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Near Miss of the Day 502: Reckless driving "bad enough for me to call 999," says cyclist (includes swearing)

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

"This near miss was bad enough for me to call 999," says road.cc reader Peter of this incident he caught on film near Chippenham, Wiltshire, and it really is a shocker.

It happened on a singletrack rural road, with the driver of the oncoming vehicle, a Jaguar F Pace 4x4, failing to slow down despite the presence of the cyclist, Peter having to serve to the left and come to a halt on the grass verge.

The motorist also moved to the left, churning up mud and stones from the opposite verge and missing Peter by inches - resulting in some colourful language from him, understandably so in the circumstances.

It happened on Tuesday morning, and updating us on Thursday, Peter said of his 999 call: "Unfortunately I was put in a queue.  Two days later Wiltshire Police has yet to even look at the video."

> 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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25 comments

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John Pitcock | 3 years ago
1 like

A similar scenario.
On residential streets with cars parked on one or both sides - I sometimes get on-coming cars, partially on my side, who barely leave enough room for me. They obviously expect me to get out of the way.

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lyndonf | 3 years ago
5 likes

I'm not sure how many others are like me when riding on the lanes. 

I'd much rather a vehicle come to a stop or crawl in the middle of the road, than to continue driving quickly and move slightly to the left.

That was a sorry excuse for "driving" and I'd hope the police see it the same way too. Best of luck in pursuing a case.

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wtjs | 3 years ago
4 likes

Driver is guilty and the cyclist should submit the video. The police, if they're anything like Lancashire, will simply ignore it on the basis that there is no blood on the road. The question everyone shoud ask themseves is what they're going to do when the police simply ignore all reports of all traffic offences- red light crashing, double white line crossing, mobile phone use while driving. It appears that many cyclists simply do not realise the lengths the police are prepared to go to in order to do nothing: we see demands on here for a 'NIP to be sent'. The police have dodges galore in hand: even if a NIP is sent, and statements are signed, and the cyclist is told that a prosecution is in motion, they still have the 'assigning zero priority to that prosecution so as to ensure that it never actually goes to court' dodge. I have bored people with this before, but Lancashire has never yet prosecuted anyone for non-contact close passing. I went through the entire statement process for such an offence dated 30.9.19. It was eventually scheduled (under the pre-Covid zero priority scheme, no doubt) for 29.4.20. Below you will see today's email showing that the new Covid Super-Zero Priority Scheme has allotted a court date of 14.6.21 "but this might change again"- that's a date 1 year 9 months after the offence, and it will obviously be put off again. All the cases we talk about here will never reach court, and the drivers know it.

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Fifth Gear | 3 years ago
9 likes

I find this is an increasing problem on narrow lanes. If I am concerned that the driver is not slowing down I cycle into the centre of the road and stop. This forces the driver into making a decision, either kill a cyclist or apply the brakes. I'm still here and I haven't had one driver complain about it.....yet.

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David9694 replied to Fifth Gear | 3 years ago
0 likes

I often wonder what would happen if a VRU faced down someone like this - how many instances so far?

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jerv | 3 years ago
4 likes

I've had a few like this. If there is 0 intention of them slowing down, I report them to the police. 

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eburtthebike | 3 years ago
3 likes

Perhaps time that the law allowed cyclists to carry firearms and to shoot drivers like this: it would save lives in the long run.

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BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
4 likes

No, not guns. Do you remember Mad Max? The Road Warriors  have cross bows attached to their wrist. You could extend your arm and fire a bolt. 

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KnowThyInnerTube | 3 years ago
5 likes

There is a part of the local signposted cycle network that appears very similar to this one. It was, until recently, used as a rat run from an industrial estate. I developed the technique of putting my head down and looking over the top of my cycling glasses. From the drivers point of view, I reckoned, it would look like I hadn't seen them. I always appeared to wander into the middle of the road before veering off towards the verge, It definitely worked for me; every driver slowed and got a thank you.

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Awavey | 3 years ago
3 likes

fairly familiar with that kind of experience on East Anglian country roads too, havent had one quite that fast for a while, though I lost count today but I had cause to dive hedgewards probably about 5 times on todays ride to basically avoid being runover, because thats the choice you are presented with.

what gets me most, aside from these are often green lanes or lanes that really dont connect places that anyone needs to be driving down or treating like its some special rally stage, is the car never actually stops, some of them slow down sure, but they still keep driving at you, which really cuts down your options quickly about how to get as far out the way as safe as you can and then they rarely even thank you, you just get looked at in contempt for being a damn cyclist in their way.

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ktache | 3 years ago
8 likes

I have been subject to a few like this on what I guess are NSL roads, though too narrow to fit even a couple of narrowish cars without using passing points.  

I tend to fear that when the motorist going a bit too fast for my liking, moves over ever so slightly so as not to hit me (deliberately), but not slowing down, loses the tinyest bit of control, two wheels being on the mud, and manages to swerve into me, at speed.

But hey, no fear of injury to them...

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TheBillder replied to ktache | 3 years ago
5 likes

I utterly fail to understand why country lanes are NSL. Can't we just say that if there's no centre line then the limit is 20 mph? Wouldn't any sensible government do that? Oh.

