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Video: Cyclist films moment driver pulled out right in front of him - but says police won't watch footage

Cycling UK says footage depicts “one of the worst close pass videos” it has ever seen and calls on police to act

Police in Derbyshire have told a cyclist who was the victim of what the charity Cycling UK calls “one of the worse close pass videos” it has seen that they will not be investigating the incident – having apparently refused to even watch the footage at first.

Cyclist Luke Smith was riding through the Bowshaw Roundabout at Dronfield, just south of Sheffield, last Wednesday when a driver cut in front of him at speed, missing him by a matter of centimetres.

But he said that when he passed the footage to Derbyshire Constabulary, they declined to take action, despite not even having watched the footage.

He went on: “They said if I wanted something done I would have to find and contact witnesses even though there are 4 or 5 visible plates in the video.

“The police said if it had hit me they would have done something. If it had hit me it would have killed me.”

He added that he had raised a complaint with police but was again told they would not take action

He posted another video showing the driver of an articulated lorry pulling out on him on Monday at the same location.

Duncan Dollimore, senior road safety officer at Cycling UK, said: “Derbyshire Constulary told us in April that they didn’t intend to replicate the West Midlands Police close pass operation.

“They claimed they didn’t suffer from a high number of collisions from drivers ‘travelling too close’ to cyclists, something they suggested was a contributing factor in only two collisions in the previous four months.

“They appear to be working on the basis that if there’s no collision there’s no problem, and therefore no need to do anything.”

 Speaking about Mr Smith’s experience, he continued: “The video of the vehicle overtaking Luke shows a close pass at speed, cutting across his path and putting him in obvious danger.

“If Derbyshire Police told Luke they wouldn’t be able to do anything because he hadn’t been hit there’s an obvious training need which needs to be addressed, because they’re wrong.

“If they initially refused to view the video there’s a police service issue to consider. If, having finally viewed the video, a sergeant concluded that the driver’s conduct did not even merit a discussion, let alone prosecution, that sergeant has no business dealing with any road traffic complaints or investigations.

“The failures in this case are that serious, and we will be writing to Derbyshire Police to point that out and to ask the Chief Constable this question: if that was a member of your family on a bike and they were passed in that manner, would you accept the explanation that there was no injury so no problem, and nothing to be done, because that’s the response Luke appears to have received.”

 He added: “This is one of the worst close pass videos we have seen at Cycling UK, and the apparent explanation amongst the most inadequate and unacceptable.

“This video suggests that notwithstanding their previous assertions, Derbyshire Police do have a close pass problem, but unlike other forces they just haven’t recognised it yet.”

 Regarding the rollout of the close pass mats it bought following a crowdfunding campaign, Dollimore said: “Forces with Cycling UK close pass mats already are Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, West Midlands, North Yorkshire, PSNI, all four Welsh forces -  more mats being delivered every day.”

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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35 comments

Avatar
arowland | 7 years ago
0 likes

Anyone know where this is? It looks to me as if there are two lanes leading onto that dual carriageway. That needs to be reduced to one as a matter of urgency. The car driver was clearly trying to be clever by overtaking in the second lane and get across into the outside lane of the dual carriageway. Moving rather fast and looking further back than where the cyclist was to see if there was a 'gap' in both lanes. Probably never saw the cyclist because he was closer than he was looking. Not excusing the driver, but the issue needs to be designed out.

The whole junction design looks rather worrying. The cyclist had to cross two lanes of traffic at the beginning of the clip just to get onto that right-turn bit.

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biketime | 7 years ago
1 like

Nothing new with the semi video, at least here in the States.

The car video is indeed scary. Had a similar experience in April. Turning left (a UK right) from a 55 mph two laner onto a bike trail, doing the hi-viz gloved turn signal, now leaning into the turn and the driver mises me "by that much".   

Midlessness and stupidity in this context is an international disease.

This is leaving out the opiate crisis in the US, especially in the Ohio River Valley area where I am. Within a year, while riding on the 5' wide shoulder of a popular and lovely route along the Ohio,  have been killed by heroin and pilled up people begind the wheel of their car. As you guys would say, "crikey!"     

