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Near Miss of the Day 100: No space for driver to overtake ... but they try anyway

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

The 100th entry in our Near Miss of the Day feature won't be getting a telegram from the Queen  ... indeed, it got scant attention from Cambridgeshire Constabulary when the footage was submitted to them.

It happened to road.cc reader Sam just before 6pm on 9 February on Mingle Lane in Stapleford near Cambridge.

He told us: "No space for him to overtake into but has a go anyway."

However, police told him that they would not be taking it any further since they did not consider it to be "dangerous."

Sam asked us if there was any way he could take it forward and while in most cases once police have said they will take no action, we do see a big variation in the approach taken by different forces, and we're aware of one case in Surrey where officers from the roads policing unit asked a cyclist to submit footage to them after his initial submission was rejected.

With Cambridgeshire Constabulary now considering launching a close pass operation - something it previously rejected - we've suggested Sam contact the roads policing unit the force runs jointly with colleagues in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire to see if he has more success there.

> Police in Cambridgeshire make u-turn on close pass operation

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//info [at] road.cc" target="_blank"> 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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17 comments

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Tedw | 6 years ago
0 likes

Same thing happened to me this morning. Coming up to dustbin lorrry emptying bins an Astra coupe decided to overtake and then brake sharply as other cars were waiting behind the lorry.

I just waited patiently behind them making sure that my front light shone into their rear view mirror. 

Total inconsiderate plonker, but the mentality seems to be “got to overtake as this bike might slow me down”?

 

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John Smith | 6 years ago
0 likes

The car should not have passed, but equaly the cyclist should have backed off once the car was along side. Rule 168:

 

If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass.

 

It may be annoying, but keeping on going like that could cause a horrific crash. Slow down then submit the film to the police. Far more likly to get a posative result rather than looking like part of the problem.

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hawkinspeter replied to John Smith | 6 years ago
4 likes

John Smith wrote:

The car should not have passed, but equaly the cyclist should have backed off once the car was along side. Rule 168:

 

If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass.

 

It may be annoying, but keeping on going like that could cause a horrific crash. Slow down then submit the film to the police. Far more likly to get a posative result rather than looking like part of the problem.

Yes, the cyclist "should" have backed off once the car was invested in its maneouvre. This is a recommendation rather than being a legal requirement.

However, the motorist was breaking the previous rule 167:

  • DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example ... when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down.

Notice that rule 167 does not use the "should" word and thus is a legal requirement, I believe. Also, the driver should be considered to have a greater duty of care to other road users as a car is somewhat bigger, heavier and faster than the cyclist. Notice that the cyclist wasn't particularly endangering the car driver.

Ideally, the cyclist would have slowed down a bit and ideally the driver wouldn't have overtaken which would make the question moot.

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to John Smith | 6 years ago
2 likes

John Smith wrote:

The car should not have passed, but equaly the cyclist should have backed off once the car was along side. Rule 168:

 

If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass.

 

It may be annoying, but keeping on going like that could cause a horrific crash. Slow down then submit the film to the police. Far more likly to get a posative result rather than looking like part of the problem.

All well and good quoting the HC but when you are threatened harm that isn't the first thing that goes through your head. In any case motorists don't even bother to adhere to the MUST laws never mind the 'should's' and how do you know that slowing down was safe/r? Motorist would have pulled right across and potentially cutting his front wheel away/forcing him to brake hard to avoid collision and IF there was another vehicle behind encouraging yet another MGIF.

Also ceding priority yet again builds upon the get out the fucking way attitude shown by most drivers and gives them the impression that they can bully their way through all the time. 

I rewatched the video where a police motorcyclist pulled over two cyc;ists telling them they weren't allowed to cycle two abreast, the comments on YT were mostly quoting HC and saying you can'ty make others brake/change course and that riding two abreast is obstruction. Total BS.

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ChrisB200SX replied to John Smith | 6 years ago
0 likes

John Smith wrote:

The car should not have passed, but equaly the cyclist should have backed off once the car was along side. Rule 168:

 

If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass.

 

It may be annoying, but keeping on going like that could cause a horrific crash. Slow down then submit the film to the police. Far more likly to get a posative result rather than looking like part of the problem.

You've read Rule 162 and Rule 163, right?

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Pudsey Pedaller replied to John Smith | 6 years ago
4 likes
John Smith wrote:

The car should not have passed, but equaly the cyclist should have backed off once the car was along side. Rule 168:

 

If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass.

 

It may be annoying, but keeping on going like that could cause a horrific crash. Slow down then submit the film to the police. Far more likly to get a posative result rather than looking like part of the problem.

I think you're mistaken. The driver would have been the one to cause the horrific crash. The most you could accuse the cyclist of doing would be failing to do everything in their power to avoid the horrific crash which sounds a bit like blaming the victim. And let's be honest, given the 2 vehicles involved, there would only be one victim were there to be a horrific crash.

