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news
Police tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)Cambridgeshire police appeal for witnesses after beeping motorist says his car was damaged by cyclist
Police are appealing for witnesses after a Cambridgeshire motorist claimed a cyclist left a ‘significant dent’ in a rear door panel in a road rage incident.
The Haverhill Echo reports that the incident took place near West Wratting on June 8.
A police spokesperson said: “It was reported that the victim, a man in his 70s, was driving along the B1052 when he approached a group of cyclists and sounded his horn to alert them that he was close by and about to overtake.
“At this point, it’s reported one cyclist pulled out into the road and stopped, bringing the driver to a halt. The cyclist then lifted his bike and began shouting verbal abuse towards the driver.
“As the victim attempted to drive off, damage was caused to the vehicle causing a dent to one of the rear passenger doors. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting incident 210 of June 8.
“I think from the public’s perspective he needs to be caught,” said the anonymous motorist. “Can you imagine that someone can stop a car in the middle of the road and use his bike to bang the side of the car and then get off scot-free? I don’t think that is reasonable.”
The driver said that it was the first time he and his wife had been out for a drive in months as they had been shielding.
He said the incident had done “inestimable” damage to his wife.
“She is actually terrified of me actually talking to anyone about this. She has been destroyed by this. She was really distressed.”
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
- mitsky 4 min 40 sec ago
I've never started AND ended a cycling commuting journey at the same place and time as another cyclist so I'm not sure how frequently that happens ...
- OnYerBike 13 min 30 sec ago
You're not missing anything - the article is wrong. It should be the "stack/reach" ratio. The rest of it then makes sense.
- Bungle_52 36 min 44 sec ago
A quick google brought up this...
- hawkinspeter 49 min 18 sec ago
I take it they're not up-to-date with crime fighting methods such as using a tracked "honey-pot" bike?
- Steve K 56 min 39 sec ago
It would appear that soon you will be more likely to be banned from driving for benefit fraud than for a driving offence.
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Despite the ad-blocker message and the fact that I keep mine on, especially when gawping pointlessly at websites that do "reviews" such as this,...
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It's worse than apartheid.
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Have reported to police. It was registered but I forgot the code so have emailed bike register company hoping they can help.
- Eton Rifle 3 hours 2 min ago
Very sad news. She was a great voice for cycling on twitter. I deleted my account months ago for obvious reasons and couldn't find her on Bluesky.
- HKR 3 hours 51 min ago
I've been using the FlowBio S1 sensor for a while now. Yes, it's bloody expensive but I've hyperhydrosis so knowing how much I sweat and how much...
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74 comments
Oh, I agree, I hate being honked at. It always comes across as aggressive. Most of the time it is meant as aggressive. But not every time - some people genuinely think they're being helpful (however misguided that may be).
The patient will always wait until it is safe to overtake.
The use of the horn is a sign of some impatience.
And has been pointed out is somewhat contrary to the Highway code.
I've had drivers in the UK overtake me in sensible places, at sensible speeds, giving me a good amount of space, but honked their horn before they did so. They weren't doing it out of impatience.
in all the years Ive been riding on UK roads, which does infact include the last century,and the many miles Ive ridden since, thats never ever happened to me
I've experienced similar myself a couple of times - drivers honking before overtaking me safely with plenty of room. It seems some drivers do actually think they're doing you a favour, and acting safely, by doing this. They're wrong, obviously. Though I guess on balance Id rather take that scenario than a close pass.
It's only happened to me a handful of times in decades but I really like it when someone gives a gentle pip before passing. Whether it's right or wrong, they think they're being considerate and trying to do the right thing. How rare is that? There should be two horn settings, one for the 99.9999999% of times when an arsey person uses it (quite illegally) as some form of retribution and the other one for the handful of people who are trying to be nice, even if misguided.
That's interesting, I don't think I've ever experienced a driver 'pipping' me before passing, though I can understand , now that you've mentioned it, why that might not be a bad thing. I think you're right on the need for two horn noises!
Are we forgetting about morse code, if drivers wish to express a range of different emotions or messages with their horns
Or perhaps a mini keyboard with a range of preset tones
I like the straightforward use of the horn to make other road users aware of your presence. We all know when it is being used considerately in the very rare event of needing to alert ahead of the overtake ( can't immediately think when this would be necessary).
And we all know that the vast majority of the time it is being used to intimidate other road users - both cyclists and motorists. Why does the respect for other people seem to disappear once certain people take to the roads.
The buses in Paris have horns but also a melodious bell that they ding to let cyclists know they're coming in the shared bus/cycle lanes, very civilised.
So it doesn't strictly need to involve danger. And if we believe the driver's account in this case, their usage was within the rules - they were warning the cyclists of their presence prior to an overtake. Whether that's true or not we don't really know.
That's interesting, thanks for the clarification.
