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Near Miss of the Day 43: Van driver almost hits cyclist - twice in 2 minutes

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s Brighton

Here's a van driver who really doesn't look out for cyclists - almost hitting the same rider twice in the space of two minutes ib Brighton.

The footage was shot by road.cc reader Andy Lamb, who told us: "I wrote to the company on the van; I told them I would like them to deal with the issue or else I will go to the police.

"The firm replied immediately saying they think this is very serious and they will investigate further.

"Actually I never heard back from them since," added Andy, who said he has not yet forwarded the footage to the police.

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.

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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15 comments

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Kadinkski | 6 years ago
2 likes

I compained to the Sussex police and they watched the video and said for the rider to report the driver using this site: http://www.operationcrackdown.org

Has anyone any experience of this process? Is it genuinely worthwhile or  just bullshit designed  to placate the great unwashed?

Avatar
burtthebike replied to Kadinkski | 6 years ago
0 likes

Kadinkski wrote:

I compained to the Sussex police and they watched the video and said for the rider to report the driver using this site: http://www.operationcrackdown.org

Has anyone any experience of this process? Is it genuinely worthwhile or  just bullshit designed  to placate the great unwashed?

I don't know that site or Sussex police, but I have reported drivers to my local cops, and they have taken action, so why not give them a try and see if they actually do anything?

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LarryDavidJr replied to burtthebike | 6 years ago
1 like

burtthebike wrote:

Kadinkski wrote:

I compained to the Sussex police and they watched the video and said for the rider to report the driver using this site: http://www.operationcrackdown.org

Has anyone any experience of this process? Is it genuinely worthwhile or  just bullshit designed  to placate the great unwashed?

I don't know that site or Sussex police, but I have reported drivers to my local cops, and they have taken action, so why not give them a try and see if they actually do anything?

"We have sent a letter".

What I usually get.

However, in fairness, a club member posted a vid a few months ago just down the road in Shoreham of a van+passenger pulling out in front of them, then giving it the verbals to the cyclists after they yelled at them, then trying to swerve into them, and the police first response (without publicity) was that they would be bringing charges.

Must chase that up and find out what happened now I think of it ....

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gazzaputt | 6 years ago
0 likes

Be interesting to post a link to their Twitter page and see the response.

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simonmb replied to gazzaputt | 6 years ago
1 like

gazzaputt wrote:

Be interesting to post a link to their Twitter page and see the response.

So, do it if you think it's going to make a difference. "Oh, no. Not I!"

Easier to let someone else stick their head / Twitter handle above the parapet?

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IanW1968 | 6 years ago
0 likes

My thoughts:  The camera could be deceptive but if not I would  ride further out. 

Was the van parking or deliberately blocking the lane? 

There was some horrendous parking further back loads of van on double yellows. 

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HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
2 likes

Their twitter page;

https://twitter.com/ptsgplc

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
8 likes

Personally I would never ride that close to the kerb. I ride 1-1.5 metres out from the gutter

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Beecho replied to CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
0 likes

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Personally I would never ride that close to the kerb. I ride 1-1.5 metres out from the gutter

Exactly that saved my bacon this morning. Idiot just pulled out only looking left. I managed to floor it and swerve right around him.

Wiggle have just got £220 out of me for a Cycliq front one. Need backup for when this shit gets real (and I never use/delete files from) my shit GoPro.

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pjm60 | 6 years ago
5 likes

Was the cyclist displaying a Halford's I Share The Road™ Cyclist's Number Plate? 

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Krazyfrenchkanuck | 6 years ago
1 like

Notice the damages on the front fender, precisely at the height of a bicycle handlebars. Food for thoughts.

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don simon fbpe replied to Krazyfrenchkanuck | 6 years ago
2 likes

Krazyfrenchkanuck wrote:

Notice the damages on the front fender, precisely at the height of a bicycle handlebars. Food for thoughts.

Yes, it looked like a truck had run into the van to me too. 

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BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
1 like

Well, that certainly is a niche specialised service...

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Grahamd | 6 years ago
2 likes

Do you think the vehicle markings are sufficiently clear for the police to follow up, perhaps with a stern warning?

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
5 likes

Your fairly typical white van driver, and the van already has damage to the nearside front wing; I wonder why.  Not sure I'd have apologised for shouting, more like question his parentage.

In one street between the two incidents there must be half a dozen vehicles parked on the footpath on double yellow lines; don't they have parking officers in Brighton?

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