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news
Near Miss of the Day 922: Double trouble as cyclist gets close passed TWICE within the space of a few minutes — first by lorry driver and then by pick-up driver
There are certain times when you’re simply faced with rotten luck. As a cyclist on British roads, that can mean a host of different things, but coming across a driver who’s willing to close pass you to make up a couple of seconds (which is more often than not, arguable) is definitely one of those. But what do you do when you’re on the receiving end of not one, but two back-to-back close passes within the space of minutes?
The cyclist, who has wished to stay anonymous but you might know them by their road.cc username, ooblyboo, was riding in Cheriton near Folkestone, Kent on Saturday 15 February when a lorry driver and a pick-up driver pulled two close passes.
“The first was a Romanian lorry driver who close passed and honked me, presumably because he thought I should be in the left only lane heading into the Eurotunnel,” he told us. “I have been hit by a car from behind before so jumped out of my skin and veered left.”
“The second was a couple of minutes later in Cheriton when a pick-up driver decided he didn't want to wait for me to get through the traffic island before passing. Doubtless, at least one person will note in the comments that I should have been primary, which I probably should have.”
They added: “In any case, I very much doubt the police will bother even looking at a close pass involving Romanian plates, so I have not submitted either clip.”
We have come across similar instances of “cheat code”, where the driver gets away scot-free because the vehicle is registered in a foreign country.
In 2023, we featured a close pass in our Near Miss of the Day series, in which an HGV driver decided to pass so fast and so close to the cyclist that she was forced off the road, however since the lorry was registered in the Netherlands, the police “couldn’t do anything”.
In the same year, cyclist and road.cc reader Rendel Harris also submitted a near miss footage of a 4x4 driver dangerously overtaking on the wrong side, forcing him to dive to one side and stop against the parked cars to the Met. However, four months later, the Met police informed Harris: “Our enquiries have resulted in a driver residing abroad, therefore we have had no option but to close this case.”
> 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
Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after completing his masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Cymru, and also likes to write about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.
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Correct. But it was a brilliant opportunity to showcase his picture.
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I'm pretty sure they were reviewing previous complaints the little onion had submitted to the police, not social media. But your point stands.
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- Oldfatgit 3 hours 50 min ago
Brexit is also why a lot of EU police forces issue on the spot fines.
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16 comments
You should also report the car blocking the pavement and parked on double yellow lines.
Sadly the police aren't usually interested in this. Double yellows are usually a civil enforcement issue, and pavement parking only of interest if the way is blocked. I agree this is not very friendly to users of wheelchairs or double buggies, but unfortunatelky can't see the police taking any action.
Absolutely. Even in places with efficient parking enforcement or - like London and now Edinburgh - where they have decided it's not legally on - you'd probably be unlucky to get much trouble for this.
And just look at the space that people driving have, vs. the space they think is fine to leave for those not in a vehicle. (Ignoring they shouldn't be there in the first place - double yellows seem to be seen in practice - including in Edinburgh - as more of a suggestion that you shouldn't park for too long...)
This is the reply I got when I reported a van completely blocking a cycle path.
As far as I can tell there is no way of reporting blocking a cycle lane. You can let the local council know and they will sometimes send someone to check if there are multiple reports but they can only act if they actually witness the offence. Obviously a ridiculous situation but there we are.
Submit the footage anyway.
Horrible and no real way to avoid it.
Poor road design for cyclists, impatient, entitled drivers: great mixture with inevitable results.
Glad you're ok.
If you report the drivers then the police may do nothing. If you don't report the drivers the police will definitely do nothing.
Yeah, if nothing else it will add to a statistic somewhere. Either damning in their lack of action or contributing towards needing more resources for the obvious dangers on our roads.
I thought there was a cross-border arrangement where UK drivers in the EU can be traced, and vice versa - but I'm not 100% sure.
The obligation for the UK to provide EU nations with vehicle data for offences committed in their countries and vice versa was revoked in 2000 as part of Brexit. UK drivers can no longer be fined by post for "minor" traffic offences such as speeding and vice versa. I had direct experience of this when this driver (below) overtook at high speed straight into my face as I descended a hill; the police originally sent an NIP but when they found that the driver was an EU resident they dropped it. I don't know the exact details but I think it's pretty much if you haven't wounded or killed anyone you won't be pursued via camera evidence (on-the-spot fines still apply, I think).
Brexit is also why a lot of EU police forces issue on the spot fines.
if theres splitter islands never leave primary
Drivers that I expect to be absolute cunts on the road:
Pickup drivers - swear its rare they don't intentionally pass you closer than necessary even when the road is completely clear. Certain type of person in the UK buys a pickup instead of a van.
Those open bed scrap metal dealer type lorries - absolute menaces to everyone on the roads. Guaranteed to completely ignore speed limits especially 20s in residential areas.
That lorry driver was taking no prisoners and I'd have reported the pickup.
I'd have probably reported the pick up too, but it's Kent police who really aren't that interested in road crime. Last time I submitted, albeit a year or so ago now, they weren't even taking video - just a description of the incedent with a promise to request video if they thought it should go further.