Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Near Miss of the Day 389: Yet another close pass into oncoming traffic (includes swearing)

Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's London...

Among the numerous sub-genres to our Near Miss of the Day feature are ones where a motorist decides to overtake a cyclist despite the presence of oncoming traffic - thereby putting the rider, the occupants of vehicles coming the opposite way and, yes, themselves in danger.

Here's a prime example from road.cc reader Zahir, who told us: "Not as close as some I’ve seen on the site, but the guy nearly hit an oncoming car just to get past me at the junction. It happened on Paddock Lane near Lymm, Cheshire" - and, of all the dates, on Friday 13th.

He added: "Sorry for the swearing" - although as ever, we think it's perfectly understandable in the circumstances.

> 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.

Add new comment

15 comments

Avatar
bike_food | 4 years ago
0 likes

I watched this to the end the first time waiting to see the incident.

Deffo one of those that was worse to experience than to watch.

Avatar
danhopgood | 4 years ago
0 likes

Only 5 seconds between pull out and overtake.  Presumably the white car was on the main road?  If I were driving that vehicle I might be thinking the cyclist has just pulled out on me and should have waited for a bigger gap......

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to danhopgood | 4 years ago
1 like

Or presumably he was behind at the same junction and decided to pull out the same time as the cyclist, but because of faster acceleration then raced past quickly without determining if safe to do so.

Two entirely plausible possibilities but without rear view camera no way to know until the person in question cn tell us. 

Avatar
zeeridesbikes replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
1 like

This

Avatar
ktache replied to danhopgood | 4 years ago
0 likes

Are you saying it was a punishment pass (cowardice pass) then?

Avatar
danhopgood replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

I'm saying pulling out of a junction requiring someone to suddenly change course as a result would be against what the Highway Code says: Rule 170:  "Do not cross or join a road until there is a gap large enough for you to do so safely". 

Relying on the vehicle on the other road to see you, assess the situation and manouvre accordingly is putting yourself at unnecessary risk.  As a driver, folk pulling out and forcing me to slow down seriously cheeses me off and so I'm sure some would see a punishment pass appropriate in those circumstances.    Why provoke people?

Avatar
ktache replied to danhopgood | 4 years ago
2 likes

5 seconds is not sudden.

Bullying using a car as an intimidating weapon is never appropriate.

Avatar
zeeridesbikes replied to danhopgood | 4 years ago
4 likes

Hi Dan, I'm the rider who sent in the video. The white car was behind me at the junction. I went first then he followed me out just before the close pass.When I pulled out into the road the juntion was completely clear so the chap was just in a hurry to get by.

Your initial presumption about me pulling out in front of the car was incorrect. 

 

Avatar
danhopgood replied to zeeridesbikes | 4 years ago
0 likes

Thanks for clarifying.  White car driver was therefore clearly in the wrong.     

Avatar
Darkhairedlord | 4 years ago
0 likes

Odd to be riding on all the pot holes like that.

Avatar
NZ Vegan Rider | 4 years ago
0 likes

Driver just should've waited a few seconds ;-(

Avatar
Hirsute | 4 years ago
1 like

London in Cheshire ?

Avatar
kil0ran | 4 years ago
5 likes

Never mind the CP, what's going on with that hood position?

Avatar
Jem PT replied to kil0ran | 4 years ago
0 likes

I reckon the rider's saddle might be too high as well, the way the chest-mounted camera is swinging from side to side?

Avatar
NZ Vegan Rider replied to kil0ran | 4 years ago
0 likes

Circa 2000 Lance set up.

Latest Comments