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news
Near Miss of the Day 785Near Miss of the Day 785: “Gobsmackingly brutal” close pass forces driver to apologise
The perpetrator of today’s shockingly close call, who attempted to squeeze between a cyclist and a pedestrian refuge with only millimetres to spare, stopped their car as soon as possible in the wake of the wince-inducing near miss.
But unlike the squirrel-bothering driver featured on Sunday’s now infamous Near Miss of the Day 783, who jumped from his vehicle after almost clipping a cyclist to tell him in no uncertain terms that he shouldn’t be effin’ swearing around his daughter, today’s motorist pulled over straight away… to apologise, actually.
The road.cc reader who sent us this clip, Alun, said the incident happened on what is now his “most unfavourite road”, while he was clipping along at 20mph.
As you can see from the video, the driver of the Renault appears as if he is about to overtake Alun, with the motorist in the white Nissan preparing to follow him. However, the Renault driver instead proceeds to turn right, forcing the driver in the Nissan to pull back in behind the cyclist.
But instead of waiting behind Alun, who had drifted out as he approached the pedestrian refuge, the motorist continues on, very narrowly missing him as they both pass the crossing (you can see a group of cyclists on the other side of the road rubber necking at the close call).
Alun explains: “I really had to fight to keep my balance as he passed.
“To give him his due he did actually stop and apologise. He explained that he panicked when he realised that the Renault was turning instead of passing me and couldn’t grasp the fact that my life was less important than his shunting the other car or just simply braking when behind me.
“Remember I was doing around 20 and of no danger. I kept calling BS on this and feel justified as he seems to brake then swerve and accelerate. He also kept telling me he was a cyclist as well which wound me up even further.”
Alun reported the matter to the police, who allegedly told him that “due to fiscal guidelines, it will not result in a summons as I wasn’t injured”.
The police, however, have informed him that they will speak to the driver and possibly issue him with either a warning or a Fixed Penalty Notice.
“Not exactly satisfactory but it’s something,” says Alun.
> 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
After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.
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47 comments
C'mon Road.cc, use the NMOTD as a basis to campaign for standardised police action from reported incidents. All drivers reported should have to prove there was no danger at their expense, or have a default 3pts and fine. No 're-education' courses or warning letters for dangerous driving. There should be loss of driving licence ALWAYS when a driver exceeds 12pts. This will do far more for cyclist safety than any painted white line.
You may find this interesting
https://road.cc/content/forum/do-you-submit-video-footage-police-we-want...
Great, thanks!
Is this you being almost hit ?
https://twitter.com/rnirvine/status/1537379498827595776
Not me this time, I don't do twitter. Thanks for pointing it out. Unfortunately no surprise at the response from Gloucestershire police, I have received similar responses to my submissions as you may have read in other NMOTDs. Looks like I'm not the only cyclist in Gloucestershire who is disappointed with their response to videos of dangerous driving.
I navigate a very similar roundabout on a daily basis and I've had this happen to me, on several occasions, when I've gone around the roundabout, not quite as close as this though. I now cycle straight across staying well clear of the kerb to discourage just this behaviour. It generally works but even if someone does overtake, which they sometimes do, I have plenty of space to move into. I wouldn't be able to report them for not going round the roundabout correctly because I'm doing the same but if Gloucestershire police won't protect me I'll do it myself.
I don't think road.cc claims to aims to be a campaigning organisation, but I could be wrong. You're thinking of CUK.
Is this NMOTD 784, per the URL, or 785, per the title?
Probably.
The police, however, have informed him that they will speak to the driver and possibly issue him with either a warning or a Fixed Penalty Notice
It will be a 'warning', verbal if they can get away with it. That way it's easier to 'not notice' the previous warning when he does it again. If they issue a FPN, they know the offender can force it into court and then they'll have to think up a really stupid excuse for the police giving up the prosecution. A determined offender can blackmail idle police!
That's not stopping at the earliest opportunity to me, that's stopping to fix their mirror and you happened to still be going their way. What on earth possessed them with a clear view of that crossing and how the traffic in front of them was working that the overtake was on, that's one of those oh crud got to overtake now I'm out here else I look embarrassed because I cant overtake a cyclist moves.
Plus theres no way I'd be stopping to have a brief chat about it, as experience of drivers stopping, has led me to fear for my personal safety in those encounters.
