is no white line but generally cars on these roads are as far across as possible when overtaking you.
Only true for a subset of roads, and depending on rider's position. It's just as easily proven by measuring the lane width, and knowing the width of the car - if the police actually need that much detail (which they never have from me).
If the rider is riding two abreast, cars are still ok to pass, so most times a car on the other side of the centre line would still give plenty room. I'm not saying every time but most times. For me, trying to show to the police that a car I did touch was too close was impossible from a front camera, I got fobbed off. But the main thing is we'd have maximum room available, obviously the police with you are more proactive than Police Scotland near me
This is an easy one, from their perspective: Having waited patiently behind you all through the roadworks, you then rode down the centre of the lane preventing them from overtaking in the same lane, the oncoming traffic denying them the chance to use the other lane. When finally the other lane cleared they used it to overtake, but gave only the amount of room due assuming you were riding in the "correct" position, down the gutter, despite the empty other lane affording them all the room they needed regardless of your lane position. We'll ignore the solid line.
Once again this demonstrates the shortcomings in the proposed Highway Code changes, with their implied suggestion that it is for cyclists to create the space for cars to safely overtake (or face the consequences), rather than that cars should use the other lane.
Looks to me (on my tiny phone albeit) that a low visibility bend with no overtaking was coming up so the frustrated driver grabbed his opportunity maximising his limited visibility. With visibility that poor he shouldn't have used the other lane, he should have waited but obviously he never had the patience for that 😐
How convenient. The correct position was primary throughout. Firstly due to roadworks, then oncoming traffic, then due to the solid white line on the bend - on which it is illegal to overtake a vehicle travelling over 10mph (which the cyclist clearly was). Another ten seconds later and the road was clear with no solid white lines.
There was no opportunity to overtake after the road works due to oncoming vehicles whether in primary or secondary. Rule 163 again....
Perhaps the driver was waiting until there weren't any witnesses?
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