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Near Miss of the Day 151: Lorry driver in close pass on cyclist despite oncoming traffic

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s Essex

The latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows some very poor, not to mention dangerous driving by a lorry driver working for DHL Tradeteam, which supplies drinks to the licensed trade.

Shot in Colchester, Essex by road.cc reader Jeffery, it shows the driver overtaking a cyclist with minimal space between them, despite the fact that both are approaching a roundabout.

What’s more, the manoeuvre forces the driver of an oncoming car to brake to avoid being hit head-on by the lorry, whose driver has thereby not just put the cyclist at risk, but also the motorist in that car.

DHL replied to Jeffery’s tweet this morning.

It’s the second very close overtake of a cyclist by a lorry driver, despite oncoming traffic, that we’ve seen this week – yesterday this one, from Charlton in the Royal Borough of Greenwich was featured on our live blog.

Last week, the campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists held a die-in and vigil outside Greenwich Council’s offices in Woolwich after two cyclists were killed in collisions involving lorries in the borough during May.

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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23 comments

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ChrisB200SX | 5 years ago
0 likes

Had a similar experience to these this morning as I was heading to Reading station, just past the prison. Stewart's Coach half overtakes me, with traffic stopped just ahead at a red light, only to then pull back into my lane while he's still alongside me and coming to a stop, forcing me close to the kerb.
I braked very hard, passed the coach in the outside lane that he should have stayed in, stopped alongside and asked him what the hell that was about as there clearly wasn't space to pull in. He just laughed at me, clearly didn't give any f**ks, and sticks his fingers up at me. He genuinely appeared sociopathic in his apathy.

... left him at the traffic lights when they went green, I doubt he realised how dangerous and futile his manoeuvre was. But I wonder what his employer will make of it?

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grumpyoldcyclist replied to ChrisB200SX | 5 years ago
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ChrisB200SX wrote:

... left him at the traffic lights when they went green, I doubt he realised how dangerous and futile his manoeuvre was. But I wonder what his employer will make of it?

Did you get it all on camera? Please udate us with the reult

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LastBoyScout | 5 years ago
1 like

As an aside, any recommendations for free video editing software? I've got some footage in MP4 format from this morning that I'd like to send to both Tesco and the police...

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Nudecyclist replied to LastBoyScout | 5 years ago
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LastBoyScout wrote:

As an aside, any recommendations for free video editing software? I've got some footage in MP4 format from this morning that I'd like to send to both Tesco and the police...

I've recently found Shotcut to be perfectly good - and open source.

https://shotcut.org/download/

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henryb replied to Nudecyclist | 5 years ago
0 likes
Nudecyclist wrote:
LastBoyScout wrote:

As an aside, any recommendations for free video editing software? I've got some footage in MP4 format from this morning that I'd like to send to both Tesco and the police...

I've recently found Shotcut to be perfectly good - and open source.

https://shotcut.org/download/

Also, try Avidemux http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/

 

 

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peted76 | 5 years ago
2 likes

I think it's one of us who's written that... must be there's sarcasm red flags all over it.

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
3 likes

Technically the legs are reciprocating and converting linear motion to rotary motion by means of the crank. Even more technically, maybe an engineer will be along soon to enlighten us with the absolute correct terminology.

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madcarew replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
0 likes
Mungecrundle wrote:

Technically the legs are reciprocating and converting linear motion to rotary motion by means of the crank. Even more technically, maybe an engineer will be along soon to enlighten us with the absolute correct terminology.

I guess rotary footed would be slightly more accurate

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madcarew | 5 years ago
5 likes

"Rotary legged dimwit". That's actually quite funny. 

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
2 likes

Disagree, Willo was at least willing to put some effort into defending the indefensible.

My thought was that the truck driver probably saw himself just sailing past the bike and straight over the mini roundabout. He failed to see the car coming from the right and got caught out doing something stupid.

Not saying that the car driver has done anything wrong, but when they got to the mini, if they had checked to their left, then they might have seen the lorry overtaking the bike and simply not proceeded.

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a1white replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

Well, if you are refering to the second video, yes he is not far from Halfords. however if he trying to get there, he is lost. He should be on the (parrallel) A206 (dual carriageway), rather than the smaller B210, he'll certainly not be able to get that lorry down Charlton Church lane.

