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Near Miss of the Day 114: Yet another needless close pass

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

Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day feature shows yet another unnecessary close pass on a cyclist - something that, if you've been following the series, figures all too regularly.

This particular one happened to road.cc reader John on Belfast's A52 Crumlin Road.

He told us:  "Happening all to often now!

"I've been cycling for over 10 years, with this sort of behaviour almost a daily occurrence. I've been asking myself if I should continue in the sport I love.

"I commute daily, 50 years young and  also a club cyclist, ride Fondos and sportives.

"How can we encourage new cyclists with drivers showing such  disregard for our safety? 

"The law needs changed with more enforcement."

> 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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6 comments

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alansmurphy | 5 years ago
0 likes

Maybe cxr but does a car really need to pass a cyclist travelling at 50kmh into a bend?

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CXR94Di2 | 5 years ago
1 like

At that speed from the cyclist, I would of been down the middle of the road, obviously a faster section descent. Take control of the road

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efail | 5 years ago
0 likes

What was that site someone posted a short while ago where the 'government' are looking for comments? They are going to do some sort of report, where I presume, they won't pay any attention to what the public say. (cynic in me)

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Pudsey Pedaller | 5 years ago
5 likes

road.cc I think your headline needs changing as it gives the impression that close passes are sometimes needed. The whole point is that they aren't as waiting for an opportunity to pass safely is always the correct choice.

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burtthebike | 5 years ago
1 like

John is so right, and it is extremely depressing that this happens to most cyclists so regularly.  Great that our government is tackling the issue with such alacrity though, and having another consultation to avoid actually having to do anything for a couple more years.

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dafyddp | 5 years ago
3 likes

It's depressing, isn't it? This video also demonstrates that it's not just an Audi/BMW/4x4 thing - grannies in little city cars are just as dangerous when you're pushed into a high kerb.

This week I bought one of the Cycliq Fly 6  rear cameras that Chain Reaction are selling off cheap. I actually felt quite defeated to be fitting it to my bike. 

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