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Near Miss of the Day 557: Trucking hell! Tipper lorry driver in fast close pass

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

"Trucking Hell!!!" That's the title the cyclist in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on the receiving end of this close pass from a tipper lorry driver gave this clip, and it's easy to see why as the driver zoomed past him at close quarters ahead of a 30mph zone.

The road.cc reader who shot the footage, Donny Johnny, said: "This truck, CN04 AOF, steamed by me as I entered a 30mph zone from a 40 mph zone, crossing the solid white line as it passed me.

"According to my Garmin I was travelling at about 13mph (I'm no Sam Bennett) so, the driver was in breach of Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 regulation 26."

That regulation, plus regulation 10 of the same piece of legislation and section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 are all referenced in the footnote to Rule 129 of the Highway Code, which states:

Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

"A quick check on the GOV.UK website when I got home reveals that although taxed, no MOT details are held by DVLA," 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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34 comments

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DonnyJohnny | 3 years ago
2 likes

Just to provide an update.  
I have not forwarded the footage to South Yorkshire Police, as 3 previous submissions have resulted in 1) no further action, 2) no reponse, 3) suggested that I pursue a private prosecution.
With respect to nicmason's comments, it sure felt close, the full footage shows cars passing before and after, some even as close as the truck but at a much slower speed. It is the combination of the size and type of vehicle, their speed and passing distance that are pertinent. In this case all three of these factors meant that I felt unsafe once again as I attempted to go about the still lawful pastime of cycling.

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Bungle_52 replied to DonnyJohnny | 3 years ago
1 like

In my experience it never looks as close on camera as it felt. Not sure why but the wind buffeting from a large vehicle at speed is one factor and the wide angle lens may be another. Whatever it looks like I'm pretty sure that the distance between the kerb and the truck is a lot less than the 2.25 m recommended on the close pass mat used by police. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell from my submissions, no law has been broken. I get the impression that unless you are forced to take evasive action they can't do anything. I'd love to be wrong about this.

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Hirsute replied to DonnyJohnny | 3 years ago
2 likes

Same for mine. I think the Police Reviewers should go out there and experience such a pass for themselves. They would change their minds.

I'm pretty experienced but any newbie is going to be put off using the roads.

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Awavey replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

Im pretty experienced too but when being overtaken like that by trucks, I do often question my cycling life choices.

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
5 likes

Here's my recent one. Note the adjacent telegraph pole! There is no escape to the left due to it being a ditch.
That thing weighs in excess of 18T
NFA by Essex Police.

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OldRidgeback replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

Skip lorry, like I said, very dangerous and very poor safety record for these HGVs.

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Hirsute replied to OldRidgeback | 3 years ago
1 like

I think Essex Police don't care about close passes anymore. They were however quite happy to proceed with a submission from last week where the driver went through red 10 seconds after it turned red.

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zero_trooper replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

Incident occurred on 1st March and NFA'd already? That was quick.

From the still there doesn't appear to be any glass in the wing-mirror so the driver couldn't even see that you were safe.

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OldRidgeback | 3 years ago
8 likes

Tipper trucks and skip delivery trucks have the highest rate of crashes of any HGVs and by some margin too. A lot of this is down to the way the firms are run. Drivers are paid by the load and therefore pulling out all the stops to get here and there to make as much money as they can. The drivers are under a lot of pressure and are not generally as well paid as other HGV drivers.

A number of the firms are run by people not so bothered about flouting laws, so a lot of these types of HGVs can be in poor condition. You can often tell this at a glance. Look at the rear axle. Is it covered in dried mud, with oil soaking through? If so, the truck's not been washed down properly in a while and that tells you a lot about how it's (not) maintained. The less responsible firms are sometimes less than careful about who they hire as well. A minority of the firms are even linked to criminal activity, whether directly or indirectly. A pattern of risk taking behaviour means safety may not be a priority. A scarily high percentage of serious crashes can often be linked to a fairly small number of firms.

All in all, if you see a tipper truck or a skip delivery truck, try and keep your distance.

