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Near Miss of the Day 729: ‘Must Get In Front’ driver almost left-hooks cyclist

Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's Hampshire...

Yet another driver in our Near Miss of the Day series who ‘Must Get In Front’ – also known as MGIF – of a cyclist, this time as they both turn left on the same corner, and who almost takes out the rider on the apex of the bend.

It happened last summer on Waterloo Road in Southampton, Hampshire as road.cc reader Paul was riding home from work at 6am.

“It was at the junction of Waterloo Road, Southampton UK. While it might not seem so but I did slam on the brakes and my back wheel did skid.

“It was also a lot closer than it looks because of the wide lens. To me the driver simply wanted to get to the turn before me at whatever cost.

“It was reported to the police and I was told that someone will contact me. The operator told me they put it down as dangerous driving.

“However I didn't receive any follow on call. I guess they didn't do anything.”

He added: “To me close passes is a regular occurrence.”

> 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.

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7 comments

Avatar
BigBaz | 2 years ago
1 like

Is it me, or is there a disproportionately high number of those small Mercedes driven by pricks ? I have taken an irrational dislike to them due to the number of times I have seen them speeding, tailgating or doing dangerous overtakes

Avatar
OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
3 likes

That's really crap driving and totally unnecessary too, given how quiet the road was. It's rubbish that the police don't seem to have followed it up.

Avatar
brooksby replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
2 likes

OldRidgeback wrote:

That's really crap driving and totally unnecessary too, given how quiet the road was.

Good lord, sir - you mean you expected them to slow down a little?  Good grief, it was only a cyclist!

/sarcasm=off

Avatar
Safety | 2 years ago
5 likes

Not sure what's more frustrating, a police force ignoring perfect evidence of dangerous driving or where Police Scotland have done their best to prevent these crimes from being reported on the first place.
Neither stands up well to any type of scrutiny.

Avatar
TheBillder replied to Safety | 2 years ago
3 likes
Safety wrote:

Not sure what's more frustrating, a police force ignoring perfect evidence of dangerous driving or where Police Scotland have done their best to prevent these crimes from being reported on the first place.
Neither stands up well to any type of scrutiny.

Police Scotland need a change to the law to improve the process - I think it's to do with old-fashioned rules around corroboration. I have been meaning to write to some MSPs to draw it to their attention and really must get on with that.

Avatar
NOtotheEU | 2 years ago
2 likes

Terrible selfish 'driving' and also no surprise what make of car is parked totally blocking the pavement and pedestrian crossing. I guess they hate pedestrians as much as cyclists. 

Avatar
Sriracha replied to NOtotheEU | 2 years ago
2 likes

I think they just love themselves. It's all about moi.

Presumably plod sent an NIP. I'll get my coat.

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