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Caravan lorry close miss (YouTube user jthefishy)Video: Caravan firm "horrified" after cyclist suffers shocking near-miss
A manager at a Gloucestershire company has said he is “horrified” at a video showing one of its vehicles speeding past a cyclist on the A59 at Samlesbury, Lancashire with barely inches to spare. The company, Forest of Dean Caravans, had been alerted to the video by a Twitter user who had seen it. The cyclist involved has told road.cc he believes the close pass was not only dangerous, but also deliberate.
The video, filmed at around 7.10am on Wednesday and posted to YouTube by user jthefishy, shows just how close the flatbed lorry, carrying one caravan and towing another, came to striking the cyclist. The potential consequences of that are obvious.
It’s clear the driver of the lorry saw the cyclist – the horn was sounded loudly and at length as the vehicle came up behind the rider, alarming enough in itself.
If you watch the video at work, you may wish to turn the sound down – there’s some (understandably) strong language.
In subtitles to the YouTube video, jthefishy said: “There is plenty of space and no oncoming cars etc. Other cars and wagons give me loads of space. They use the centre of the road to give me loads of space.”
He added: “Unfortunately I cannot work out his registration or company name. If anyone can help please do.”
The vehicle was quickly identified as belonging to Forest of Dean Caravans, based in Parkend, Gloucestershire.
The cyclist added: “There is an unsuitable cycle track at the side of the road which is a shared one with no rights of way and loads of lamp posts and signs in the middle of it! That is probably why he had a problem.”
This afternoon, road.cc spoke to the cyclist, named Jon, who works near the location where the close pass took place.
He told us: “When I heard the horn, I thought it was one of my mates, but when it continued I knew it wasn’t.”
Alerted by the noise to the fact something was going on, he didn’t look over his shoulder – something that could have taken him off his line – but kept riding straight on.
As the lorry went past, Jon was getting ready to put his hand out to gesticulate – luckily, though, he didn’t do that before the caravan being towed passed him.
“I’m a big bloke,” said Jon. “If it had been someone lighter, or not so good at holding their line, it could have been fatal.”
He described the driver as a “flaming idiot,” and said “I’d like to see him get points on his licence and severely reprimanded at work.”
But he said that so long as this was an isolated incident rather than repeat behaviour, he wouldn’t want to see the driver lose his job.
“I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes, and we need tolerance on the roads,” he went on.
“But I would like to see him get prosecuted, because it was dangerous and it was deliberate,” added Jon, who believes the driver’s action was as a result of him not using the cycle path.
Jon has contacted Lancashire Constabulary to report the incident, but hasn’t heard back from them yet.
It’s the second time he’s contacted police over video footage of bad driving, and he told us on the previous occasion they did speak to the driver involved.
Mike Stead, who is on Twitter as @tweetymike, posted a message to the social network in which he described the incident as “borderline attempted murder.”
He took it upon himself to contact Forest of Dean Caravans and spoke to its transport manager, Mark Turley, who said he was “horrified” at the footage in the video.
Mr Turley added that “disciplinary action” would be taken against the driver when he returned and that the company would co-operate in any police investigation.
The family-owned firm has said that it is preparing a statement to reassure cyclists about the action it is taking.
We asked Mike why he felt compelled to act. He told us: "Social media can be great for raising awareness, but ranting/retweeting don't change much.
“Engaging with firms, helping them understand the depth of feeling and suggesting how to progress is the way to go.
“They're more likely to follow through and change or enforce policy and practice," he added.
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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127 comments
How about Gross Misconduct, failure to protect the health and safety of others whilst carrying out your work duties, Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
The driver obviously new the cyclist was there as he appears to have had his hand on the horn all the time whilst over taking.
He moved out from the kerb and then back in acknowledging the presence of the cyclist, he just didn't give sufficient space as per the HC bearing in mind the road ahead was clear of oncoming vehicles.
For any reasonable person that would be adequate grounds for dismissal and refrral to the Police for further action.
Like it or not, Dean Forest Caravans are the driver's employer and they bear as much responsibility as he does for his apalling behaviour.
EMail sent.
Clearly too close. But in a subsequent clip, I think the cyclist undermines his case by speeding down a hill & overtaking a car. I thought the speed limit applied to bikes as well as vehicles. Regardless, the overtake was risky and does put others at risk.
As well as motorised vehicles, you mean?
And no. The speed limit applies to motorised vehicles only. Not to bicycles.