 

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Jenova20 replied to OldRidgeback | 3 years ago
1 like

OldRidgeback wrote:

Tipper trucks and skip delivery trucks have the highest rate of crashes of any HGVs and by some margin too. A lot of this is down to the way the firms are run. Drivers are paid by the load and therefore pulling out all the stops to get here and there to make as much money as they can. The drivers are under a lot of pressure and are not generally as well paid as other HGV drivers.

A number of the firms are run by people not so bothered about flouting laws, so a lot of these types of HGVs can be in poor condition. You can often tell this at a glance. Look at the rear axle. Is it covered in dried mud, with oil soaking through? If so, the truck's not been washed down properly in a while and that tells you a lot about how it's (not) maintained. The less responsible firms are sometimes less than careful about who they hire as well. A minority of the firms are even linked to criminal activity, whether directly or indirectly. A pattern of risk taking behaviour means safety may not be a priority. A scarily high percentage of serious crashes can often be linked to a fairly small number of firms.

All in all, if you see a tipper truck or a skip delivery truck, try and keep your distance.

 

 

Most of what you said appears true of delivery companies, such as DPD, too. They race around like they own the road and cause a menace.

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OldRidgeback replied to Jenova20 | 3 years ago
5 likes

A lot of it, but not the stuff about criminal links. Some of the firms running tipper trucks or skip trucks are seriously dodgy. They're in the minority but the rate of crashes they're involved in is really worrying. Sometimes a firm will go bust or even get closed down, then pop up again with a slightly different name and the same people running it, and a different person (wife, son, daughter etc) as director.

Like I said, look at the vehicle age and condition. It tells you a lot.

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brooksby replied to Jenova20 | 3 years ago
4 likes

Jenova20 wrote:

They race around like they own the road and cause a menace.

Isn't that what the motorists say about cyclists...?

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Captain Badger replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

Jenova20 wrote:

They race around like they own the road and cause a menace.

Isn't that what the motorists say about cyclists...?

No, cyclists are menaces... Lycra-clad ones....

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nicmason | 3 years ago
0 likes

Wasnt that close tbh and he or she (who knows) can cross the white line depending on the speed of the cyclist.

13 mph or 10 mph. could you judge that ?

 

 

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mdavidford replied to nicmason | 3 years ago
7 likes

If you can't be sure, you should err on the side of caution, and not pass.

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Captain Badger replied to nicmason | 3 years ago
7 likes

nicmason wrote:

Wasnt that close tbh and he or she (who knows) can cross the white line depending on the speed of the cyclist.

13 mph or 10 mph. could you judge that ?

 

 

Don't know about you, but my car has a speedometer. If you hold pace with the rider, at a safe distance of course, and flick your eyes to the speedo you can check.

Of course there is no obligation to pass imiediately the moment the the rider drops below 10mph, so you could just err on the side of caution....

Rhetorical question; why is it that when asked 90% odd of drivers claim that they are above average, and yet so many can't understand basic driving principles?

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nicmason replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
0 likes

Youd be better using a sat nav speed. Speedometers are inaccurate.

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Captain Badger replied to nicmason | 3 years ago
1 like

nicmason wrote:

Youd be better using a sat nav speed. Speedometers are inaccurate.

Oh really Nic, come off it.....

If you wish to use a satnav be my guest, the principle stands, however to all intents and purposes a vehicular speedo is perfectly adequate to use in this circumstance. And in any case you can always make a suitable modification in your consideration to allow for inaccuracy, if you so desire.

 

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Awavey replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
7 likes

Regardless of the speed the cyclist was doing, operators,and cheerleaders, of large sided vehicles need to understand the turbulence their brick shaped vehicle generates and when it overtakes that closely and at their speed, how very easily it could cause you to lose control of your bike.

Close passes arent just about not nearly hitting things

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Captain Badger replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
0 likes

Awavey wrote:

Regardless of the speed the cyclist was doing, operators,and cheerleaders, of large sided vehicles need to understand the turbulence their brick shaped vehicle generates and when it overtakes that closely and at their speed, how very easily it could cause you to lose control of your bike. Close passes arent just about not nearly hitting things

Of course. My statement was in reply to Nic worrying that he might not know whether to overtake on solid lines.

