VIDEO: Cyclist posts HGV close-pass helmet cam footage to show driver 'he could have been killed'

My experiences are that a minority give you room in line with the highway code and just out of simple respect for life.

The majority adopt a 'any landing you can walk away from alive is a good landing' type attitude no doubt borne from a mix of 'You're in my way/you don't pay road tax /I resent that you're fit and I've got man boobs/I can kill you and cry accident and it'll cost me £60' type attitude.

A minority plainly get off on playing killer games with your life, again knowing no-one in authority actually gives a toss.

The police should be a link between such obvious examples of devil may care driving when legitimate videos like this are presented and pass to the respective insurance companies of those involved.

Your policy represents risk. If insurers see how a policy holder actually drives day to day rather than the holier than thou presenting once a year fir renewal they would be perfectly entitled to amend the risk and the resultant premium.

Unfortunately government has made it perfectly clear that it considers the lives of those trying to help it achieve carbon reductions in the environment, reduce obesity related disease, improve work productivity, reduce road repair costs etc etc are less important than infringing on the so called rights of the motorist to inflict widespread death, injury and all manner of economic and environmental harm with total impunity at all and any cost.

The only way things will improve is if the dangerous and indifferent motorists amongst us are priced out of their cars by insurers no longer prepared to entertain the prick in his pretend rally car exposing them to multi million pound damages claims.

Campaigning rarely works, it's always about the money and that my friends is why I'd sooner put a bonfire out with my face than entertain the notion of letting a politician believe I've bought into their little games by voting for them.

That looked fairly normal to me. Frightening, but normal.

Cycling Ireland have a new campaign:

http://www.safecyclingireland.org/

I find that it isn't generally lorry drivers (even the dreaded 8-leg tippers) that pass dangerously but buses, black cabs, Chelsea tractors and chav mobiles (small hatches with aftermarket exhaust systems). Well, inside the M25 anyway.

Rule 163 of the highway code states " give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car"

I've been in a car when my wing mirror has been taken off by a car overtaking me, I've also been hit by wing mirrors whilst out on my bike.

This highway code rule is open to interpretation in my book, its needs to be much more specific over the space that should be given.

However most people on the roads just don't know the highway code, I would bet money that more drivers would fail rather than pass the drivers theory test if they took it again, so whilst we seem to always quote the rule book, what use is quoting something that a majority don't know, yes sort out the highway code, but also sort out the fact that Mr Average doesn't know it.

It' seems to be more of a problem on A roads, I had an MPV so close the wing mirror clipped me on the arse. I really think some drivers don't see others car, bike foot ect as human once behind the wheel. The helmet cams seem to be growing in popularity and it's bringing a problem we have endured for years to light.... Good job I say

Neil 753 = good guy.
One with a good idea too. I think cameras in large vehicles is a great idea. I'm sure they could do with a few all over the wagon for their own security purposes too..
Can't be easy being a commercial driver getting hustled to be places at certain times, or else. No excuse for dangerous driving.
Everybody seems to be in an incredie hurry to get nowhere inpaticular..
The other day for instance I nearly got pinged off by a people carrier full of a family of all ages, the wing mirror can't of been much more than a ft-18 inches from my head.
50 metres later with a massive sign in full view they do a left into a garden centre, cutting me up in the process.
What in that garden centre would of changed in th 5 seconds they may of saved??

Crazy pass by the lorry driver, he should get a ban for that (a long ban)
However......... I know I might be at risk on this one but here goes!
The correct way to do business is to report the the police with a copy of the video in hand. Releasing the video following a police investigation and court would be the best option. Only if a company name needs establishing from a wider audience (managed by the authorities) is when a public video should be released. All of the posting video and shouting out a registration only serves to frustrate. The drivers won't care because they clearly won't follow the cycling media. Maybe we should just pass this to the authorities to produce a name and shame list from the footage collated. We should have a 3 month Sin Bin for drivers caught on camera, this would make them think that when passing a cyclist, if they are recording it could end in a 3 month removal of a licence? It could be the best message to drivers to not be that worried about gaining that seeming valuable 15 second earlier arrival at the final destination by passing a cyclist dangerously.

Rule 163 of the highway code states " give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car"

Throw the book at the lorry driver imo.
I have a Contour GPS cam on my bike and there are countless times this happens.

You winey pom. I suppose this is a cheaper way of dealing with the issue without paying for counselling and crying

That sort of thing happens to me most days, I quite enjoy the backdraft from the truck. Why do we have to live in a world of H&S whinging? Wimp.

An excellent, mature and responsible response to
totally unacceptable driving behaviour. Well done.

Too many drivers define a "safe" pass or "enough" room when overtaking a cyclist as:

I didn't knock you off did I?

What are you complaining about then?

I live in the States and the same "confusion" exists around how to drive around cyclists. Some people pass me wide. Most don't. I just don't understand how people can so willingly endanger others because where their going is so important. Would you pass that cyclist without a care if they were your loved one? The next time you see a cyclist, think of them as your own and pass wide. PLEASE?

Finally, a cyclist that also has a face. Not just a shouty, swearing bloke behind a camera, complaining every time they get passed by a vehicle.

Clever and effective!

Mr Field-Boden has shown the driver that he is not just a road user, not just a cyclist, but, that he is a human being, a person.

It would be nice to know what the lorry driver made of this post.

When you are overtaken by a large lorry, the gust of wind created almost knocks you off your bike. A video doesn't quite show this, but it is frightening as you almost get sucked in towards the lorry.

I feel sorry for the cyclist; the lorry was clearly too close. When I'm in my artic I hold back, well back, because I don't want to pressurise the cyclist. Ok, it may upset a few drivers behind me but I often get a thankyou wave from the cyclist.

Personally, I'd like to see tamper proof cameras installed in all commercial vehicles, recording not just the view from the cab but the view within the cab as well, and footage supplied to the police on request as a legal requirement. It suspect that most haulage firms (and bus companies) would recoup their costs very quickly through drivers being much more careful, saving both fuel and reducing insurance costs.

Slightly off topic... I really like his telemetry being displayed on the video.

Anyone know what software he will have used to combine the two?

there was also incoming cars from the other side of the road when the lorry overtook the cyclist. and if anybody notice it, they were forced to steer close to the kerb just to give the lorry some space. The lorry should have waited until it was totally safe for him to pass the cyclist when the other side of the road is clear.

A good effort for the cyclist to show the driver the cyclist point of view but that does not give him the feeling of being in that situation. you can not feel the sense of impending danger on a video. the lorry driver should be put in an actual bike.

I hope the driver gets the message and take it into consideration.

I think the thing most none cyclist won't understand or the driver obviously is how much suction the lorry creates as it passes at speed. I had three of these lorries do this to me today and the feeling of being sucked into the lorry is the problem, its very hard to keep on track as they pass this close at speed.
They think they are giving you plenty of room and probably don't mean to do it but they don't understand the suction they're creating.

As Stato says. The truck driver makes not only a close pass but a poorly executed overtake as he forces oncoming traffic to swerve over to the verge and possibly also brake to allow him by. It's really fortunate that Quentin wasn't sucked under the trailer as a result of this incident.