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Jitensha Oni replied to a1white | 5 years ago
1 like
a1white wrote:
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

Well, if you are refering to the second video, yes he is not far from Halfords. however if he trying to get there, he is lost. He should be on the (parrallel) A206 (dual carriageway), rather than the smaller B210, he'll certainly not be able to get that lorry down Charlton Church lane.

I can’t work out how Raging trucker knows the rider was also going to Halfords by the exact same route, because that’s the only possible way of holding the lorry up for 10 minutes, and then only if the rider was going at less than 6 mph (assuming 2 or 3 reasonable routes), which seems a lot slower than his speed on the video.

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Hirsute replied to Jitensha Oni | 5 years ago
1 like
Jitensha Oni wrote:
a1white wrote:
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

Well, if you are refering to the second video, yes he is not far from Halfords. however if he trying to get there, he is lost. He should be on the (parrallel) A206 (dual carriageway), rather than the smaller B210, he'll certainly not be able to get that lorry down Charlton Church lane.

I can’t work out how Raging trucker knows the rider was also going to Halfords by the exact same route, because that’s the only possible way of holding the lorry up for 10 minutes, and then only if the rider was going at less than 6 mph (assuming 2 or 3 reasonable routes), which seems a lot slower than his speed on the video.

Finally worked out where it is, and it would be going away from Halfords (which is just an auto centre anyhow)

https://goo.gl/maps/WWw48ePg4WJ2

and it does not take 10 mins to cycle from one end to the other at only 2km in total.

 

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ktache | 5 years ago
5 likes

The Willo is strong in this one.

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Raging trucker | 5 years ago
0 likes

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

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brooksby replied to Raging trucker | 5 years ago
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Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

Erm… Is that sarcasm, or an attempt at humour?

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
4 likes
brooksby wrote:
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

Erm… Is that sarcasm, or an attempt at humour?

Just a very poor quality troll. It's like they're not even trying these days.

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don simon fbpe replied to Raging trucker | 5 years ago
2 likes
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

I really do hope that this is a genuine trucker who is raging. It'll be interesting to hear all the attempts at justifying the close passes. And hopefully that through the rage they'll be able to learn something.

We need more raging fuckers!

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giff77 replied to Raging trucker | 5 years ago
1 like
Raging trucker wrote:

It seems clear to me knowing that road that the bicycle would have held up that lorry for at least 10 minutes, he was delivering urgent time sensitive cycles to halfords and you were holding him up! Go find a cycle lane if you don't want to mix with the big boys you rotary legged dimwit!

not sure I’ve come across an HGV driver be they Class 1 or 3 who was happy to sit behind a cyclist for 1 minute let alone 10 minutes. 

And anyway. A ‘professional’ driver should know better to infringe various aspects of the Highway Act and compromise their precious license. 

Right that’s me done feeding the troll. 

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HoarseMann | 5 years ago
3 likes

I hate these mini roundabouts that are retro fitted to a T-junction. We’ve got one near us and it’s 50/50 whether a car will give way or not when I’m turning right off the main route into the side road (and that’s when I’m driving the car). 

I can only think the lorry driver doesn’t know the area and didn’t see the roundabout. The give way sign looked to be obscured by foliage. Poor observation on the part of the driver though. 

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dassie | 5 years ago
1 like

That Veolia pass is very poor and dangerous.  Personally I'd be taking a strong secondary road position, as the cyclist is nearly on the double yellow lines.

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ChrisB200SX | 5 years ago
6 likes

Attempting an overtake that was never going to be completed before a mini-roundabout, you have to question the driving ability (decision-making and/or reading of the road ahead) of the qualified truck driver.
I do really like how he decides to direct the truck at the cyclist in an effort to avoid the car he nearly smashes through, even better decision-making. This guy needs his licence revoking, simples.

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brooksby replied to ChrisB200SX | 5 years ago
5 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:

Attempting an overtake that was never going to be completed before a mini-roundabout, you have to question the driving ability (decision-making and/or reading of the road ahead) of the qualified truck driver.
I do really like how he decides to direct the truck at the cyclist in an effort to avoid the car he nearly smashes through, even better decision-making. This guy needs his licence revoking, simples.

Good lord! You'd want to cause extreme hardship to a poor hardworking lorry driver who's doing his best, m'lud, and he never saw the cyclist anyway 'cos there were leaves on his windscreen, and the sun was shining, and, err... 

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