The overtaking vehicle operator needs to consider the wider effect of their action on others, and it is utterly their responsibility to do so safely without intimidation.

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Awavey replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
3 likes

Absolutely agree, and apologies I wasnt criticising the point you made, sorry if it felt like I was, I just feel it's a distraction to focus on the speed aspect, the cyclist could be crawling along at half their speed and that still wouldnt be an ok pass,even if it was then technically permitted.

It is a close pass not because the truck crosses a solid white line to do it or is judged to be however many cms away it is,its a close pass because a vehicle like that needs to give alot more room to vulnerable road users when passing them than that.

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Captain Badger replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
1 like

Awavey wrote:

Absolutely agree, and apologies I wasnt criticising the point you made, sorry if it felt like I was, I just feel it's a distraction to focus on the speed aspect, the cyclist could be crawling along at half their speed and that still wouldnt be an ok pass,even if it was then technically permitted. It is a close pass not because the truck crosses a solid white line to do it or is judged to be however many cms away it is,its a close pass because a vehicle like that needs to give alot more room to vulnerable road users when passing them than that.

No no, no apology necessary.

I agree on that, and indeed as a rider, I don't necessarily get het up with folk passing on unbroken when I'm going faster than 10.

You also quite right that there's close and there's close, esp when considering the respective size

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nicmason replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
0 likes

You where the one talking about making a very precise judgement. I was just pointing out the inherent flaw in your method.

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Captain Badger replied to nicmason | 3 years ago
3 likes

nicmason wrote:

You where the one talking about making a very precise judgement. I was just pointing out the inherent flaw in your method.

I never mentioned a precise judgement. It is you who didn't know how to judge speed.

You don't have to be precise. You only have to be certain that you aren't overtaking dangerously, inconsiderately, and illegally. As I said, there is no obligation to pass a rider that is going slower than 10mph, so wait until you are certain. Use a suitable margin for error.

That is your responsibility, no one else's. If whilst tailing a rider at a safe distance you are confident that they are going less than 10mph (in the case of solid lines), and you can perform a safe and considerate manouver, do so with minimum of fuss.

If you can't be sure of the above, wait until you are able to overtake safely, considerately and legally.

Why do so many "good" drivers make such a meal of this? It's really basic stuff....

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Awavey replied to nicmason | 3 years ago
0 likes

I really really want to believe motorists make that speed calculation before overtaking in those situations...

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Jetmans Dad replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
3 likes

Awavey wrote:

I really really want to believe motorists make that speed calculation before overtaking in those situations...

Given how often I am overtaken on my ride into school through a winding section of solid double whites on a slight downhill travelling at 25-30mph (50 limit) I  don't think that is the case. 

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ktache replied to Awavey | 3 years ago
1 like

To so that properly they would have to wait behind you, travelling at your speed for at least a few seconds, just to understand the cyclist speed. That very rarely happens to me.  I find most seem to be very confused by the double white line, they know something about different rules, but it could have been many years before they actually might have to know it.  And anyway, don't cyclists travel at walking pace...

I dislike riding on roads with double white lines.  And why is it that the 4 foot SLOW paint produces even more dangerous actions by the fairly protected and generally overpowered?

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Captain Badger replied to ktache | 3 years ago
0 likes

ktache wrote:

...  And anyway, don't cyclists travel at walking pace...

 

Yes, whilst simultaneously haring around corners at 40 mph. I see them all the time not wearing hiviz being invisible.

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Awavey replied to ktache | 3 years ago
1 like

Yeah I know  1 it's just some smart alec always drops the 10mph exception in to debates on overtakes with solid lines to justify it as if drivers are following that decision tree process.

Whereas we know full well half the time they dont even take the it must be safe & clear parts into consideration. They just see cyclist, got to overtake now.

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wtjs | 3 years ago
5 likes

Driver is guilty. If this had been in Lancashire, I can tell you the exact response: none. They don't care about single or double unbroken white lines here. Or close passing. Or handheld mobile phone use. Or illegal number plates. This is the one where LC decided they had to have confirmatory video from the offending vehicle- none was available (!) so they 'couldn't do anything'.

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