 

 

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alansmurphy | 7 years ago
6 likes

Imagine if the Police didn't have to sift through these in bulk, you know, some point in the future, by actually doing their job now and the punsihments being increasingly severe thus preventing the caged millions thinking this is acceptable...

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monkeytrousers | 7 years ago
4 likes

Imagine if I had a gun and fired it in your direction, but missed you by a foot.

Do you think the police would want to have a chat with me then?

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kitsunegari | 7 years ago
9 likes

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

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drosco replied to kitsunegari | 7 years ago
0 likes
kitsunegari wrote:

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

 

I don't think that's the case, I guess they're just overworked. 

 

Does anyone have stats on how many videos of incidents they receive? I'd be interested to know. At the end of the day, everyone has a different interpretation of how serious an incident. I've seen things posted which to me are just day to day incidents, while to the poster are near life threatening events. Imagine being a police officer having to sift through these in bulk.

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ChrisB200SX replied to drosco | 7 years ago
7 likes
drosco wrote:
kitsunegari wrote:

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

I don't think that's the case, I guess they're just overworked.

Hmm, I don't agree, having been on the receiving end of two examples of dangerous driving, the latter put me in hospital where I lost an organ... the Police "investigation" said the cause of the RTC was "cyclist error", I was minding my own business in a mandatory cycle lane when a taxi smashed into me from behind (~40mph impact).

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Grahamd replied to ChrisB200SX | 7 years ago
2 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:
drosco wrote:
kitsunegari wrote:

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

I don't think that's the case, I guess they're just overworked.

Hmm, I don't agree, having been on the receiving end of two examples of dangerous driving, the latter put me in hospital where I lost an organ... the Police "investigation" said the cause of the RTC was "cyclist error", I was minding my own business in a mandatory cycle lane when a taxi smashed into me from behind (~40mph impact).

I only narrowly avoided being under the wheels of a skip lorry last year. He pulled out of a juntion across me and only stopped when my front wheel was hit by his bumper. To the credit of passers by and other motorists, all were concerned and berated the driver whilst I composed myself. The police turned up and simply wanted the road opened!

FWIW another cyclist was hospitalised at the same junction, and due to the severity of his injuries will never ride again. Yet despite this no police record, as the insurers were settling it apparently.

Can't help but wonder if the police had investigated one could it have saved another.

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brooksby replied to Grahamd | 7 years ago
0 likes
Grahamd wrote:
ChrisB200SX wrote:
drosco wrote:
kitsunegari wrote:

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

I don't think that's the case, I guess they're just overworked.

Hmm, I don't agree, having been on the receiving end of two examples of dangerous driving, the latter put me in hospital where I lost an organ... the Police "investigation" said the cause of the RTC was "cyclist error", I was minding my own business in a mandatory cycle lane when a taxi smashed into me from behind (~40mph impact).

I only narrowly avoided being under the wheels of a skip lorry last year. He pulled out of a juntion across me and only stopped when my front wheel was hit by his bumper. To the credit of passers by and other motorists, all were concerned and berated the driver whilst I composed myself. The police turned up and simply wanted the road opened!

FWIW another cyclist was hospitalised at the same junction, and due to the severity of his injuries will never ride again. Yet despite this no police record, as the insurers were settling it apparently.

Can't help but wonder if the police had investigated one could it have saved another.

I think there are some places which are worse than others, too.  There's a particular mini roundabout on my commute (by Christ Church in Clifton, Bristol)  and I reckon twice per week I have to brake rather than run into the side of the car the driver of which has decided to pull out in front of me rather than wait until I've crossed in front of them.

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BikeJon replied to drosco | 7 years ago
1 like
drosco wrote:
kitsunegari wrote:

The police are institutionally anti-cyclist.

This needs to change.

 

I don't think that's the case, I guess they're just overworked. 

 

Does anyone have stats on how many videos of incidents they receive? I'd be interested to know. At the end of the day, everyone has a different interpretation of how serious an incident. I've seen things posted which to me are just day to day incidents, while to the poster are near life threatening events. Imagine being a police officer having to sift through these in bulk.

