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news
road.cc newsCambridgeshire cyclist films driver threatening him – but police say they can’t do anything
A cyclist in Cambridgeshire who submitted footage to police of a motorist threatening to knock him off his bike has been told that they cannot take action against the driver. The rider said that he had encountered the driver twice before, and that the latest incident has left him afraid to cycle in the area.
Cambridgeshire Live, which has video of the exchange between the driver and the 47-year-old cyclist, reports that the incident happened at approximately 7.25am last Friday 21 December on Barton Road in Barton, which lies just to the west of Cambridge.
The motorist told the rider to get off the road and onto the cycle path but when the cyclist replied that the driver could not make him to that, the latter said: "Next time I'll knock you off the road."
The cyclist, who asked for anonymity, reported the incident to the police, but they told him they could not do anything.
He told Cambridgeshire Live: "There's a road and a cycle path on the side, and on this occasion the driver started beeping me from behind as he pulled alongside me.
"He told me to get off the road and use the cycle path.
"The driver carried on into the village and pulled into the side of the road at Barton – so I pulled over next to him and asked why he shouted at me."
He said that he had encountered the driver twice before.
"I recognised the man as someone who has done it previously on two other occasions,” he explained.
"It's incredibly stressful. Even reporting it to police. It's very traumatic looking at the footage again.
"He's made a threat. I've got no idea what the guy is capable of.
"Now I'm even more nervous to make the same trip," he added.
The newspaper said it had contacted Cambridgeshire Constabulary for a comment but had not yet received a reply.
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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15 comments
I fail to see how this isn't at least a public order offence, which would warrant investigation.
I note that the police haven't yet responded to requests for a comment, probably because it's Christmas, but I would hope there's a valid reason for them sitting on their hands on this one.
It is, in fact it's an assault, but as we know plod are a fucking waste of time when it comes to defending the rights of people when they choose not to bother. Deliberately breaching their worn oaths/attestation should see every one of them removed as a constable, they're an utter disgrace.
This shit is grinding my gears. On this side of things police are claiming they can't do anything about anything in the REAL world.
Meanwhile online, call someone a queer or merely insult them (as some police forces have been pushing) and it's time for hate crime squad to go into action. Willing to tear a house apart for a bad taste Grenfell video.
Lazy bastards.
Time to raise a complaint with the police.
Video evidence of threatening behaviour on the road should get a warning letter at the very least, so make a complaint and appeal it if they still do nothing (complaints are something that they're measured on, so it should liven them up a bit).
May be the cyclist should consider submitting a form V888 to the DVLA to obtain the vehicle's owner, and therefore most likely driver, details. He'll then simply needs to visit to confirm the owner was the driver and then he can start his own private prosecution for threaten behaviour.
Police can not be relied on this days to do anything. Whether it is austerity or, as I suspect, they couldn't give a fuck only they will know; but at least there is still legal options available.
Too risky; there’s a good chance that it ends up in front of magistrates, who think "we’ll, if there had been any actual crime the Police/CPS would have done something about it. Case dismissed."
The answer I’m holding in my back pocket is an application to the County Court for an injunction (or "restraining order" in popular parlance). Which, when based upon video evidence, is almost bound to succeed, is almost certain to be cheaper, and is almost certain to see the defendant ordered to pay your costs of bringing the claim. He might never pay them, and it might be a somewhat hollow victory, but the costs order can be registered like a CCJ to affect their credit rating. Overall, much more useful than a tricky private prosecution.
This sounded too good to be true, so I did a tiny bit of research and it might not be quite as simple as implied "In the UK, restraining orders can only be issued during criminal proceedings, so in order to get a restraining order against someone, you must take that person to court first." Since the police have declined to prosecute, it looks like you might have to go for private prosecution anyway, and the chances of that succeeding are very low, but the restraining order can be imposed even if the defendant is found not guilty, so it could work, but you can't just apply to the court for a restraining order.
This might be an avenue to explore, but until someone's tried it, it remains unproven. If you've really got one in your back pocket and it is against a driver to restrain them from harrassing you as a cyclist, please let us know.
I tend to just tell these motorists to get off the road and use a motor way, after all we’ve spent millions of £ on them. They just look at you all confused, it really takes the wind out of their argument.
Police not acting on a threat of serious violence by a motorist. Not surprised, if hit had been a knife rather than 2 tons of car they’d be more interested, despite the fact that cars are far more deadly than a knife
Ask them if next time you see a PCSO on the street and you use the same kimd of threatening language will they have the same pathetic response?
Alternatively just carry a hammer.
Looking at the cycle path, it looks like a single width pavement which has been converted to 'shared pavement', by having blue permission signs and a broken white lane painted on each side of it.
I am sure it will be suitable for some cyclists, but sharing a narrow path, which crosses multiple driveways does not make a good alternative to the road. We would be better off without.
The environs of Cambridge are plagued by motorists who have been sitting frustrated in traffic jams in the city centre, watching dozens of cyclists whizz past them, and so consider the roads out of town, where they can finally get up some speed, to be "their" territory.
I think you'll find that is a UK-wide phenomenon, not just around Cambridge.
I wish I hadn't read the comments on Cambridge live.
Go back and reply to every dodgy comment with one word : Gammon.
Uppercase and add an exclamation mark if you wanna add variety...but don't respond or otherwise reply to these people, they don't troll their hatred on random websites because they are open minded.
But they don't like being called gammon so just do that until they explode.
Some of the gammons have learned to type; are they evolving?
Whatever, it's the usual mix of blaming the cyclist for daring to ride legally on the road and excusing the driver for threatening the cyclist, then going on to the usual "we pay road tax" "you break the law all the time" "you don't wear helmet" etc, etc. A few amusing posts, but a startling number who think that the driver was fully justified.
We need this government review of road law now.