That really is a very poor bit of driving. Well done Alun for remaining upright, especially with actual contact from the door mirror. Just as well he stopped else due to the physical contact it would've been leaving the scene of an accident. The cycnic in me feels that's the only reason they stopped, not necessarily to apologise. Either that or they saw the cameras at the last moment and thought they'd better 'do the right thing' for the sake of the camera. Let's hope the river does at least get a visit and a bit of advice from the Police.
I've had a very similar close pass but thankfully the police did follow up and prosecute the driver. I didn't have a rear facing camera, the forward facing camera was enough but I could hear the car coming through the gap and thought this was going to be close. I hope the police change their mind and prosecute as they cannot use their excuse as a reason not to follow up. If not raise a complaint and push it further and further. The police officer should be sacked for his reasoning.
"Alun reported the matter to the police, who allegedly told him that “due to fiscal guidelines, it will not result in a summons as I wasn’t injured”."
I take it the police will also no longer be following up enquiries in cases of attempted murder "if no one actually got hurt"
Does there have to be blood on the floor before its considered an offence?
What exactly are "fiscal guidelines" preventing here? Other forces aren't refusing to enforce the law to save money, so what's the deal with this particular force?
It doesn't state where the video was filmed, but I would guess Scotland and the comment would therefore refer to guidelines from the Procurator Fiscal (Scottish equivalent of CPS).
Pretty much the wording along the lines that "if the individual wasn't injured, took evasive action or property damaged" a summons doesn't need to be progressed. It allows a constable to have words or issue a warning/FPN. All part of the softly, softly approach and keep the courts clear. Some constables literally go by the letter of the law which is frustrating to say the least. It really underlines the need for PS to have a portal and trained staff to deal with submissions appropriately. If this was in place I'm sure this particular driver would be facing a stronger penalty. If not this. Better training and understanding of close passes and a refreshing of the HC
As it is, you rely on a constable to look beyond the letter, otherwise it's a shrug of shoulders and there's not much we can do bar have a chat with the offender.
Does there have to be blood on the floor before its considered an offence?
Yes, but it's got to be a lot. Lancashire's Ultra-Indolence Policing Model came up with 'it was only a momentary loss of concentration' when I was hit by a car mirror. In case I haven't made it clear enough over the years, I really hate these b******s
Wow, I had a completely different take on all your comments . . . . . 🤣
You did really well to stay upright there, cannot believe that didn't end up with a prosecution, you can see the driver had ample opportunity to slow down and wait behind you, they clearly thought the first car was overtaking you and not turning off so just blindly followed them. Classic MGIF
Alun here. Thanks for your comments. It really was a nerve wracking experience. Still can't believe he stopped. I wasn't going to escalate it and was just going to accept the apology and let it slide. It was only when I looked at the rear camera footage that I realised that he had plenty of time to scrub his speed once the Renault pulled out, yet he didn't so I reported it. Hopefully the visit with the. chance of a FPN or warning will reinforce my ranting. At the very least it will get recorded that there is an issue on this particular road regarding close passes.
My next port of call is the Transport Minister and Justice Minister to push for better guidance for the police in these scenarios.
Yes. This is what is needed clear guidelines consistently applied.
Looks like it wasn't a near miss, he actually hit you!
The passenger door mirror is folded after the pass (you can see it on the front camera) but not before (on the rear camera).
EDIT: I see you've already answered this below.
Let us know how that goes, there are a few of us here having problems with the inconsistent way careless driving around cyclists is handled. Maybe if a few of us did the same thing, it would have more of an effect.
Did that first car signal his intentions of turning right at the next junction, he/she could have slowed it down as most drivers need all of the road for a manoeuvre like that. Bad driving by the two drivers I think.
The Renault had pulled out and had indicated and was braking for the turn. The Nissan driver was assuming that it was committing to a pass and blindly following He had plenty of time to scrub his sped and not follow. If I was driving there's no way I would have followed the Renault.
Surely you don't mean you would look further ahead than the end of your bonnet? Is that even possible?
This was what I tried to explain to him. If you look at the beginning of the clip there's a slight rise. When I drive that road I've scanned to as far as the crossing at that point so he should be doing the same. I also highlighted that there was a solid light and flashing light on my bike and I was wearing a yellow jacket so he had more reason to see me when the Renault pulled out. All basic road craft stuff which he just couldn't grasp. Maybe shock. I don't know.
You probably lost him at "When I drive that road i've scanned . . . . ."
If the driver panics while at the wheel then he has no place being there, apologies or not.
Shockingly bad pass. An apology, although better than nothing, doesn't cut the mustard.
How is this driver still allowed behind the wheel? The cyclist's life simply does not figure in his road craft. For the benefit of Google - NG14EOX
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