I highly doubt that he put any driver at risk. Any driver operating their vehicle safely, that is.
Was that aimed at me, Yorkshire?
FWIW, I'm a firm believer in "in cab" video and telemetric recorders, not only to protect hgv drivers against malicious claims from the cash for crash merchants who see lorries as an easy target, but also to help weed out drivers whose attitude and general level of skill falls short of the standards expected. Lots of firms do this already, whether the driver is aware of it or not.
With regards to this particular incident, as with all incidents, if premeditation can be proved then the driver could, and frankly should, receive a custodial sentence. Personally, in cases where guilt can be proved, I think it's much safer to permanently revoke someone's licence for the common good.
But, and it is a big but....
Cyclists who are passed this close are often the victims of aggressive and unpredictable drivers who, for whatever reason, have decided they just don't like cyclists.
So we should all recognise the need to keep calm, avoid being "tribal", and generally try to come across as reasonable people who just happen to ride bikes sometimes. Because the press are only too keen to give the cycling community some adverse publicity. Those South African riders with the pepper spray, yesterday's knife attack on a motorist by a cyclist in London, the guy spitting at an elderly driver in Bath, the inconveniencing of tens of thousands of residents and businesses on sportive routes, strava t**ts on shared paths and urban routes, riders with helmet cams clearly refusing to scrub off speed when the "battle" has been lost, the baying for blood in the twittersphere, the deliberate inconveniencing of motorists during mass protest rides, the high level of RLJing, and the constant jostling for advantage at the ASL that probably causes more resentment than anything else; these are perhaps reasons why this sort of "incident" is becoming more common.
It's not an excuse for these appalling drivers, but we need to recognise the need to reduce the conflict, and Yorkshire, that includes your exhortation to tie drivers to a stake and drive at them at speed. Let's just all keep calm, and keep our fingers crossed that the Police (and the CPS) give this incident their full consideration, that any punishment reflects the serious nature of the alleged intent if proved, and that that punishment acts as both a deterent to other drivers and an encouragement to businesses to be fastideous in their choice of driver.
I bet the whites in South Africa were not the ones who suffered from that.
Beefy,
You should tell them about that £8k to their face. Let them know it won't be going to them unless they can show you hard evidence that a) the driver has had some real kind of punishment (pay docked and/or police fine / points) b) they'll be making all drivers, current and new, aware of how to behave safely around vulnerable road users.
What I'd like to see is "Hi, Caravan firm here, Many apologies. We've started a drivers' Awareness of Cyclists course for all drivers, and look, here on youtube is the video that we use as part of the 1 day course that is repeated every 18 months".
On Youtube you can see one or more of Lothian Buses' dealing-with-bikes video. Having them visible to outsiders is a good move.
"Driver disciplined" doesn't do it. I'd be more worried by this guy now than before in fact.
I've had some close passes but this is far worse. Can't help but feel a bit sick, and wonder about the rider's confidence (and his family, if he dares show them this footage).
The company should sack the driver and report him to the police themselves, they'd do it readily enough if he stole company property. The bloke should not be allowed behind the wheel.
Unacceptable driving to put it mildly. He is a professional driver. He gets paid to drive. His driving should be at a higher standard than people who aren't paid to drive. He should have his licence revoked inc. his car licence. Lose his job. Be put on an anger management course. Made to sit an extended test to get his licence back and checked on at regular intervals.
But it won't happen as it was probably just a joke. Some of you have no sense of humour.
"I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes, and we need tolerance on the roads"
In a way I admire his stoicism, but this wasn't a mistake. It was intentional. And was so, so close to being fatal.
Sorry, but a driver who does this should simply not have a licence. This is like having a gun licence and firing a bullet an inch from someone's head. It is entirely indefensible.
Even if he's happy to share the road with this moron, I'm sure as hell not. Tolerance we may need, but there is no reason on this earth why I, nor anyone, should tolerate that.
Good grief.
I found that frightening from the safety of my sofa. I can't believe how close the truck was. Absolutely terrifying.
I think despite all that this is so obviously very close and so obviously deliberate that a charge of threatening behaviour could be made to stick, as was the case in Wales recently. That driver got six months. This one deserves the same. An incident like the one in the video would be enough to make me pack in riding.
It makes me wonder even more about some of the recent 'low-sun' cases of cyclists being killed, to be honest. How would we ever know if these were punishment passes like this 'gone wrong'?
Not old enough to remember are you? Both economic and sport sanctions were called for by ANC and COSATU. But it wasn't black people who owned the fruit farms and vineyards. These were cash exports. Very different to stopping imports as per Iraq.
