Here’s a video showing how NOT to pass a cyclist – courtesy albeit unintentionally of British Transport Police (BTP).
It was filmed in Leeds at the interchange of the A58 and A58 (M) from a vehicle travelling behind the police car which is initially stationary behind the cyclist, who is in an advanced stop line box.
The video shows the BTP 4×4 accelerating away from the lights as they change, swerving to the rider’s left and into a lane that would take it onto the A58 (M) to pass him, before cutting back in in front of the rider to return to the A58.
YouTube user arronls, who posted the video under the title ‘British Transport Police show us how it’s done,’ wrote in the description: “Nice to see them setting an example and demonstrating the safest way to approach vulnerable road users.”
Rule 163 of the Highway Code tells road users “Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so,” and that among other things “you should:
• not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
• use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out
• move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
• only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
• give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.”
Guardian journalist Peter Walker, who retweeted a link to the video posted by Cycling Embassy of Great Britain chair Mark Treasure, was told by BTP on Twitter that the footage had been referred to the force’s Driving Standards department.
RT @btp_uk: @peterwalker99 We're aware of the video Peter; it's been referred to our Driving Standards dept. We'll keep you updated.
— peterwalker99 (@peterwalker99) September 15, 2014
A spokesman for BTP told road.cc: “We are aware of a video online, showing one of our vehicles and a cyclist at traffic lights, said to be in Leeds. We are carrying out enquiries into the contents of the video.”
35 thoughts on “Video: British Transport Police show how NOT to pass a cyclist”
Very poor. It initially looks
Very poor. It initially looks as if the cyclist has placed himself a little too far right (not that even that would excuse an undertake). But, as he moves off, it’s readily apparent that he’s directly lined up to take the straight on road and be on the left of it. Indeed, given his position it should be clear to the police driver that straight on is where this cyclist is going.
Give them a break they are
Give them a break they are only used to driving on tracks ???
It was filmed
It was
It was filmed
It was reported
They’ve referred it to Driving Standards.
Let’s wait and see. But my guess is it will be a reprimand. Had it been the proper police in a Highways (as opposed to local) driver it would have been more serious as a fail and likely to get a far bigger slap.
oozaveared wrote:It was
My guess is that they will do nothing and the driver will not even be contacted by the BTP over this event.
Had it been the proper police in a Highways car or a panda car, they would do nothing and the driver would not even be contacted by the proper police over this event.
This is Leeds. The police detest bike riders in Leeds. They have a long history of hostility towards bike riders.
Just the same as they pass me
Just the same as they pass me when I am in the car and on the motorbike!!!
You know the score, pal. [If]
You know the score, pal. [If] You’re not cop, you’re little people!
Always a good time for a Blade Runner quote.
The cyclist was not in the
The cyclist was not in the wrong place he was avoiding being forced onto the A58(M) and contrary to what you might think our place is not at the left side of the road we are entitled to use any of it (except motorways).
The Police Car should have come around him the right way and I see hash-marking abuse too. You will usually get a warning from traffic police for this behaviour (although there might be a reason like not being able to see your destination until it’s too late). Hash-marking surrounded by solid lines should only ever be crossed to avoid a collision.
Shoddy driving and yes he’ll get a reprimand at best although in my experience the response will probably claim his actions were justified (just as one officer has so far tried to justify assaulting myself without warning).
Also notice that the police
Also notice that the police car rolls forward and then has to brake before the lights have even gone amber.
Just bad driving or trying to intimidate?
” I had just received an
” I had just received an emergency call, and had to negotiate another road user as best/quickly as the circumstances allowed….it was only a cyclist…I’m sure he must have at least ran one red light today and terrorised some motorists unjustly…he’s lucky I didn’t arrest him for being a public nuisance” amid some back slapping and cheers from the public gallery….
Pretty shoddy. I do hope the
Pretty shoddy. I do hope the driver is educated as to his error.
On a brighter note, the
On a brighter note, the lorry/bus with the camera behaves impecably, slowing his speed and crossing into the outside lane when safe to overtake.
Yes 3 lanes going into 4
Yes 3 lanes going into 4 suggest middle lane traffic can flow left or right. So the cyclists position was one of the two best positions. Probably the best. The other might be centre of the lane?
They also move left as soon as it was safe to do so.
I used to work for BTP in
I used to work for BTP in London, not the first time I have seen former colleagues in the news #o
For anyone interested I think
For anyone interested I think this is the StreetView of the correct junction:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7995838,-1.5529322,3a,75y,279.71h,80.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sKv8rX7NczGgJ0Z_Whi6AoQ!2e0?hl=en
And I wonder why, whenever I
And I wonder why, whenever I complain to the police in Leeds about shoddy driving they tell me the driver has done nothing wrong.
I wrote to cycling minister
I wrote to cycling minister Robert Goodwill recently, asking him to implement British Cycling’s suggestion that rule 163 on overtakes be clarified, and proposing that he could do some media interviews to make people aware of how they should be overtaking cyclists. I asked him to consider French-style signs, reminding drivers to leave plenty of room when overtaking.
I got the reply today. Rule 163 exists, it’s perfectly adequate, and there’s no need for signs to remind people of their obligations under the Highway Code.
He’s wrong, and this is one of a million pieces of evidence showing that rule 163 is routinely ignored.
I think it’s a shame that we have a cycling minister who is doing nothing to stand up for cyclists. My impression is that he thinks his job is to be an apologist for the status quo.
