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Near Miss of the Day 73: Motorist passes cyclist so closely as to make contact (adult language ensues)

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s the West Midlands

It’s not always easy to perceive how close a pass is on film. Not so on this occasion where a number of drivers pass safely to give us a benchmark before a beeping motorist passes with an audible thud.

The incident occurred during Richard’s commute home on November 9, travelling from Walsall towards Sutton Coldfield up the B4151 Sutton Road.

“The bike was lit up like a Christmas tree: two dipped beam front lights, two flashers and a flashing beacon on the helmet; four rear lights and a flashing helmet beacon facing rearwards; plus a large retroreflective panel on my back and wide retroreflectives on my ankles.

“With hindsight, my Christmas tree is less well-lit.

“The car went past so close he made actual contact – the wing mirror hitting me on my hand that was holding onto the handlebars – darn nearly fetched me off; another centimetre closer and I would have been taken out for sure.

“He almost certainly knew that I was there – there was a horn that sounded about two seconds beforehand.”

Richard reported the incident to West Midlands Police – pioneers of the close pass initiative that is now being adopted by many forces – but was told: “We’re taking no action; insufficient evidence and this wasn’t a collision.”

Richard said he was too frightened to ride his bike for a fortnight.

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.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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19 comments

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fenix | 6 years ago
0 likes

Oh great news. Thanks for updating us.

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Richard D | 6 years ago
4 likes

An update.  I kicked up a bit of fuss, as a result The Police reviewed and reversed their decision, and then did what they ought to have done in the first place.  

The other party has been offered the opportunity to attend and complete a Driver Awareness Course as an alternative to prosecution for careless driving.

Which I'm content with, as I wasn't injured.

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ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
8 likes

If getting hit by a car isn't a valid reason to get a bit shouty and sweary, then I don't know what is.

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Metaphor | 6 years ago
4 likes

I would also recommend that you contact Cycling UK and ask for their advice and assistance. I was at a conference only a month back and they told campaigners to get in touch about another issue, so go ahead. This needs to be made an example of

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pete1999 | 6 years ago
6 likes

Seriously, raise a formal complaint with the Police Complaints Commission. You have nothing to loose.

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80sMatchbox | 6 years ago
3 likes

Absolutely ridiculous response from the police.

If it was me I'd start a social media campaign to find the culprit.

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spen | 6 years ago
0 likes

If the road is wide with plenty of space to pass at that point isn't it the very place you should be in primary position?  If the roads narrow and taking primary would hold up other traffic then move to the side.  

 

As this wasn't a collision and assault includes the fear of violence or harm and as the driver chose to pass in that manner, isn't this incident an assault?

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
2 likes

Just how much closer does it have to be?  Presumably there has to be a body before this police force will take action.

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Richard D | 6 years ago
4 likes

Sorry about the language, by the way.  I tend to be a bit shouty sometimes, and incidents like this provoke an almost inevitable reaction from me.

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Richard D | 6 years ago
8 likes

I ride up that road every day; there's absolutely no need to take primary, there is plenty of space for cars to pass safely - which is why this was so shocking.  If anything, primary would be an invitation to trouble, as it early would hold motorists up for no good reason.  I "auditioned" a few routes home, and that came out as by far the safest/easiest; the reverse of my ride in leaves me with two horrible junctions to negotiate instead, whereas Sutton Road goes exactly where I need it to.  It's only drawback is that it's the biggest hill this side of north Birmingham!

I have indeed suggested to the Police that they can manage without that part of my Council Tax next year if they're going to do chuff-all when I get hit. 

I've got a second close pass on video that was sent to the Police a couple of months earlier where a driver deliberately got very close so that his passenger was able to grab me.  The Police were unable to trace the driver.  Despite the fact that it was a private plate car, with the plate very obviously a reference to the driver's surname.

It's not been a very safe or comfortable experience commuting by bike this year.  I'm now convinced that the main purpose of my videos is to give my family some evidence to take to the solicitors when I'm seriously hurt or killed.  Because it's starting to feel like I'm on borrowed time, with absolutely nothing being done by the authorities to protect anyone who rides a bike  2

 

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CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
5 likes

Well that's probably the first proper 'near miss' video on here - as in they nearly missed but just managed to hit the cyclist. 

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fatsmoker | 6 years ago
0 likes

I was wondering if the take primary position post would be here and it is.  The only problem with taking primary on this road is that there's a constant stream of oncoming cars, so no overtaking opportunities if one were to ride primary. That would infuriate everyone. I know it's a cyclists right to take primary but you have to consider everyone.

 

  I just wouldn't ride that road. Too narrow, too fast moving, too busy.  The path is huge and empty - shared use?

Edit: Looking a the map the bloke doesn't have much choice - shitty infrastrcuture.

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Pushing50 replied to fatsmoker | 6 years ago
5 likes

fatsmoker wrote:

I was wondering if the take primary position post would be here and it is.  The only problem with taking primary on this road is that there's a constant stream of oncoming cars, so no overtaking opportunities if one were to ride primary. That would infuriate everyone. I know it's a cyclists right to take primary but you have to consider everyone.

 

  I just wouldn't ride that road. Too narrow, too fast moving, too busy.  The path is huge and empty - shared use?

Edit: Looking a the map the bloke doesn't have much choice - shitty infrastrcuture.

 

Looking at where the car hit him, the footway ends in a few metres and there is a grass verge on the left. Would you cycle on this pavement and then enter the busy road in the dark? Simply put, the vehicle was travelling too close and too fast to perform a safe overtake wherever the rider was positioned, especially with the amount of oncoming vehicles. Therefore driving without due care and consideration. WMP hang your heads in shame you hypocrites.

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Paul_C | 6 years ago
1 like

cars coming the other way, lanes are narrow, should have been in 'primary'... make everybody overtake you correctly then... ride too close to the gutter and they think they can squeeze past...

sadly, this government don't want to spend money on proper protected infrastructure...

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alansmurphy replied to Paul_C | 6 years ago
5 likes
Paul_C wrote:

make everybody overtake you correctly then...

Or "make somebody kill you then".

Ridiculous statement!

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OhYesWell | 6 years ago
1 like

police can't be bothered to do their job properly? Must be waiting 'til they retire and can pick on MPs...

Wonder if the conclusion would have been the same if the cyclist had been the plod's(decision-maker's) brat?

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Biggus-Dickkus | 6 years ago
6 likes

Ask for a deduction in council tax or refuse to pay it if the police are not doing their job properly...

 

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Metaphor | 6 years ago
7 likes

Another dereliction of duty on behalf of the police

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The Gavalier | 6 years ago
11 likes

Insufficient evidence? Words fail me. And this from West Midland Police??????

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