Sad to say it but you do have a point. It's really hard to get cases to a prosecution standard (I believe). The camera evidence has to be forensically examined to prove it's not been tampered with. Loads of paperwork and interviews etc. It has to be water-tight to secure a conviction. 

My recent story (nothing like as bad as this one) was investigated eventually. They located the driver and she was in floods of tears and shocked by what she'd done. I told the police to leave it there due to her remorse. 

But the tosser in this video needs the book thrown at him!

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KevM | 7 years ago
7 likes

If you move this video frame by frame the second lane is completely out of shot before the car appears. Keep in mind that there is a white car in the first lane that was just edging forward after the car in front of it had safely pulled out. The offending car must have overtaken the white car, cut him up and almost taken out the cyclist in one manouveur, at high speed. There was clearly calculation and planning involved as it would be impossible to make this move without.
This driver should be a poster child for how not to drive and the police should make an example.

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jh27 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Playing devil's advocate for a minute... The video doesn't show the driver of the car doing anything, because the driver is not identifiable. There are certain offences where the registered keeper liable regardless of who was actually driving. There are other offences where the registered keeper is required to identify the driver. Does dangerous driving fit into either of these categories? (It probably should be in the second, but I suspect it is in neither).

Does that excuse the police not investigating it? The driving is clearly exceptionally and deliberately dangerous, it would not be surprising if someone were killed, so is it really any different from attempted murder?

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ChrisB200SX replied to jh27 | 7 years ago
3 likes
jh27 wrote:

The video doesn't show the driver of the car doing anything

The car wasn't driving itself. Or, are you suggesting the video didn't prove the car was being driven?

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BehindTheBikesheds | 7 years ago
2 likes

Put one of the officers on a bike and then get in a car and drive at them in the way the criminal in this video did. nothing to see here officer eh?

The inacttion by the police is in direct conflict to their oath/attestation when they become police officers. Suggest if they can't stick to their oath they hand their warrant card in and do one as they are simply not fit for purpose and deliberately break their oath each and every time they refuse to uphold the law.

Maybe they might think their oath means nothing but to my mind and many others it is everything about having integrity.

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srchar | 7 years ago
5 likes

I don't really understand the police's position.  This is video footage showing an open and shut case of, at minimum, careless driving.  They have the registration number and a clear enough image to identify the sex and hair colour of the perpetrator. But they refused to do anything.

Yet when Katie Hopkins or some other rent-a-gob tweets something that might possibly offend someone who has deliberately sought out said tweet, they're all over it.

Fucking idiots need to get their priorities right.

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Ad Hynkel | 7 years ago
2 likes

That truck looks like foreign plates, and not Irish either, so left hand drive. Viewing it a few times I can't see the driver... So if the driver can't be seen from the cameras point of view, the driver doesn't see the camera, that's attached to the bike that has the soft and easily breakable human being on it. Makes big roundabouts like that even more dangerous with a left hand drive truck waiting to enter.

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Yorkshie Whippet | 7 years ago
4 likes

How can the car be a close pass? They've come out of the junction at speed and cut straight across into the overtake lane.

As for the HGV, it stopped and started rolling deliberately to stop the cyclist. Failure to obay the signs, i.e. giveaway. Failure to give way to traffic with priority. Deliberate obstruction of traffic.........

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pockstone | 7 years ago
3 likes

PS this is not a 'close pass'. It is dangerous driving of a massively higher order!

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pockstone | 7 years ago
3 likes

'Because they've had their numbers and budget cut and haven't got time to p1ss around watching silly videos of things that didn't actually damage anyone.'

So...do the police need a 'culture change' (after all, they are supposed to have a culture of upholding the law and protecting the public) or do they just need an increase in funding and resources to allow them to do their job? The culture change in drivers willonly come when fuckers like this get prosecuted...and hard!

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P3t3 | 7 years ago
1 like
Bobbinogs wrote:
PaulBox wrote:

I generally think the police do a very difficult job quite well. But incidents like this keep knocking them down.

Why the hell would you fob someone off without even watching the video? 

