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news
White van close overtakeVideo: van driver lashes out at cyclist after close pass
The driver of a white van has been caught on camera lashing out at a cyclist who flipped him the middle finger after a close overtake.
The incident, which was captured on the cyclist’s helmet-mounted camera, was posted on YouTube today.
It shows the driver of a white van overtaking the cyclist at close quarters, and the cyclist making the hand gesture. The driver stops, and the two engage in a brief argument, before the driver lashes out with his right hand, and drives away.
Study: Parasite hosted by cats may cause road rage
The driver appears to be annoyed the man was cycling in the traffic lane. When the cyclist tries to explain he’s allowed to cycle on the road the driver appears to punch him, before fleeing.
What do you think? Was the driver annoyed about being flipped the bird, or simply confused that someone was cycling on the road? Should the cyclist have counted to ten, rather than reacting in the way he did?
Latest Comments
- Rendel Harris 2 sec ago
Most of the minor crashes happen with touches of wheels within the peloton, often when they are not even going full tilt, just a moment's...
- Rendel Harris 6 min 8 sec ago
I am completely fed up with entitled motorists coming to a cycling website and creating an account solely in order to troll. Give it a rest!
- Pot00000000 27 min 7 sec ago
👍🏼 IMHO, one of the main things to look out for is butted tubes, double or even tripple butted. ride safe and have a great Christmas
- quiff 1 hour 28 min ago
Ah yes, just spotted where "performance line" is quoted on the website. Couldn't see any that fall into both 'evolution' and 'performance' line...
- Rendel Harris 1 hour 41 min ago
TRP cable-actuated hydraulic calipers, haven't tried them myself but reviews generally rate them as better than cable-only brakes such as Sora. I...
- wtjs 1 hour 54 min ago
And we can be sure that Police Scotland would be similarly disinterested...
- wtjs 1 hour 58 min ago
The self-professed cyclists are really self-claimed cyclists of the 'I'm a cyclist myself' variety
- slc 3 hours 10 min ago
They should read scampercraft and not exaggerate the danger of scuttling along. I discourage squirrel predation by acting like one.
- HalfDanHalfBiscuit 3 hours 19 min ago
You can get the Varia for £10 less from Decathlon.
- Geoff H 3 hours 54 min ago
Perhaps they should apply the same standard to dangerous, unsafe, poorly designed roads and COMPLETELY rip them out rather than "fix" or "redesign"...
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26 comments
AIR ZOUND !!!!!
Everyone cyclist should have one and use it in situations like that!
drivers need to pass safely and there are no excuses for not doing so. I can only see the still image. I wouldn't be that close to the pavement. There are a percentage of drivers out there that figure if they can get past without touching you then they'll have a go. Like I say, I can't see the video but if you ride nearer the primary it may annoy idiots like this but they still have to deal with overtaking properly.
It doesn't stop idiotic drivers but it does stop the thoughtless close pass.
Drivers like this one are in such a hurry that they must overtake dangerously when there is oncoming traffic, but they have enough spare time to stop in the middle of the road to instigate an argument with the person whose life they have just put in danger.
Driver is just a normal idiot you seem to encounter every ride.
Flip the finger yes but be prepared to back it up.
Lets be honest the van driver took a swipe and then legged it. Bottle went.
In this day age it's better part of valour to swallow your pride and get on with your day.
Shouldn't have to but, unfortunately, I have to agree with you.
I've been cycling in and around Valencia for the last month and this sort of thing just doesn't happen. It's great and makes me really dread getting the bike out at home. Having cycled in many different countries, I've decided that there's something peculiar to the British that makes some of us turn into morons when installed in the driving seat of a motor vehicle.
I've been cycling in and around Valencia for the last month and this sort of thing just doesn't happen. It's great and makes me really dread getting the bike out at home. Having cycled in many different countries, I've decided that there's something peculiar to the British that makes some of us turn into morons when installed in the driving seat of a motor vehicle.
