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news
Near Miss of the Day 715: Driver clips cyclist's handlebars overtaking on tight bend
Does it still count as a near miss if the driver clips your handlebars as they pass?
This example of how not to overtake comes from a road.cc reader in Congleton, Cheshire, who was cycling along Market Street in the centre of town when an impatient driver decided to overtake on a blind corner.
"The road goes 90-degrees round a bend. This clown thought that would be the perfect place to overtake me," the rider explained.
"In doing so he collided with my handlebars while I was thumping his passenger window and shouting 'get out of the bloody way'.
"I have a longer version but it identifies the vehicle and I have already submitted this to the police for investigation."
It was quite the weekend for Near Miss of the Day. On Saturday, we had Near Miss of the Day 713, involving a driver being asked not to close pass...only to do it again seconds later.
> Near Miss of the Day 713: Driver asked not to close pass... then does it again
Then, yesterday's Near Miss of the Day 714 started a debate about road positioning after the police sided with a driver over this roundabout incident and questioned the cyclist's positioning.
> 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
Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.
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44 comments
I make a point of not responding to him, or to any post referring to him, but I make one exception. He is a sad, pathetic figure cowering around in the safety of anonymity trotting out the same stupid comments designed to persuade people to pay attention to him. Doing so doesn't help him because it just deepens his detachment from reality and real life.
It is like that tiny stone in your shoe, so irritating, not serious pain just annoying.
But when it pushes it a bit too far and gets banned for a couple of weeks, you finally take off the shoe and shake it upside down, oh, the relief...
I'll see your analogy and raise you with this:
That's not a near miss, it's a collision.
Did they stop?
If not then surely they should be prosecuted for failing to stop as well as the careless driving.
This is my home town and I know the rider involved. It's a little uphill so some cyclists are going pretty slow approaching that 90° bend. Many drivers simply think they shouldn't have to wait and attempt to pass like this particularly incompetent driver in the video.
I always take primary and turn and look at them if they get too close. Once you complete the turn the road narrows significantly - mainly due to cars parked all along the right - two way traffic cannot pass simultaneously, there simply isn't enough room. I will remain primary for the 25yds to the narrowing section, otherwise they overtake and immediately brake to a stop with oncoming vehicles across the centreline approaching head on.
What can be done? Not a lot before the 90° turn, but making the whole road one way would significantly improve matters. There is little reason for it not to be as it comes back out onto the dualled carriageway (which it left just 100yds before the bend) only 500yrds further on.
If it were made one way and the free parking got rid of (it's less than a dozen parking spaces which cause chaos all day) a contrflow cycle lane would allow cyclists to avoid the busy dual carriageway completely. A particular bonus for encouraging kids to ride to school.
Thanks for the local insight, pete
Good points. It also looks like it's part of a NCN route. Typically, there's no signage to warn drivers of cyclists, just a tiny route marker. But plenty of signage to tell cyclists to dismount at the pedestrianised street on the right.
https://goo.gl/maps/mKt2bjFfKKSDGKZi7
That's not a near miss, it's a collision.
If you're judgement is that bad behind the wheel, maybe stick to the bus.
It's a near miss with the tarmac...
Particularly given it was also wet!
or maybe it's leisure drivers creating traffic chaos on their way to a classic car rally getting in the way of a farmer doing his essential tank moving work.
Have you posted the correct url? This one links to a video of a clearly insane person wandering about in the road, holding up traffic and being verbally abusive to other road users which we know is something you don't tolerate.
indeed, lots of swearing, assault and obstruction of the highway.
Perfect example of "whataboutery". Thanks, Nige
Posted to wrong person in error.
Priceless, I nearly didn't watch that clip. Is that man drunk? Standing "in the middle of the road" shouting about how he thinks the Edge line is a cycle path?
I thought you were all for banning group rides of above 4. Did I get that wrong?
Out of interest, I know some people that will ride to the left of these lines (when there is space) but as they technically mark the edge of the carriageway I never do. What does the group think?
Very rare in the UK for there to be enough space for that to be safe, but in other countries where a shoulder is more common then yep, I would ride there if it looks like this:
https://goo.gl/maps/3cqcVJasf6jd6fUv8
Oh yeah definitely! As you know I was thinking more of stretches of the A509. I avoid cycling towards Wellingborough (too dangerous and I commute through Grendon anyway) but I do see some cyclists treating it like a cycle lane. Going the other way I stay out of it but may drop into it if I'm turning left at the Emberton crossroads.
I generally use the cycle path if going uphill on the 509 or go through Emberton. It's a horribly busy road at times and like you I do try and avoid it at all costs, especially as you get quite a lot of HGV traffic (even though they are encouraged to use the motorway).
One thing that has just occurred to me, is if you are to the left of the white line are you considered to not be on the carriageway? If so, does that mean a car can legally overtake a bicycle to the left of the line, as the no-overtaking signs only apply to vehicles on the carriageway?!
Good point. Probably not illegal. It's a moot point though because there won't be any enforcement regardless. I've seen cyclists on this stretch (Bozeat Bypass) riding to the left of the line. At least the bit you were talking about is 40mph in a 60 it's absolutely no go. A509 https://maps.app.goo.gl/rhGF9TqEeXv46nxaA
If I had to ride that stretch of the 509, then I would ride out in the carriageway, but move over to the shoulder at the last second if it looked like I was going to get close passed (I watch all overtakes in a mirror!). Looking at my heatmap, I don't think I have ever cycled down there and I don't intend to either!
There are a few specific roads where I'll do this, because I know that there's a reasonable, continuous, generally crap-free area, and it's preferable to sharing with fast busy motor traffic. In general I wouldn't, though, because even when a stretch loooks inviting, the chances of coming across a load of detritus, or the space suddenly coming to an end, forcing you to merge with the traffic at short notice is too high.
I would have thought it a really bad idea. Roads like that around me don't get swept often, and also tend to get substantial debris on those edges. I've stopped at times and moved lumps of metal, a big padlock once and tools that probably fell off pick ups , out of the edge of the carriageway.
Additionally, if you happen upon a pothole, you could be stuck with no room to avoid it.
Thinking on past experience, add to pot holes collapsed drains at the edge. I think I read a while back of one area where drain grates were deliberately being removed too? Dread to think what would happen if you hit one of them.
The main reason I don't is because (a bit like painted cycle lanes) drivers still don't give you enough room. Once had a double decker bus pass me at speed when I was in one. The drag off one of those....well it's check your bib shorts time.
True, just gives the impression the carriageway is free. The painted cycle lanes near me seem to just be an excuse to not sweep the roads at all and are treated like an extended gutter by the council.
Not normally but there is 2 miles of it heading south on the A4074 Reading-Oxford Road from the Waterside Cafe at Benson which is a notorious twat road - so I do there.
Not a habitual road but useful if you have taken a bit too long eating one of the Watersides yummy bacon or sausage sarnies.....
Given you a like to pass on to the Waterside.
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