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news
Near Miss of the Day 429: Overtaking driver swerved back in so closely cyclist could see own face reflected (includes swearing)
A motorist made a close pass on a cyclist then deliberately pulled in, with the rider saying that the vehicle was so close to him that he could see his face reflected on it, in the latest video of our Near Miss of the Day series.
The incident happened near Wokingham, Berkshire on 2 June and was filmed by road.cc reader David.
He told us: "The absent minded overtake was bad enough, but the intentional swerve back to the left could have been lethal.
"I managed to just brake out of way, but the car was still so close in front that you can clearly see my reflection in the back of the car.
"I reported the incident to Thames Valley Police and they contacted me today to tell me that they had confirmed the driver’s identity and intended to prosecute," he added.
> 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
- Rendel Harris 0 sec ago
Yes...and no. Of course no bike can turn a bad climber into a good one and a heavier bike will climb just fine, but as you mention, the heaviest...
- SamSeed 3 hours 1 min ago
My 6KU, replaced everything but the front chainring over the past 5 years.
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Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
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Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
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No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
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What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
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18 comments
How on earth are we going to get more people cycling if we permit driving like this. Now, more than ever, we need to stamp this out and the police have a part to play.
I have been using video evidence to report drivers to Thames Valley Police for seven years and never once have they prosecuted a driver for a close pass unless a collision actually occurred so it is with some amazement I read they intend to prosecute this one.
This is also my experience with Thames Valley, I've been sending them videos from my commute for 12 years and not a single prosecution, lots of 'letters of advice' sent but no NIPs. This contrasts with The Met who would send out a NIP at least 50% of the time.
A NIP is a notice of intended prosecution which is sent to the registered owner in order to identify the driver. In my experience TVP do send NIPs on a regular basis but only then offer words of advice rather than prosecuting. I suspect they have sent out NIPs as a result of your video evidence but your experience of no prosecutions for careless or dangerous driving accords with mine. Hampshire Constabulary usually don't even send a NIP so justice for cyclists really is a postcode lottery. Let's hope things are finally improving as this case possibly suggests.
"Overtaking driver swerved back in so closely cyclist could see own face reflected."
That is a far more horrific incident for some of us than others.
Yet another "Chelsea Tractor", think these should only be supplied to people who actually need them rather than people who need pen1s substitures.
It's funny, but none of the Chelsea tractor manufacturers were interested in my slogan "Only got four inches? Get a 4x4!"
Very bad driving by the first car to overtake as he intended to hit the brakes to turn right imediately after the overtake. However I don't think that in any mitigates the second car as the first one starts indicating well before the second car overtakes. When he saw the car in front indicating right he should not have overtaken the cyclist. As simple as that. Not malicious but very stupid and dangerous, and sadly fairly typical of people drive big imposing cars.
Good that the cops are taking action
"(includes swearing)" Including mine.
Do we know what they are going to be prosecuted for? Anything less than dangerous driving would be a travesty.
While crap driving which deserves to be dealt with, the car in front was in some respects also to blame... If he was intending to turn right 100m down the road, why pass simply to leave right indicator on so he could come to an almost total stop and turn.
Yes the 2nd driver should have simply slowed and left space, but I suspect that he hadn't expected the guy in front to suddenly stop and turn right immediately after overtaking, and can be pretty sure thats going to be the defence he uses.
The timing is interesting. Suspect the 2nd driver felt committed to the overtake almost simultaneously at the point the first car signalled right. Not an excuse of course but I can see how it happened.
Stupidity & panic rather than malice I suspect.
agreed, but the last time I drove I found this pedal right next to the accelerator - it's called a brake pedal and pushing on it does miraculous things like slowing the vehicle down... there always choices
'There's always choices' +1
Indeed. I backed out of overtaking two cyclists recently (while driving) when an oncoming car appeared up ahead. It was very easy. Imagine the outrage from the white van behind me though.
To be fair, they may have been distracted by the anomolous fluctuations in the space-time continuum that the camera seems to have captured along that stretch of road.
Good of them to give such a clear close up of their number plate!
Great work Thames Valley Police