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Benalder Street, Glasgow, 26th Sept 2018

Near Miss of the Day 185: Motorist on phone cuts corner and only sees cyclist at last moment

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s Glasgow
by Alex Bowden
Thu, Sep 27, 2018 16:36
10

Today’s near miss features a motorist on the phone cutting the corner when turning into a side road and nearly hitting a cyclist in the process.

The incident took place in Glasgow yesterday at about 8.15pm. The driver was turning right from Beith St into Benalder St.

Ian writes: “He saw me at the last moment and managed to swerve and miss me. As he went past I got a lovely view of the phone in his right hand and him steering with his left.

“Sorry about the swearing. I must learn to just repeat the licence plate like a proper cyclist.

“Unfortunately the licence plate isn't readable on the video and my handlebar-mounted camera was too low to see his phone (maybe that's an argument for a helmet cam), so there's no point submitting the video to Police Scotland.”

> 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

Near Miss of the Day
NMotD
Glasgow
Alex Bowden

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.

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10 comments

Avatar
spen | 5 years ago
0 likes

Taking a corner that way is the norm where I live, even the police do it!

Avatar
EK Spinner | 5 years ago
1 like

So infuriatingly common, to the point that I often find when driving out of junctions when I am perfectly positioned that other drivers flash me out of the junction because they don't seem to be capable of turning in without cutting the apex.

Obviously not practcle for HGVs etc but I would love to see some residential areas have a big steel pole positioned right on the point of the 'T' - would be good for a laugh 1 

 

Avatar
Morgoth985 replied to EK Spinner | 5 years ago
0 likes

EK Spinner wrote:

So infuriatingly common, to the point that I often find when driving out of junctions when I am perfectly positioned that other drivers flash me out of the junction because they don't seem to be capable of turning in without cutting the apex.
 

As much as I deplore cutting the apex, I've always considered it a courteous relinquishing of priority when drivers flash me out first.  Just makes life easier.

Avatar
brooksby | 5 years ago
0 likes

I saw a *skip lorry* going into a junction yesterday with the driver holding his phone out in front of him with his right hand 

Avatar
iandusud | 5 years ago
2 likes

Cutting corners when turning right is one of the most common things I see, both when cycling and driving, that really annoys me. It's just pure laziness and of course very dangerous, particularly for cyclist as this video demonstates. 

Avatar
IanGlasgow | 5 years ago
7 likes

Oh come on, have some sympathy. It's difficult to steer with just your left hand whilst reading the text message on the phone in your right hand.

Avatar
StraelGuy | 5 years ago
1 like

Exactly, lazy prick of a driver can't be bothered taking a corner in the normal, acceptable manner no.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to StraelGuy | 5 years ago
5 likes

StraelGuy wrote:

Exactly, lazy prick of a driver can't be bothered taking a corner in the normal, acceptable manner no.

Even by lazy cornering standards that's a shit attempt. From the way they corrected when nearly on top of the rider i'd be tempted to conclude they weren't even looking at the corner before turning in and/or otherwise distracted. Piss awful.

Avatar
StuInNorway | 5 years ago
0 likes

Going to guess that number plate has been sprayed with the stuff that makes it extra reflective to make it harder for speed cameras to catch the plate.... Kind of matches with the driving style too.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to StuInNorway | 5 years ago
0 likes

StuInNorway wrote:

Going to guess that number plate has been sprayed with the stuff that makes it extra reflective to make it harder for speed cameras to catch the plate.... Kind of matches with the driving style too.

Maybe, but the other non-yellow ones look similar. Occams razor.

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