HarrogateSpa wrote:I wrote to
Pardon my ignorance, but how/where does one write to Robert Goodwill? Can he be emailed?
HarrogateSpa wrote:.
I got
rule 163 is ambiguous, as many people take it to mean pass vulnerable road users as close you would pass a car.
It’s also not very widely known.
Your nicked!
Your nicked! =D>
Naughty for the jump
Naughty for the jump start.
Slapped wrist for crossing the hatch markings (they’re not solid lined).
No problem passing on the left on a one way street.
No danger to the cyclist whatsoever.
Storm in a teacup.
Eebijeebi wrote:Naughty for
Take your car on the road and do the exact same thing to a police officer, in his/her car.
See what happens.
Peowpeowpeowlasers
Well if they had cars that only go the speed of a push bike I would, and there would be nothing for them to complain about.
Police camera action
Police camera action
Reading the comments on the
Reading the comments on the road.cc facebook feed it’s a bit depressing how many people (most of whom are presumably cyclists themselves) think that the police driver did absolutely nothing wrong and/or that the cyclist was in the wrong.
It may not have been the worst bit of driving ever, but it wasn’t exactly a shining example to set to the public either. If the police happily ignore the Highway Code for no good reason then how can we expect anyone else to follow it?
For the record, here are the lanes marked onto a still from the video. The cyclist’s position looks spot on to me.
GrahamSt wrote:Reading the
I gave up reading after the first ‘chain’ of comments. The guy made an assertion, was proven wrong, made another, proven wrong again, made claim that he was an advanced driver and cyclist of 40 years and tried to parry but failed, got proven wrong again and called ignorant for repeatedly make false assertions based in fantasy. His response was to cry about someone making it personal.
Im glad all the idiots stay on FB and not clutter up the main site. 3 years Ive been free of that place and life is the better for it.
It is absolutely clear where
It is absolutely clear where the cyclist intends to go, although I think I would have taken the centre of the middle lane at that junction.
If the police car is in a hurry he should use blues and twos to move into the right hand lane and go, if not on an emergency he should wait behind cyclist until safe to pass, just as the following driver has done. Moving to the lane that is for a different destination and cutting back in is just poor, especially when the cyclist is clearly going to move to the left of the lane once clear of the junction, so the space the car is trying to go through will be getting smaller.
Posting that same picture on
Posting that same picture on facebook resulted in me being called a [i]”f**king muppet”[/i] and a [i]”retard”[/i] 🙁
I had an experience with a
I had an experience with a BTP vehicle on my way home once & they were deliberately intimidating. Following closely; determined to get past me, even in standstill traffic.
The cyclist above is in the correct position, although on first glance he looks to be too far over.
I often find if one car gives a lot of space when overtaking, others behind follow suit. However if someone overtakes close then others behind will also take silly risks. If the bloody BTP cannot overtake properly then what hope is there…
It’s a horrible junction for
It’s a horrible junction for any cyclist. Three lanes into four means that the middle lane competes with those turning left (whom believe they will over take traffic in the left-hand lane and possibly slower traffic wanting to turn right.
Personally I would take the lane to prevent unwarranted undertaking (in either the middle or right-hand lane). The traffic knows to hold it’s position until I’m in mine. Effectively, because the cyclist sits between lanes he invites twits to try and undertake and because they think that there’s enough room. I just wouldn’t cede the space to them that easily until I was happy to do so.
A few weeks ago I was
A few weeks ago I was ‘tailed’ by a Gardaí Traffic Corps car, along an ambiguously sign posted ‘newish’ road…goes from a 50, to a 60 (about 30metres with solid white lines due to bends in the road) then into an 80kph, whereas the opposite lane (not a dual carriageway) is clearly signposted as 80kph
…the 80kph sign on my side ‘appears’ some 1.3kms along the road…I kept just above the 50/60…with a clear road in front of me and when I reached the 80kph sign I sped up to around 78kph and stuck on the cruise control
…the Gardaí car followed for 3 more kms, didn’t bother to try and pass me with at least 2 safe places with broken white lines….the second we move back to a double white…he then pulls out and overtakes me and continues to accelerate well past 95kph….I guess his pizza was getting cold.
Now, had I maintained anything above 60 on that ambiguously sign posted stretch I can bet he would have pulled me over….
Another “dual destination”
Another “dual destination” lane where it is best to make early approach to the right of the lane, if going straight ahead … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ujuJXNq3w contrary to the blue paint.. er I mean .. super highway.
Quote:Pardon my ignorance,
I copied him in to an email to my MP, as his website says he’ll only reply to his own constituents. Otherwise, you can write a paper letter to him as Under Secretary at the Department for Transport.
No doubt the BTP had an
No doubt the BTP had an “excuse” – called to an incident, tea break overdue etc. no doubt he set off much faster than all the other cars. that is no excuse for shoddy driving and it happens all the time. Take possession of the lane you are in, position yourself where the driver of a car would be, do not ride in the gutter or on lane markings. Most of all don’t expect other road users to be good drivers.
Leeds city centre is a death
Leeds city centre is a death trap for cyclists, :O
I don’t see where the problem
I don’t see where the problem is! This happens to me about twice a day! The whole of the UK’s drivers that don’t ride are like this! I am absolutely sick of them all. It’s about time the law or driver’s minds are changed about cyclists.
You just don;t get any of this riding in France or Spain! Just why are we a nation or cyclist hating petrol heads?