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news
Near Miss of the Day 95: Driver almost takes out rider's rear wheel through roadworks
Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day series is one that didn't seem that bad to the cyclist involved at the time ... until he reviewed the footage from his rear-facing camera later and realised that the driver of a Mercedes had come within inches of taking out his rear wheel as they headed through a section of roadworks.
The cyclist involved was YouTube user - and road.cc reader - Westcliff GoPro, with the incident happening on the A13 London Road in Southend-on-Sea at around noon on Sunday 12 February.
He told us: "At the time I knew he was close as you see me about to take the lane and then swerving to my left.
"What I never realised is just how close he came to hitting my back wheel until I uploaded the video and looked at the rear camera.
"And of course this MGIF ['must get in front'] was so he could reach the red light queue 20 yards ahead.
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 (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.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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17 comments
Sorry, any comments on teh cyclists conduct need to be shelved on this one.
The problem is the poor drivingstandards shown. Those actions were not malice driven, it was just ignorance personified. As mentioned MGIF, to hell with the danger.
All this talk about what the cyclist could / should have done are missing the point spectacularly.
Would love to know the Police's response. No doubt it will be something along the lines of 'no harm no foul'
Double post sorry
Completely agree, in fact I suspect that the driver never actually 'saw' the rider. His eyes saw a moving object, but it didn't register in his brain. Probably hadn't a clue when the rider challenged him!
No excuse tho'.
It seems rather harsh blaming it on the rider. He was pulling out but the car didn’t give him a chance. Perhaps he should have pulled out earlier, but the car may have gone past anyway. Personally I have had someone do exactly the same once when I was riding a motorbike (125 with L plates), and he didn’t like the mouth full I gave him and didn’t see what was wrong with doing it to a motorbike that was pulling out in to roadworks, so would clearly have no problem with doing it to a cyclist.
Prevent this ocurring by cycling assertively. (see pic from DfT)
CyclistRideCentralB.jpg
According to comments he has made in the YouTube video, he has reported it, though he also says he doesn't hold out much hope any action will be taken.
Westcliff, please report this! Overtaking dangerously in roadworks, just insane.
'happening on the A13 London Road in Southend-on-Sea at around noon on Sunday 12 February'
Well the 12th is today, Monday, so we could have some evidential issues.....
2017?
If he didn't realise that it was bad why was he getting the face. Love it though, very subtle...
If you look at the beginning he did have the primary, but the car driver was forcing himself through as he started around the road works.
Yeah i get that every now and then. Once i stopped to ask the driver why she was trying to kill me. She looked panic'd and her bf in the other seat started yelling "close the window" "he can go ride in his lane"
The street has huge markings showing bikes.. it is.. my lane lol.
I don't think you can do much about these, and where I live (SF, CA) the cops don't give 2 donuts about this. Neither do the bikes for that matter. Since we have no enforcement of basic safety laws between car, bikes and pedestrians there, it's pretty crappy and getting worse every single day. You really gotta like the danger (I admit, I'm usually ok with it). Most of my colleagues stopped riding in the city entirely.
Not good but rider should have took to the middle of the road, primary position to stop exactly this sort of impatient overtake.
Agreed. Very poor driving; perhaps earlier assertion of a primary position may have helped. I glance over my shoulder as I approach something like that, or a pinch point, and quite often signal right and quickly take the lane.
Please report this driver. Even if the police do nothing, which would be dreadful in itself, at least in the future they wouldn't be able to deny receiving reports of issues with drivers like this. If they aren't reported, according to the police, 'there is no problem'.
Wow that's some stupid driving!
Wow! I mean, what was the point of that dangerous overtake? Total cretin.
No mention of whether this has been reported to the police, so I'm assuming not, which would be a shame. This guy needs reporting and taking off the road until he's learned to drive. I don't want to meet him on the road unless he's changed his attitude.
Nice way to get his face, which would be a bit pointless unless you're going to report it.