Chris Boardman has weighed into a debate about a close passing lorry that was filmed apparently dangerously close to his mother while on a ride with the Birkenhead North End Cycling Club.
Aldi, whose branded truck was being driven by a Broadhurst employee, argued that the pass was -perfectly safe, but Boardman questioned the decision, saying on Twitter: “Is this considered OK?”
He added: “Regardless of cyclists, no excuses for vehicle to pass close at high speed to a human being, none.
“If riding single file, I guarantee you the truck would pass the same distance from the riders at same high speed.
“Wonder how you'd feel if that was your kids/mother/sister, would it still be OK?”
Another user responded saying: “HGV had empty lane to pass properly so why not use it? too fast and in wet conditions too. despicable.”
A 15 year old cyclist uploaded the video to YouTube under the moniker TheTruckSimCyclist.
He added: “There was no need for this driver to overtake a group of cyclists this closely.”
He said the response from the Transport Company) was as follows [sic]:
"DEAR MR ********
I HAVE TODAY TAKEN ADVICE WITH REGARDS TO THE VIDEO YOU HAVE POSTED ONTO YOUTUBE AND THE DRIVER OF THE BROADHURST TRANSPORT UNIT DID GIVE AMPLE ROOM FOR OVER TAKING.
TAKING IN TO CONCIDERATION THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD YOU ALSO PUT OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK.
AT THE BEGINING OF THE VIDEO IT SHOWS THAT THE ROAD WAS WIDE AND THE CYCLIST’S WERE DOUBLE BREAST BUT THIS WOULD STILL HAVE GIVEN THE DRIVER AMPLE OF TIME TO MAKE A CLEARING TO PASS,
AS THE ROAD SHOW THE ARROW GOING TO A NARROW ROAD IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER IF THE CYCLIST’S WERE TO MOVE TO SINGLE FILE AS CONCIDERATION HAS TO WORK FROM ALL ROAD USERS.
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD. YES YOU ALSO COULD HAVE PUT PEOPLE AT RISK,
IT HAS TO WORK BOTH WAY. YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO SINGLE FILE WHILST TRAVELING ON NARROW ROAD.
ONCE AGAIN THE DRIVER DID GIVE AMPLE OF ROOM.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL WITH REGARDS TO A CYCLE LANE.
Last year we reported how Boardman said that close shaves with traffic when riding a bike are critical to people’s future decisions to cycle - and should be measured.
The data would also be a clear indication of whether cycle infrastructure is working or not, he said, as near misses would decrease dramatically in areas with good traffic layout.
Writing in support of The Near Miss Project, which has catalogued the daily cycling experience of more than 1,500 cyclists across the UK, Boardman said: “Many people in this country will tell you that cycling is safe, and the statistics do back that up. You have more chance of being killed walking a mile than you do cycling a mile and there is just one fatality for the equivalent of every 1,000 times cycled around the Earth.
“However, what those statistics don't tell you is what cycling on our roads is actually like and whether or not the experience is an enjoyable one. This is a critical thing to acknowledge, as we make decisions - such as whether to cycle in the first place - based as much on how we feel as on the facts.”
After an unpromising start, having to be bribed by her parents to learn to ride without stabilisers, Sarah became rather keener on cycling in her university years, and was eventually persuaded to upgrade to proper road cycling by the prospect of a shiny red Italian bike, which she promptly destroyed by trapping a pair of knickers in the rear derailleur. Sarah writes about about cycling every weekend on road.cc.