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(Not so) Near Miss of the Day 265: Driver attempts overtake, clips cyclist

Our regular series highlighting close passes from around the country - today it's Bristol...

Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows yet another example of a driver attempting to overtake a cyclist where there is simply not enough space to do so safely –and ended up clipping him, but still drove off.

Luckily in this case, the rider was aware of just how close the driver was and managed to swerve to the left to avoid a worse impact, and managed to stay upright.

It happened to a road.cc reader as he commuted to work in on Kellaway Avenue in Bristol.

He told us: “The car behind me started to overtake me, then had to cut back in to avoid hitting the car turning right and clipped me as they passed.

“It made a loud bang against the side of their car, so they definitely will have heard it and they accelerated away.

“I did catch them up shortly after, but decided not to confront them as it seemed pointless at this point.

“I luckily managed to keep upright, but was somewhat shook up,” he added.

> 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

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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20 comments

Avatar
PRSboy | 5 years ago
0 likes

Out of curiosity, if a video has already been posted online on a forum such as this, with comments, then might an eagle eyed lawyer get a case thrown out on the basis of a fair trial being prejudiced?

Avatar
toxicchili replied to PRSboy | 5 years ago
0 likes

PRSboy wrote:

Out of curiosity, if a video has already been posted online on a forum such as this, with comments, then might an eagle eyed lawyer get a case thrown out on the basis of a fair trial being prejudiced?

Seeing that youtube, videos on social media and videos that have been posted on national news can and have been used as evidence in a court, I don't think that's a major issue.

Avatar
grumpyoldcyclist replied to toxicchili | 5 years ago
0 likes

toxicchili wrote:

PRSboy wrote:

Out of curiosity, if a video has already been posted online on a forum such as this, with comments, then might an eagle eyed lawyer get a case thrown out on the basis of a fair trial being prejudiced?

Seeing that youtube, videos on social media and videos that have been posted on national news can and have been used as evidence in a court, I don't think that's a major issue.

Some police forces will directy request that you do not post, or remove footage if you have posted it, pending action.

Avatar
ktache | 5 years ago
4 likes

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Doesn't the sound of wafting or motioning with a knife sound much nicer than slashing or stabbing?

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to ktache | 5 years ago
0 likes

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 5 years ago
5 likes

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Paving slab clips car after being dropped from bridge.

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

HawkinsPeter wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Paving slab clips car after being dropped from bridge.

Brilliant plan.   

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
3 likes
HawkinsPeter wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Paving slab clips car after being dropped from bridge.

Paving slab has momentary lapse and nudges itself off bridge and motorists head clips it on way down ... the motorist was not wearing a helmet or hi-vis

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
3 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
HawkinsPeter wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Paving slab clips car after being dropped from bridge.

Paving slab has momentary lapse and nudges itself off bridge and motorists head clips it on way down ... the motorist was not wearing a helmet or hi-vis

...and was driving in the middle of the road.

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

HawkinsPeter wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
HawkinsPeter wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

ktache wrote:

I am wondering what words the police and press would use if some of us were to clip aggressive or threatening motorists behind the ear with our D locks or chain locks?  The locks are 500 to 1000 times lighter than their vehicles after all.

Let's find out.  

Paving slab clips car after being dropped from bridge.

Paving slab has momentary lapse and nudges itself off bridge and motorists head clips it on way down ... the motorist was not wearing a helmet or hi-vis

...and was driving in the middle of the road.

.. west.  At 5:50 PM.  

Avatar
Muddy Ford | 5 years ago
2 likes

As others have said, it should not be dismissively referred to as a clip. If the car weighed 1500kg and speed difference was even only 7 metres per second (15mph) that cars impact force for 1 second is 21kn. According to livescience the thigh bone can withstand a staggering 4kn impact..but it still would have broken. Drivers need to understand the significant forces their vehicles generate on impact, and be prosecuted for every 'clip'.

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Muddy Ford | 5 years ago
2 likes

Muddy Ford wrote:

As others have said, it should not be dismissively referred to as a clip. If the car weighed 1500kg and speed difference was even only 7 metres per second (15mph) that cars impact force for 1 second is 21kn. According to livescience the thigh bone can withstand a staggering 4kn impact..but it still would have broken. Drivers need to understand the significant forces their vehicles generate on impact, and be prosecuted for every 'clip'.

That the stupid, demented, psychopathic fucks who are British drivers don't understand basic concepts of force and kinetic energy, is evinced by their frequent crybaby snivelling that if they can't close pass cyclists, why should cyclists be allowed to ride up the left of their prostheses?

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efail | 5 years ago
4 likes

I think that Birmingham City 'fan' got 14 weeks for 'clipping' the Villa player. 

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CXR94Di2 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Always take a prominent position central to the road whilst cycling-full stop

Any impact is a RTA and must be reported by law

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hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
4 likes

That definitely needs the police to be involved - it's a clear case of a hit-and-run after a RTC.

"Clip" - my arse!

Avatar
toxicchili replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
7 likes

HawkinsPeter wrote:

That definitely needs the police to be involved - it's a clear case of a hit-and-run after a RTC.

"Clip" - my arse!

After uploading the video to the police website, I have been contacted and informed they intend to prosecute the driver of the car.

Avatar
StuInNorway | 5 years ago
7 likes

"clip" means not a close pass, that's a collison. Failure to stop after a collision is a criminal offence so I REALLY hope that this has been reported. Even if nothing comes in terms of a prosecution, the vechicle should have a marker for a previous failure to stop, next time the cyclist might not be so lucky.

Avatar
dassie | 5 years ago
2 likes

Really poor dangerous driving.  Though I'm not sure why the cyclist moved left to very near the kerb/gutter as they when through the lights;  I would have taken the lane through that junction, especially with the right turning vehicle.  Don't give them an inch, in a pinch (point).

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alansmurphy | 5 years ago
5 likes

You really have to wonder about the mentality of drivers, when I was knocked off the driver did stop and check me, but was checking the inpact on the side of his car first. A large number of these incidents result in the driver just carrying on. You wouldn't 'clip' someone in the street whilst carrying a ladder and think 'sod it' - and there's a law against this too!

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BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
8 likes

Can you stop using the word 'clips', this underplays being assaulted/struck with a deadly weapon and is objectionable.

We had this said in court last week which trivialised what had occurred and what does occur, it's a poor do for you to use such wording.

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