 

...because a lot of them are car drivers who really don't see a problem.  It is the same with a lot of juries which are made up of Joe Puplic, but the greater part of the population have not ridden a bike for so long that they have no idea what it is like to be riding a bike and be faced with some of the driving out there.  They just see driving a car as a basic human right, rather than a priviledge to be respected.  A lot of bad driving is just that, no malicious intent...then again, there is a significant minority of drivers who seem determined to teach cyclists a lesson (as in, "feck off my road").

Because they've had their numbers and budget cut and haven't got time to p1ss around watching silly videos of things that didn't actually damage anyone.

I totally sympathise with the cyclist, I've had similar happen to me and it's horrible. Like any smidsy it's almost impossible to get your head around how it happened. We shouldn't have to deal with this stuff. But in answer to the question"why didn't they bother? '... It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work it out... Dealing with this stuff requires a culture change both in the police and driving public.
We are seeing some positive steps but don't hold your breath for a long-term change once the guys pushing the close passes stuff move on to other jobs or get instruction​to back off. I'm hopeful but cynical....

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Metaphor | 7 years ago
5 likes

Institutionally anti-cyclist?

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Bikebikebike | 7 years ago
2 likes

I think I actually shat myself a bit when that car appeared on screen.

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PaulBox | 7 years ago
0 likes

I generally think the police do a very difficult job quite well. But incidents like this keep knocking them down.

Why the hell would you fob someone off without even watching the video? 

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bobbinogs replied to PaulBox | 7 years ago
11 likes
PaulBox wrote:

I generally think the police do a very difficult job quite well. But incidents like this keep knocking them down.

Why the hell would you fob someone off without even watching the video? 

 

...because a lot of them are car drivers who really don't see a problem.  It is the same with a lot of juries which are made up of Joe Puplic, but the greater part of the population have not ridden a bike for so long that they have no idea what it is like to be riding a bike and be faced with some of the driving out there.  They just see driving a car as a basic human right, rather than a priviledge to be respected.  A lot of bad driving is just that, no malicious intent...then again, there is a significant minority of drivers who seem determined to teach cyclists a lesson (as in, "feck off my road").

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Grumpy17 | 7 years ago
6 likes

The footage is evidence enough of this motorist driving without due care and attention at the very least.

Message to Derbyshire police-You are clearly struggling here all you need to do is get the registered keeper of the car in for interview and take it from there- it's not hard, is it?

Most of the hard work-getting the evidence of the bad driving - has already been done for you.

And to the Sergeant in Professional Standards- stop fobbing off and alienating decent members of society (most cyclists) with your couldn't care less attitude.

Oh, and try doing a bit of cycling yourself- you could do with losing a bit of weight.

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bendertherobot | 7 years ago
0 likes

Is this story up to date?

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ironmancole | 7 years ago
10 likes

Go swing a baseball bat next to a policemans head and then argue no harm done as you didn't hit them...see how well that goes down.

Perhaps we, as a group, should start a peaceful protest doing just that to make a point?! No injury caused then no reason to prosecute, works for motorists after all.

If the driver had done that on their test they would have failed...a simple way to determine if an action was unacceptable I think.

Absolutely an example of dangerous driving, no reason at all not to refer to CPS.

As ever use a car and anything goes. The police here are clearly failing to safeguard the wellbeing of the public, one of the key principles and primary reasons for their existence. Dereliction of duty...if that same driver goes on to maim or kill then the police should be charged with something similar to corporate manslaughter for failing to act and preventing the driver from causing harm to others.

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Grahamd replied to ironmancole | 7 years ago
1 like
ironmancole wrote:

Go swing a baseball bat next to a policemans head and then argue no harm done as you didn't hit them...see how well that goes down.

I don't think a baseball bat is a good analogy, wrecking ball is more comparative.

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ChrisB200SX | 7 years ago
1 like

Fook, I assumethe rider actually saw that coming as it wasn't on-screen, presuming so, had he not anticipated... Derbyshire Police would definitely have a lot of investigating to do!

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Kendalred | 7 years ago
12 likes

Tweet from cyclist in question, 17hrs ago - "The Seargent called me at 5pm after viewing the video with a very different tone and is now investigating it"

So at least now it's being investigated - shame it took so much negative (Twitter) publicity to force this.

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