Video: Motorist hits cyclist while attempting to squeeze past on busy A-road

Dashcam footage shows the moment when a cyclist was knocked off by a motorist who was attempting to squeeze past him on the A23 in Crawley, West Sussex. Police were reported to have been called to the scene but no further action was taken.

Richard Moule, who was driving behind, captured the footage on February 12 via his dash cam, just after the traffic lights opposite Goffs Park.

He told the Daily Mail that a nurse who had been in a car behind had tended to the cyclist: “He was bruised and battered but had no broken bones, his elbow hurt the most as that's what took most of the damage. It was his clothing and bike came out worse off.”

The driver emerged from her car after about five minutes. Moule said that police and an ambulance were called but he believes that the matter is being dealt with only through insurance.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s Senior Road Safety and Legal Campaigns officer said: “Here we can clearly see someone driving so close behind a cyclist in traffic that the occupants of the following car comment upon it. Then we see an overtaking manoeuvre when there is nowhere near enough space to do so safely, completely ignoring the Highway Code rules. Subsequently the driver drifts towards the cyclist, who is clearly visible and cycling in a straight line at all times, causing the collision. That’s clearly driving which falls below a competent standard."

Referring to West Midlands Police’s pioneering close-pass initiative, he added: “We’d heartily urge West Sussex police to invite West Midlands Traffic Police down to advise their officers on how to deal with collisions involving Vulnerable Road Users, as they’ve clearly got it very wrong in this case.”

Having reviewed the footage, West Sussex Police have now confirmed that they are investigating.