Video footage of a road rage attack on a cyclist has been released by Greater Manchester Police in a bid to track down the driver responsible – the video was shot by the cyclist on his helmet cam.
In the film a dark-coloured BMW is seen driving dangerously close to the rider, who remonstrates (politely) with the driver. The BMW then pulls over, blocking the rider in against the kerb and the driver proceed to get out and both verbally and physically assault the cyclist, grabbing him by the throat.
Appealing for help in identifying the assailant PC Matt Dixon of the GMP said “This is as clear an example of road rage as you are likely to see and we are working hard to identify the person responsible.
"The victim has every right to be on the road and it is not acceptable that he has been targeted in this way.”
"I want the driver, if he sees this appeal, to come forward and I also want to hear from anyone who knows who he is."
The incident happened in St John’s Road in Longsight on 26 January. A cleaned-up still image on the Manchester Evening News website gives a reasonably clear picture of the driver who appears (0:23) to be wearing an ID card on a lanyard which might indicate he is licensed by a local authority in the way a minicab driver would be.
Given the debate about the use of helmet cams on road.cc recently and the suggestion by some that they are in themselves a "provocation" to drivers it is worth noting that in this case the driver seems to stop once he is made aware that the incident is being recorded on camera.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4228, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111
22 thoughts on “Police release helmet cam footage of road rage attack on cyclist + video”
Police in “doing something”
Police in “doing something” shocker.
After that BBC breakfast
After that BBC breakfast program, I had a bus driver waiting at the lights next to me asking me what the camera was for. I do wish that cyclist had not broadcast to the world that some of us wear cameras…. What was the purpose of that, uh?
Watching this video I only had one thought: KEY THE DOOR!!! 😉
@LondonCalling you should
@LondonCalling you should have told him it was for the same as the cameras all over his bus… to protect the operator of the machinery from anti-social behaviour 😉
tony_farrelly
This site needs a ‘like’ button!
first he forces him to stop
first he forces him to stop with his car and then he attacks him…what a tool.
with the shock and horror of his assualt I’d have had trouble stopping all the nasty metal bits of my bike coming into contact with his car.
Tempting tho it may be to
Tempting tho it may be to respond in kind to this sort of person, I don’t think it’d be of long term benefit to road safety for cyclists. A police caution on the other hand may well make this idiot think twice about his driving. I’d be highly surprised if the availability of this video doesn’t result in the police tracking down the individual very soon.
Well said Oldridgeback.
I
Well said Oldridgeback.
I reported a van whose passengers thought it was funny to whack me on the back as I rode home from work. Response from the police was great and they duly cautioned the driver. Mind you, I did get the license plate number.
I’m shocked…..that the
I’m shocked…..that the police actually took some action on this. Good that they did, but too often they are uninterested in such things.
Hopefully with the video it won’t be long before he is caught.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was a minicab driver, as they seem to believe the roads are for their exclusive use.
Odd – almost all the comments
Odd – almost all the comments about cyclist with helmet cams being suspicious types are missing from this article – a refreshing change from yesterday
mad_scot_rider wrote:Odd –
There’s time yet.
One thing I noted was that
One thing I noted was that the driver has a BMW. Why am I not surprised?
A few Things:
1. I don’t see
A few Things:
1. I don’t see why cyclist have to justify a helmet cam.
(But also I don’t want to see every cyclist wearing one).
Cyclist have just as much right to a peacfull ride from any destination a to b.
2. I am a road and MTB Cyclist, so times you just cannot win, been shouted out for being on the pavement, and been shouted at, to get off the road.. (When will the harmony come to cyclist, pedestrians and cars)
Maybe we should plan now to build, Proper Cyclist only tracks (Maybe near the national Rail Grid) hell what a way to go (And impose a tax for cyclist ) I am sure 99% would pay, just to get some stability back here….
@uksportives
1. I agree
@uksportives
1. I agree cyclists shouldn’t have to wear a cam just to protect themselves – but it sure seems to be the way things are going
2. While I would happily pay an annual stipend to ensure the creation of cycling facilities, therein lies the problem. I sure ain’t gonna pay so that Boris can keep making things better for cyclists 600 miles away in London – even if I trusted politicians not to just use the money for whatever personal little boondoggle took their fancy
How come there is no shot of
How come there is no shot of the car license plate? Or is there and the police don’t want to really follow this up? It would certainly seem to be the obvious thing to do with a camera? Even a poor image could surely help the police track the car.
bikeandy61 wrote:How come
If there is footage of the numberplate the police don’t need the public to help with that, they can look it up on the DVLA database (assuming of course it doesn’t have dodgy plates).
Pity the helmet cam didn’t
Pity the helmet cam didn’t pick up the registration – or did the police edit that bit out? (Resolution not good enough to see the number?)
This is rich ! Manchester
This is rich ! Manchester Police appeal for assistance and Thames Valley Police refuse to help “Cyclingsilk.blogspot” with Video of Death Threat !
Theresa May has yet to reply to Martin Porter QC from last year’s letter asking for a unified code throughout the UK !
Good to see some Police Officers actually assisting Cyclists rather than behaving like the CPS in Hounslow who are collecting a salary for growing fat from dodging their workload 1
Full credit for not reacting.
Full credit for not reacting. I’m pretty sure I would have, not that it makes it right. Cameras are the way forward, as are the ability to take a deep breath and let it all go.
Its not particularly related,
Its not particularly related, but I’ve been having an increasingly number of issues with black cabs in London on my motorbike, just pulling in front, cutting up, even though I am generally courteous – has anyone on bicycles had any recent issues of a similar nature?
Just don’t understand why everyone can’t just give everyone a bit of room to go about their business; people like the guy in the video need to be named and shamed, and lose their license too
I am delighted to see the
I am delighted to see the police taking this seriously and I very much hope the culprit will be identified from the video.
If he is traced and admits the offence, it is a running certainty that he will be cautioned. This is because of guidance issued to the police by the Home Office. I am waging a one man campaign to try and get these guidelines reviewed at least to the extent that cyclists are recognised as vulnerable victims of this type of offence.
Best wishes to the cyclist concerned.
I am happy to say I was wrong
I am happy to say I was wrong (or maybe he did not admit the offences).
Michael Stewart, aged 47, of Daven Road, Congleton, has been charged with common assault and dangerous driving. He is due to appear at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court on 14 April 2011
It seems prosecution is more
It seems prosecution is more likely, and more likely to be successful, if the driver gets out of the car and displays his or her aggression as an individual human being. Which is ironic, because that is usually the point when he or she ceases to be wielding a highly dangerous weapon. But, by doing something most policemen, magistrates and jurors wouldn’t do, the defendant loses the sympathy engendered by the common experience most people have of sitting behind a steering wheel in a mood of frustration.