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I just spent three days cycling in the Costa del Sol where I had no incidents, was overtaken courteously until the last day when on an open road a car pulls alongside and the driver gives me the finger and a mouthful of abuse in English. I then realise it is a right hand drive car, British plates driven by a Brit retiree out there. I can only conclude that we have a seriously bad attitude problem in certain quarters of the UK and it needs to be criminally punished out of existence
I'm sorry but sometimes I just want to punch these kind of people. They think they're untouchable in the cars and ride like dicks. Does a risky overtake and has the nerve to even push the cyclist...
"Cycling in the traffic lane"? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Bicycles ARE traffic.
Van driver knew exacty what he was doing and was looking in his wing mirror to see what reaction he would get. When he got one he reacted with all "hurt innocence". Put another way he is a cock, a fuckwit of the first water, a dick-splat!
These wankers do something wrong and act all affronted when you react or even if you don't. I had a 'steroid queen' reverse out of a side road at me. Even though I didn't react or say anything he invited me to go round the corner "and settle things". "Ok!" I said. He went round the corner, I went on and quietly slipped through a piece of filtered permiability. To this day I haven't seen him. He was probably so stupid that he starved to death waiting for me.
Until these arseholes lose their licences for this type of behaviour nothing will change.
Looked deliberate to me because of the speed at which the driver stopped.
He reacted very very quickly. He knew what he was doing. Tosser and shite driver.
Agreed.
Provocation carries its risks though. Sooner or later he will piss off the wrong guy and and he will get his face rearranged.
The sooner the better IMO.
I've started doing a fonze-esque pointed finger when people act like dicks. Sort of a non-verbal 'well done mate'. Riding in club colours a lot more recently has toned down my road rage somewhat, lest the club sec get an angry email.
Plenty of drivers react like that, but I always let them know what I think of their shite driving. If you just let it go, they will keep on doing it. Ask the police to do something about it, they may go and have a word with the scumbag.
not in Southampton. I sent in 2 videos one pass close enough to cause me to get a wobble on. Despite company livery and a vrn they are doing sweet fa
Correct. And here is why: http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/advice-and-information/road-safe...
It's utterly depressing.
That's outrageous. According to this they are just not interested in careless driving at all, just dangerous driving as legally defined... http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/advice-and-information/road-safe... So they just aren't upholding the law?
Imbecile driver, failing to take account of on-coming traffic, but unwise to gesture in an overtly hostile way - these days I prefer a thumbs down, which is clear and non-confrontational. I also use a thumbs up as an acknowledgment.
I don't actually think it was a punishment pass. Just a close one; traffic coming the other way. So ignorance as opposed to malicious.
I try to wave may arm in a "more space" kinda sign language way. Don't know if it helps or not :o/
Also best to start any conversation with "I don't want to have a go mate" or "That really scared the sh!t out of me mate" etc
I always give the thumb and forefinger gesture for "teeny bit close, there, old chum!".
(Of course, it might also seem as if I'm casting aspersions on the motorists manhood...).
last time I tried that one, the car then swerved so hard to the left, I guess to show me how much less room they could have given me, they managed nearly have an accident by themsleves by driving into the kerb. Which had a certain karma to it, but I just stick my tongue out now.
I think we just have to accept regardless of how you react to these things, there are idiots behind the wheels of vehicles looking to cause harm to people. all we can do is keep videoing them, keep publicising them and keep badgering the authorities to take it seriously.
Consequences....fine, give the driver 'the finger', but be fully prepared for what he might do next through you escalating the situation; remember this is a guy who is OK about dishing out punishment passes to cyclists. Could have been way more serious than a bit of verbal and an attempted slap. Fine, it'll all be on camera and the driver will be punished, but what condition will you be in?
Who knows, the risk works both ways.
And if you see someone getting their head kicked in, just walk on by. Who knows what might happen if you say something?
So the driver couldn't see the cyclists clearly through his windscreen to pass safely but could see the cyclist clearly gesticulating at him through his wing mirror?
Pretty clear case of reckless driving to me but alas our lack of justice on the roads means this knuckle dragger will be free to endanger more lives for years to come.
The serious failure of justice is that this is a prime example of where early punishment and prevention will protect lives but sadly no one gives a shit
Had this happen to me...you're right no-one gives a shit....be better carrying a pepper spray and issuing 'local justice' to these thick arseholes...
I think I am mostly annoyed about this "news".