I put more store by Mandela's an Tambo's thanks than your comments if that's ok?
Wasn't my point anyway which is that you not pnly use your custom to punish but also to reward. The owner of the business could easily have said it was a police matter and not done anything.
If you believe that, you're an... [fill in the blank].
Employment law allows for summary termination due to gross negligence. The driver is a professional (in the loosest sense...) driver. As he cannot, and will not (intentionally) carry out is duties in a competent manner, he can be sacked.
He also breaches health and safety law, which is meant to safeguard both employees and any member of the public encountered. Again, that's gross misconduct.
If the company sacked the driver, I'm fairly sure they have a more than reasonable case to do so.
He should be reported and dealt with by the Police. A slap on the wrist from work won't stop him from doing it again.
Not only is the vehicle purposely too close it appears to pull in to the kerb well before the the trailer clears the cyclist indicating clear malicious intent.
Neil,
No my comment was not aimed at you. This is a perfect example of how useless lights and hi-viz are. Unfortunately such near misses happen far too often for true comfort. In cab cameras are all well and good if the impact is at the front. Will they show the cyclist being sucked under the back wheels?
Preaching to the converted is ok. However until this road user is respected by other road users, it's nothing but hot air. To be honest I couldn't careless what measues hgv drivers need to take to protect themselves if I'm dead under their wheels because they've decided that ten seconds of their time is worth more than my life. I'm still waiting to see an article that reads" driver killed from impact with cyclist. "
Maybe I should get a better job and a larger/stonger vehicle.
,The car gives ample room and lens not withstanding, the truck doesn't. They both overtake on a junction though, does this not matter if the vehicle they overtake is a bike? Are bikes counted as vehicles?
If I went around the supermarket swinging a baseball bat inches from people's heads i'd be arrested in seconds. What's the difference??
I'm a hgv 1 driver as well as a cyclist and there is no excuses for that kind of driving. Quite obviously done on purpose, thank god you didn't turn around when he sounded his horn. That stretch of road is wide enough to pass a cyclist an leave a four foot gap. Your lucky your an experienced cyclist and held your line
If you think four feet is sufficient enough gap between a human being and a several tonne vehicle please think again because it is not.
In France there is a mandatory minimum gap to respect when overtaking cyclists.
It is 1 metre in towns and 1.5 metres outside of towns.
Almost all French and continental drivers respect this (the worst "non-respecters" are GB registered vehicles !).
If that was brought in here obviously there would be those who wouldn't respect it, but the majority would, and it would give a lesson to everyone on the vulnerability of cyclists.
It would also give a base for prosecutions of unsafe driving.
Of course, one cannot have faith in everyone's good nature, and it would only be effective if prosecutions were actually made.
It would also be one less excuse for the police to avoid prosecutions.
Reference the lead video.
This vehicle was almost certainly delivering to Reads of Blackburn. They are main dealers for Bailey of Bristol caravans.
They are only a relatively short distance further along the A59. They can be found at :-
Address: Croft Head Rd, Whitebirk Industrial Estate, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 5UE
Phone:01254 694313
This driver clearly needs removing from the roads and very probably from The Gene Pool.
This clearly appeared to be a deliberate attempt at scaring the S**t out of the cyclist and it came rather close to being another cyclist downed by an idiot.
This driver wants their license removing and an enforced driving test before any risk of them ever getting behind a wheel again.
I would also suggest that they should loose their job on the grounds of Gross Misconduct. In industry that is an Immediately Sack-able Offence.
And France Télévisions cars; ask Flecha and Hoogerland
Reference the lead video.
This vehicle was almost certainly delivering to Reads of Blackburn. They are main dealers for Bailey of Bristol caravans.
They are only a relatively short distance further along the A59. They can be found at :-
Address: Croft Head Rd, Whitebirk Industrial Estate, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 5UE
Phone:01254 694313
This driver clearly needs removing from the roads and very probably from The Gene Pool.
This clearly appeared to be a deliberate attempt at scaring the S**t out of the cyclist and it came rather close to being another cyclist downed by an idiot.
This driver wants their license removing and an enforced driving test before any risk of them ever getting behind a wheel again.
I would also suggest that they should loose their job on the grounds of Gross Misconduct. In industry that is an Immediately Sack-able Offence.
Reminds me of this:
http://fiftyyearsandcounting.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/threatened-with-a-...
Makes me sick just watching
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