I suppose it opens up a whole cornucopia of interpretation. In my mind, there shouldn't really ever need to be a time when a motorist would need to use their horn, to warn cyclists of their presence, whilst performing an overtake - if the overtake is safe. But it crosses my mind that some motorists have the strange idea (nurtured by tabloid media etc) that cyclists are utterly unpredictable, and thus need to be warned that you are overtaking them, so they don't suddenly swerve out into your path.
Well, right or wrong I guess he will think twice about using his horn to cyclists in the future. I must admit that a horn sounding from behind always makes my blood boil.
seems a bit of an over-reaction, I suspect there's more than just a bit of horn involved.
mind you, if the photo is the location of the incident, then it's definately not an appropriate place to overtake.
Blind right hand bend...
And I have never appreciated a driver using their horn.
Even as a thanks when you pull over to let them pass, I still find it aggressive, a wave or a flick on the hazards or left right on the indicators, much nicer.
And when they rev their engine, might as well threaten to kill me...
Had the engine revving here yesterday, when in L2 to go ahead, and getting closer all the time to then be undertaken as the porsche driver went straight on in L1.
That's based on what appears to be a common motorist belief: motorists going straight ahead go in the correct lane, so do ones turning left (based on your photo), and yet they expect cyclists to hug the left kerb until the very last moment no matter what...
Had a similar one a couple of weeks ago which was a bit worse. Sent it off and it has come back with 'Course or conditional offer'.
Hopefully the same for the porsche driver.
More like his wife is now terrified of his driving which has fallen below any acceptable standard after months of not going out.
"...sounded his horn to alert them that he was close by and about to overtake" is not a courtesy beep from some way back to notify of presence, which most cylists understand and appreciate. It is an aggressive "get out of my way I'm coming past, safe or not, whether you like it or not".
If the picture in the newspaper article is of the "offender" then it is most likely a still from a video dash cam. Would be interesting to see the entire footage, though one suspects if the driver was totally out of order, that plod would not be pursuing it.
well I wouldnt read too much into that,the owner of the car has raised a complaint to the police, it probably counts as criminal damage, same as if you'd keyed a car, rather than accident damage as the result of an unplanned collision, the police are obliged to pursue it to ascertain the facts without their opinions clouding it.
though if someone clonked you car hard enough to dent it, youd probably consider stopping perhaps to exchange some details at the time, saves you the bother of trying to locate them later ?
Is the pcture in the article from the event? If so that appears to be a pair of cyclists and not a group although increasing the number embellishes the story and creates a greater sense of threat to life when retelling the story.
Also, in true cyclist v motorist contact surely the press should point the blame at the bicycle just as they blame the motorvehicle when a motorist hits a cyclist?
I assumed it was a stock photo, as if there was footage it would have been released for indentification.
Worse case cyclist loses rag under physical threat, but it wasn't as if he lumped the pensioner. I can understand lashing out under flight or fight mode.
Photo is from the road described, and does state "The car approaches two cyclists just before they reach the village sign for West Wratting". "The car" indicates it is the same one, though not clear if it was "the cyclists". Whenever I've reported dangerous drivers to Cambridge police, they've refused to speak to me, let alone the local paper on my behalf..........
"He said the incident had done “inestimable” damage to his wife.
“She is actually terrified of me actually talking to anyone about this. She has been destroyed by this. She was really distressed.”
I saw a carrot last month. Been too terrified to go outside since and I get recurring nightmares all the time.
Far too terrified to allow the driver to talk to the local rag.
Hmmm...
it reminds me of that the episode from the Simpsons when Mr Burns hits Bart with his car... #beepbeepoutofmywayImamotorist
Society would be greatly improved if all cars were fitted with fixed duration clown horns.
I wonder if anyone has done a study into horn perception? Tone, oscillation, duration, volume?
Much like we hear cases of peds on shared use paths complaining of aggressive cyclists ringing their bells the same is undoubtedly true for car horns.
My Volvo has an utterly pathetic horn sound, somewhat similar to an old rotary dial telephone ring. Impossible to intimidate anyone with it.
Cars can't be dented if you don't close pass. The damage to his wife was 'inestimable'? I'm sure with the passage of time she will make a full recovery.
I know drivers think they are helping by beeping to make their presence known but it really isn't helpful. It just comes across as aggressive.
Not sure how you figure that. I'm pretty sure I could easily dent a car that was parked up going nowhere. According to the report (which, granted, is only the car owner's story) the cyclist had blocked the road, forcing them to stop the car, before the damage was done.
A car can't pass you closely if it is parked up. I actually think it would be pretty hard for a rider to stop a driver that didn't want to stop. Normally they pull up in front of you to ask what you remonstrating about which if a car beeped me for no apparent reason from behind I would probably do in some form.
Cars can be replaced/repaired. People not so much.
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