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news
Near Miss of the Day 8: Speeding BMW driver nearly hits cyclist head-on after overtaking car
Most of the videos we've featured so far in our Near Miss of the Day series have involved motorists overtaking cyclists from behind and giving them far too little space - but in this one, it's a BMW driver overtaking another vehicle at speed on a country road that almost resulted in the rider being hit head-on.
Posting the video to YouTube yesterday, uphillfreewheeler said: "The speed limit is 60 mph which the driver was obviously exceeding.
"He could have aborted the manoeuvre but preferred to drive straight towards me at at least 70 mph."
The cyclist added that the incident had been reported to Thames Valley Police, who have issued a Notice of Intended Prosecution against the registered keeper of the vehicle.
If the YouTube user name sounds vaguely familiar, that's most likely because uphillfreewheeler was the person who filmed the video entitled A clown takes a pratfall, which swiftly went viral and has now been viewed nearly 6.5 million times.
> "Clown takes a pratfall" viral video cyclist talks to press
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 contact us via the road.cc Facebook page.
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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25 comments
I had a very similar shocking experiance a coupe of years ago, driver overtaking a line of vehicles when in fact the road markings prohibited overtaking. Looks less dramatic in the clip but he was over the speed limit and missed me with inches without a care. Local Solihull Police where not interested and refused to follow-up despite my attempts to reporting it, they where simply not interested...
See here: https://youtu.be/cSLl0Kfxs4E
Difficult to see how this couldn't be classed as dangerous. Had a chance to back out of the overtake and chose not to.
This sort of thing is why I don't road bike and only commute and MTB. If I hit a stationary tree I know whose fault it is....
Had this countless times.
Similar thing happened to me in France (where you'd think drivers were more considerate to cyclists!) Fortunately the road had more width, so I wasn't 'head to head' with the car.
TBH, locally, I know which roads are more susceptible to crazy driving like this so avoid them; I have a 'no A road' policy. Mind you I spot people cycling on them when I'm in the car so 'each to their own' I suppose.
That must seriously restrict your riding?
Similar on a club ride this weekend. Unfortunately for the driver, he picked the group with a traffic cop in, who was also filming. oops.
What! Traffic cops still exist?
didn't you read? they're all working with cameras now.
I would prefer if this close pass feature followed through the complaints with colour codes for the outcome reached (submitted, acknowledged, prosecution). Make a separate section if necessary.
BMWs eh? Tut!
Surely it will be:
Driver - "I can't remember who was driving the vehicle at that time - sorry".
Police - "Oh dear, what a shame. Case closed."
Would like to know where this goes, ie do TVP now give a sh*t about cyclists?!
Yes, road.cc please track this one!
Had the cyclist been killed I suspect it would be dangerous driving and a custodial punishment. As is... surely its still DD and could have some serious punishment attached?
I've sent quite a few videos to TVP, they generally don't even bother to reply, so I'd like to see what happens here - they acknowledged the reciept of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0utsOWO7z4 and that was it ... I think they want an actual injury before acting
they do have a close pass matt, so who knows
Had this happen to me a couple of weeks ago on the B4265 between Llantwit Major and St Athan. I was doing around 30mph (tailwind straight off the sea), he must have been doing at least 70mph. Not even the excuse of a bend though - totally straight road and he still chose to overtake.
I think it was a fair bit closer than the clip above - felt like it brushed me. I didn't even have time to react, just hung on afterwards. Needed a drink when I got back.
I've had a few high-speed close calls recently, a few too many. Am seriously considering a camera because I probaby wouldn't be alive to defend myself.
I've had 2 friends killed by head-ons like that.
One was in a club TT and incredibly the driver was a clubmate, which goes to show cyclists aren't infallible as drivers. It also demonstrated that the velcro that keeps your foot in your shoe is stronger than the tendons and ligaments that keep your foot on your leg.
That must have been absolutely terrifying as it looked for a while like the idiot would plow straight into the cyclist... I'd have been off the road I think
I must I've been a bit dismissive of some of these but yesterday I was sat in the passenger seat looking at a dashcam and things certainly were a lot closer in real life than they appeared on the camera.
Started the overtake (or at least was driving clearly on the wrong side of the road) through the bend, no clear line of sight, continues ahead despite seeing the oncoming vehicle, that should be a ban. Had a less experienced cyclist encountered that, they could easily have wavered and ended up as a pizza on his windscreen.
What was the alleged charge on the NIP? I suspect careless driving either CD20 or CD30. So 3pts £*** fine worst case penalty.
Pat on the back, best outcome for driver
Dangerous driving might be more appropriate - more points on his licence and a bigger fine. With a car like that I'm sure the driver can afford the fine. Good that the cops are on the ball with charging the driver though.
In order to charge the driver a NIP must be sent within 14 days but it doesn't mean the driver will be charged, merely that the registered owner is required to nominate who was driving at the time. It may result in words of advice or nothing at all. I don't know of any prosecutions of drivers by Thames Valley Police using evidence caught on cycle cameras.
The NIP has to have the alleged offence. S172 contain within the nip is requesting the driver details. The keeper has basically 2 options, name the driver(assuming they were the driver) or face failure to name driver and face 6 points potential £1000 fine with MS90 code on their license
To be fair, the cyclist shouldn't have been allowed to use the BMW owner's road.
Luckily, the cyclist wasn't hit, unlike this poor chap:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-40412209/cyclist-repeatedly-attacked-by-staffordshire-bird-of-prey
Overentitled cretin. Hope he ends up with some points.