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news
Near Miss of the Day 410: Driver overtakes cyclist into path of approaching car, forcing motorist to swerve
Today’s video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows a type of manoeuvre that unfortunately features all too often here – a driver so impatient to overtake that they not only put a cyclist in danger by passing too closely, but also the occupants of an oncoming vehicle, with an approaching motorist here forced to swerve to avoid a collision.
It was filmed in Poole, Dorset, and Dave, the road.cc reader who sent the clip in, said: “Don’t do this, please.
“Hang back, go if there’s room and nothing is coming the other way.
“If you can't pass with space, don’t put the people coming the other way at risk and force them over, wait until we get to a wider part of the road.”
Rule 163 of the Highway Code tells drivers to “Give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car,” while Rule 167 says “DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users,” with one of the examples given being, “when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down.”
> 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.
Latest Comments
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Reality - We allow PSPO's to be enforced by private companies on commission basis....
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If that's their bag...
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Based on my experience with the Hunt wheels, I might do a review on their durability in three or four years.
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24 comments
I really hope these vids are from commuting. I'm lucky in that I can escape 'urban land' for quieter lanes and roads (which I will prioritise) but if I was on these types of roads for a leisure/fitness ride it would do my head in.
I'm the same, for all I live in a large town I can be on rural roads within 5 minutes and that is where I choose to ride, as do most of my clubmates. There are a couple of guys in the club though who seem to choose to ride in the opposite direction and will go on a 40-50 mile loop virually all on urban roads, I don't get it - are they after an adrenaline rush or an arguement
Hmm, only just worthy of an upload IMO. poor overtake for sure but see more ridiculous driving on every other ride here in Australia.
have to say we have some of the worst, most careless, most aggressive and distracted drivers you could ever believe here in Australia but from the videos on this site it just appears to be awful for cyclists in the UK. maybe it's just that you have 3 x our population so 3 x the twats?
Yeah, this was a silly pass but from the cyclists POV it wasn't close. Here in Australia, passing into oncoming traffic is what I call EDD, every damn day. Except it happens where there's no shoulder for the oncoming car to move into and the closeness to the rider is sphincter tightening. If you are riding a bike, they just have to pass you and commonsense doesn't apply. I had a close call last week in those circumstances, checking Wahoo data afterward I was doing 61.5kmh in a 60 zone. MGIF make me
Brow of the (small) hill so maybe they didn't see the car coming.
Get a HELMET MIRROR and you'll be able to see them coming, put your arm out to motion to them to hang back.
It works for me
For real? What point are you making re brow of a hill?
HC 162
Before overtaking you should make sure:
the road is sufficiently clear ahead
road users are not beginning to overtake you
there is a suitable gap in front of the road user you plan to overtake
Your ears tell you they are there, but it would be a lucky glance that told you they were committing to an overtake.
I'd love to know what it is you're doing with your right hand that is strong enough to counter MGIF.
A few years ago, on a dull day, I was flogging up a long hill on a narrow country road, approaching the top when I heard an engine behind me. The road bent sharply right at the top, and as I approached, I saw headlights reflected in the hedge, so there was a vehicle coming towards me.
I did exactly as you suggested, put my arm out to signal the vehicle behind me not to overtake, but the driver ignored it, resulting in a collision which wrote off at least one of the vehicles; fortunately no-one was injured. And yes, the following vehicle was a white van.
I too find it rare that drivers are prepared to wait if you hand signal. If they're doing more than 25mph (40kmh) then the probability of them waiting drops to near zero.
Yesterday I was slogging slowly up a narrow country lane with a mobile home up my arse reving away (why would anyone be out in a mobile home now anyway?). After about 400 yards of several passing areas, I waved him past at the next one but instead of passing me he slowly crept level with me and then forced me into the gutter as the road narrowed. I don't think it was deliberate, his van just didn't have the power to pass me but he wasn't going to give up. Last time I wave anyone through.
When I'm driving, I am painfully aware that my car doesn't have the power to overtake within a small/short gap. So I more than happy to just sit and wait until a larger/safer gap opens up. I suspect I may be in a minority there...
Brow of a hill, I can't see whats ahead so I wont move overr to the other side of the road yet, instead I'll wait patiently until it is safe for me to overtake
It works for me
I never really understood of near miss of the day . What's the point .
It's gives car drivers an opportunity to ask why roadcc posts "near miss of the day" and then criticise the cyclist for riding too far left, not far enough right, not being aware of the car behind you intending to turn left into you or not being aware of the car coming toward you intending to turn across your path.
They also have an opportunity to say possessing a camera is a sign of an aggressive cyclist just out "to get" mainly blameless car drivers.
"otherwise law-abiding" motorists.
They don't have to be law abiding to be regarded as blameless. As any cyclist who have reported an illegality by a driver to the police knows.
Totally agree. It just makes me anxious. Maybe if it was its own public-facing thing, like a Twitter account or something it might have some educative value...
Almost fell off today after my encounter with a range rover. 40 approaching a 60 waiting to overtake....
They held back for a better view, then did an impeccable overtake. I was so shocked I almost lost control !!
Has the footage been passed on to the Police. I certainly hope so.
thanks simon. I'm not sure why they chose that exact moment. They'd been behind me for maybe 15 seconds, so bit of a weird time to go for a pass. Couple more seconds and the route would have been clear. To the other commenter. I don't think that bus lane on the other side is ever open to cars. But not 100 percent certain.
You are right, cars are never allowed in that bus lane.
I've had drivers wait behind me for a good period of time on the wide bit of a dead straight road. One blind bend comes up and or the road narrows they choose to overtake. A second later its wide and straight again
This is unbelievable, for weeks during lockdown, we have had no NMOTD, as soon as the lockdown is eased and businesses are opening, here we go again. I had hoped that people would change for the better. Obviously no chance, they have just gone straight back to being fuckwits
its always difficult to judge as Im never sure if Im encountering a truly random selection of people on my rides, or I just happen to hit the wrong patch of them, but certainly this last week Ive encountered more than my normal quota of total nutcases on the roads, which is a shame as Id been enjoying riding with minimal angst of late on quieter roads
Well, at least they gave the cyclist clear room, and didn't do what many do instinctively in that situation - take "avoiding action" at the cost of the cyclist.
It would be interesting to know whether the bus lane was in operation at the time. Drivers have a habit of respecting them most assiduously when it costs them nothing - the roads are empty anyway - which coincidentally is generally when they are out of operation.