It would appear that you are also making a false equivalency with respect to the action of the driver with the reaction of the cyclist. The driver chose to take an action that was unsafe. He would have had the time, space and opportunity to carefully and rationally weigh up his chosen action against alternatives such as waiting patiently. In contrast the cyclist was placed in a situation in which their safety was compromised and as a result they had a split second to weigh up all the available options and react in the way they felt was most appropriate. This is not an easy thing to do in stressful situations, such as when there is the potential to become a KSI statistic.

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Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
3 likes

Disappointed. Expected something really special for no.100. Was kind of hoping for 'near miss as dog takes to wheel of Ferrari' or similar. This is just old man (who else would still by driving a Saab) in lingering pass of death.

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Jetmans Dad replied to Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
0 likes

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

 This is just old man (who else would still by driving a Saab)

I love my Saab ... and I am not an old man.

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ConcordeCX replied to Jetmans Dad | 6 years ago
3 likes

Jetmans Dad wrote:

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

 This is just old man (who else would still by driving a Saab)

I love my Saab ... and I am not an old man.

you probably are, actually. Ask Jetman.

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huntswheelers | 6 years ago
2 likes

Everyday .... Everyday in Cambridgeshire that happens by ignorance, arrogance & self entitlement of drivers...they know Police levels are low in the county and they will get away it.... If only Cambridgeshire Police would realise that the Counties cycling population are not just city bike users in Cambridge

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roubaixcobbles | 6 years ago
3 likes

Sorry, I only cycle, have never driven a car, but I honestly can't see the problem with this one - in fact I would be in heaven if drivers in London would give me this much space!

As far as I can see from the video, the overtaking car pulls almost completely into the oncoming lane, leaving the cyclist the whole lane between the median line and the kerb apart from about two feet, then goes a good safe distance ahead before returning to the lane.  What am I missing?

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LarryDavidJr | 6 years ago
1 like

"go on grab on and I'll give you a pull.  It's fine, Nibali does it"

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brooksby | 6 years ago
2 likes

And that’s not dangerous because...?

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes

Above average pass...

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wycombewheeler replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
11 likes

alansmurphy wrote:

Above average pass...

 

width is fine, but like so many drivers, unable to see past the next vehicle and so determine that there is NO SPACE between the bike and the car in front of the bike for him to pull into.

 

the cyclist is clearly keeping up with the traffic, but the driver must get in fron because "bike innit" with no consideration of how the overtake will end, get this all the time, the pull out, pull alongside, realise there is nowhere to go, but won;t slow down and go back where they came from.

 

I wish drivers would plan their overtakes before they begin

 

Roubaixcobbles wrote:

Sorry, I only cycle, have never driven a car, but I honestly can't see the problem with this one - in fact I would be in heaven if drivers in London would give me this much space!

As far as I can see from the video, the overtaking car pulls almost completely into the oncoming lane, leaving the cyclist the whole lane between the median line and the kerb apart from about two feet, then goes a good safe distance ahead before returning to the lane.  What am I missing?

where is he going? the cyclist has to slow down to let him in, can you see drivers doing this to other cars which are keeping up with the car in front? NO, so why do it to a bike

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Bluebug replied to wycombewheeler | 6 years ago
0 likes
wycombewheeler wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

Above average pass...

 

width is fine, but like so many drivers, unable to see past the next vehicle and so determine that there is NO SPACE between the bike and the car in front of the bike for him to pull into.

 

the cyclist is clearly keeping up with the traffic, but the driver must get in fron because "bike innit" with no consideration of how the overtake will end, get this all the time, the pull out, pull alongside, realise there is nowhere to go, but won;t slow down and go back where they came from.

 

I wish drivers would plan their overtakes before they begin

 

Roubaixcobbles wrote:

Sorry, I only cycle, have never driven a car, but I honestly can't see the problem with this one - in fact I would be in heaven if drivers in London would give me this much space!

As far as I can see from the video, the overtaking car pulls almost completely into the oncoming lane, leaving the cyclist the whole lane between the median line and the kerb apart from about two feet, then goes a good safe distance ahead before returning to the lane.  What am I missing?

where is he going? the cyclist has to slow down to let him in, can you see drivers doing this to other cars which are keeping up with the car in front? NO, so why do it to a bike

Actually some drivers try with other cars. They get pissed when you ignore them or tell them to f*** off. Incidentally those drivers are very poor at working out what model car you are actually driving. Drive a crap sports-looking like car and they don't try it, but drive a faster family hatchback which is slightly different to the majority of others on the road and they try it.

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alansmurphy replied to wycombewheeler | 6 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

Above average pass...

 

width is fine, but like so many drivers, unable to see past the next vehicle and so determine that there is NO SPACE between the bike and the car in front of the bike for him to pull into.

 

the cyclist is clearly keeping up with the traffic, but the driver must get in fron because "bike innit" with no consideration of how the overtake will end, get this all the time, the pull out, pull alongside, realise there is nowhere to go, but won;t slow down and go back where they came from.

 

 

Which is why I suggested above average as opposed to correct  1

 

 

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