Near Miss of the Day 60: Van cuts across from the left, police say it wasn’t dangerous

Today’s near miss features some unusual angles. The driver of a white van moves from the left to turn right, cutting across the path of a cyclist who is himself moving across to join a cycleway near the same junction.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning on Abingdon Way in Boldon Colliery.

Gary Dawes, who sent us the video, said: “It was reported to Northumbria Police, who sent an officer who has watched the footage. She didn't want a copy, and didn't consider it close or dangerous at all.

“She spoke to the driver who also thinks it was safe. She told him I was shaken, so I'm sure he'll drive much more carefully in future.”

You can probably infer the tone of that last sentence.

Gary has since traced the firm that owns the van, FLG Services.

“Their initial responses were swift and positive. They stated that they took the incident seriously and the driver will be interviewed by a regional manager.”

Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.

If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page.

If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).

Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.