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news
Near Miss of the Day 561: Tractor driver towing trailer makes close pass ... then shakes head at cyclist
We have two videos from the same cyclist today on our Near Miss of the Day feature, the first showing a close pass from a tractor driver in Shropshire towing a trailer, while the second happened in Wolverhampton when the driver of a bin wagon left far too little space to the rider when overtaking him.
The clips were sent in by road.cc reader Dave, who said of the first one: "Here is a clip of a tractor making an extremely close pass while the driver looks directly at me!
"The incident happened in Claverley, Shropshire, and was not reported to police.
"Out of shot the driver was shaking his head suggesting I was in the wrong."
Of the second clip, which appears below, he said:
"This near miss happened to me in October 2020 while on the Wolverhampton ring road. The vehicle was very close.
"The incident was reported to the local council who are responsible for the vehicle.
"They responded by asking me for the video clip and details of where the incident occurred.
"I supplied all information and they promised an enquiry as all vehicles are fitted with 360° video cameras. I haven't had any response since then.
"I contacted them after a month or so and still no response. Local responsible council and professional driver ... I don't think so!"
> 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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12 comments
Reporting these dangerous and callous drivers should be encouraged as the next victim might NOT be so lucky, and how many fatalities do you need before you yourself take action, even if it falls on deaf ears ?
most likely driver saw the little blue shared path sign, and a cyclist on it, then saw this rider on the road''in the way'' so went past closely, as a point being maken to force them to use the shared path.
Further to Inspector Kevin's comment about the lack of a number plate on the trailor, the tractor itself is not roadworthy, it should have a roll bar fitted, this is a legal requirement for all tractors no matter how old.
Vintage tractors like that one must be transported on a trailor if there isn't a roll cage fitted so there's a good chance it's uninsured and also lacks a MoT.
This really needs reporting to the Police.
I agree with your statement about the roll bar. The law was changed in 2002 to make it a requirement for all tractors to have a rollbar fitted in all circumstances.
I think the old boy is behind the times. A previous law from 1974 allowed an exception for owners who never allowed others to drive their vehicle.
An MOT, however, is not required for tractors used solely for agricultural purposes or are not capable of exceeding 25mph, although they should be kept in a roadworthy condition and insured if driven on the road.
See below extract from gov.uk.
5. Roadworthiness testing
Tractors that are used solely for agriculture, horticulture or forestry (ie tractors eligible to be taxed in the agricultural tax class) are exempt from roadworthiness testing.
From 20 May 2018, tractors taxed in any other tax class (ie not agricultural) will be required to hold a valid goods vehicle testing certificate if they:
are capable by construction of exceeding 40 km/h per hour (approximately 25 mph)
are used to haul goods (of any description) more than 15 miles from their operating base (which is not necessarily where they are registered)
Perhaps there should be a rule that clips cannot feature on here unless they have been reported?
Apparently, neither of these was reported to the police; why not? They are both clear examples of bad driving putting a vulnerable road user at risk of their life, and I can't understand why they weren't reported.
In the second case, it is much more likely that the council would respond if it had been reported, and in the first case, that tractor driver is just going to keep doing it.
Agree. Both are good examples of a close pass.
also, not having a number plate on your trailer is as blatant an offence as exists. No wiggle room at all on that one.
Whatever your feelings on your local constabulary, if you don't report the chances of it being acted on are "actual" nil. If you don't report they will never improve their response whatever it may currently be (just my perspective)
also, not having a number plate on your trailer is as blatant an offence as exists. No wiggle room at all on that one.
Some of the more work-averse forces are much more enthusiastic 'wigglers' than others. No response, no action from Lancashire Constabulary (Proud boast: Do what you like! We do nothing) to this more than blatant red light crossing.
Tangentially related, but where does that leave all the owners/drivers of cars with deliberately obscured (heavily smoked) number plates, often scarcely legible from any distance? Round these parts they are legion. In fact some drivers have been so emboldened by the lack of Police attention that they now sport the track day stealth look completely sans front plate. The cars are always high end and fully valeted, so not your jalopy whose plate fell off six months ago.
where does that leave all the owners/drivers of cars with deliberately obscured (heavily smoked) number plates, often scarcely legible from any distance? Round these parts they are legion
Where it leaves them is laughing, in Lancashire and your area at least. If you send a report to LC, what happens is nothing at all and sometime later you see the same illegal plate again because they file the immaculately presented report in the bin immediately.
I'll disagree - in the friendliest way
.
Back in the day, when my local police force was "less than responsive", going to the driver's employers got results. Also to the council, and the council's taxi licensing department.
There is NO WAY we should have to depend on this county-boundary lottery.
when my local police force was "less than responsive", going to the driver's employers got results. Also to the council, and the council's taxi licensing department
Lancashire County Council claimed to have sent this LCC Highways driver for some re-education after he crashed through the lights 0.7 seconds after they turned red. That offence took place on 28.9.20, but the last I heard from the police was on 1.12.20 when they claimed to have sent the NIP. I have heard nothing from LC since, and in particular the court statement forms have not appeared, and I suspect they thought they had got away with it. I have just disillusioned them with a follow-up request.