East Lothian council (in whose patch most of my Sunday rides are) have changed almost all their urban areas to 20 mph. Which is nice.

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Hirsute replied to TheBillder | 3 years ago
0 likes

Broomhill Ln
Broomhill Ln, Reepham, Norwich NR10 4QY
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4cJvFUEco9Y47RrX6

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jmcc500 replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

Broomhill Ln Broomhill Ln, Reepham, Norwich NR10 4QY https://maps.app.goo.gl/4cJvFUEco9Y47RrX6

That road was my paper round between 1989 and 1996 or so. Can't believe it still has those derestriction signs at the end!

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Awavey replied to TheBillder | 3 years ago
1 like

Enforcement though isnt it, do you think on a road where theres never going to be chance of encountering the police, or a police speed camera, that someone who drives with such obvious clear disregard for other people like the example in the video, though they are far from alone in such behaviour, is going to stick to a 20mph speed limit ?  the chances of being caught are nil, so theyll drive at whatever speed they damn well like.

green lanes though its not law, more a recommendation, have a 25mph speed limit,but I can assure you everyone treats it like they are NSL still.

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TheBillder replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
0 likes

I agree, but at least then, perhaps every 29 Feb, the mobile speed camera van could be lurking, and a few nutjobs could be done for 3 x the limit.

It seems to me as I trundle in my car at the 20 mph limit that I'm a bit less of the Pied Piper these days. Perhaps it'll catch on.

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hampsoc | 3 years ago
0 likes

Dya like dags? Wiltshire cops won't give a sh1t. 

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Cycloid | 3 years ago
7 likes

This is very similar to a near-mis I had, exactly the same situation on a narrow lane with slight bends in it, which was wide enough for both of us to pass with care.

The driver saw me in good time, then accelerated and moved out to his right, when we passed he hit me with his wing mirror and just carried on.

He was obviously a grade one Tw*t, but I think I may have made him act out of character because as on the lane in the video there was a bit of muddy grass verge that I could (in his opinion) have used to get off the road.

To make the crime worse it was a local taxi, but I did not get the number.

 

 

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EK Spinner replied to Cycloid | 3 years ago
1 like

That doesn't sound like a near miss to me, sounds more like a collision, the driver is obliged to stop and also to report it

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Capercaillie replied to Cycloid | 3 years ago
1 like

I had an accident a few weeks ago where I felt forced into a muddy ditch by an oncoming motorist who appeared unwilling to stop. I slid on the mud and landed in the middle of the road. Somehow the driver did manage not to hit me, affected concern then drove off. My new hi viz jacket was ripped to shreds on the road and I needed to get my elbow treated in A&E. More worryingly I have heavy bruising and numbness in one foot so that I struggle to even walk.

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VIPcyclist | 3 years ago
3 likes

I predict the police will take no action.

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Secret_squirrel | 3 years ago
13 likes

Appalling driving. Plenty of time to react and cut their already unsafe speed, but doesn't bother. 
Scum. 

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
9 likes

Very poor driving. Failed to slow for the 2 main hazards right in front of them.
Surprised they risked scratching their car drving through the mud.
Fairly typically mentaility of 'nothing will be coming the other way'.

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Al Mossah replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
4 likes

As the  rider (and swearer - sorry about that) let me explain why I called 999.  For a year or so after I got a GoPro I posted videos of dangerous near misses on the Wiltshire Police section of the Nextbase site.  Nothing ever happened.  After one egregious event I sent the video on a DVD to the police and to the PCC.  Not even an acknowledgement.  After a further particularly bad incident last year I phoned them on the non-emergency number when I got home.  Their response was that I should have called 999 at the time; then "we could have done something about it at the time".  I was somewhat sceptical about this, but made a commitment to do this at the next particularly bad incident.  Last week Wiltshire Police launched an anti-speeding initiative.  Perish the thought that this was merely a cosmetic exercise with no resources behind it, but anyway, after this incident (which was particularly alarming) I thought I'd phone it in. So far no results.

Wiltshire Police's approach compares  unfavourably with that of neighbouring forces; both Avon & Somerset and Gloucestershire have taken action on videos sent in by  friends, family and me, sending drivers on retraining courses in at least one incident.  Considering how many horses there are on the roads around here I would really hope that they took dangerous driving more seriously.  But for the last 18 months "we have not got the resources to view dashcam video".  I have only once managed to get them to take action, against a driver who forced an oncoming car to take avoiding action as he overtook me.  The PC who came round to take a statement said that he wouldn't cycle on the roads; "they are too dangerous".  I found his acceptance of this particularly frustrating.  

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Hirsute replied to Al Mossah | 3 years ago
2 likes

As rendel says, it is a judgement call and there does seem to be a correlation between driving offences and other crimes.

We had an ex policeman at work who came up with interesting stories. I remember him saying he pulled over a driver as the vehicle just didn't seem to be being driven correctly. When the boot was opened it was full of stolen goods which were quite heavy and hence affected the driving.

 

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