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news
Video: Police release footage highlighting danger of cyclists' car-swerving ‘game’
Hertfordshire Police have released a video to warn of the dangers of a car-swerving ‘game’. It focuses on Paul Belcher who was involved in a collision in October last year.
Sergeant Leah McDermott from the Borehamwood Safer Neighbourhood Team pointed out that drivers faced with an impending collision are likely to try and take evasive action, which could lead to an incident in itself.
“This so-called ‘game’ just doesn’t make sense. Those who attempt to swerve in front of cars are not only putting themselves in real danger, but also those in the vehicles.”
Belcher’s mum, Lesley, said that she learned her son had been involved in a collision after his friend posted the footage to Instagram.
“When he walked through the door and looked at me, I just thought ‘you’re so stupid’. I can’t… I just genuinely can’t believe how stupid you are.”
The driver slowed sufficiently that Paul escaped with just severe bruising, but his bike was destroyed. “He needed a new bike, but he didn’t get one,” said Lesley. “He’s going to have to earn himself a new bike.”
McDermott thanked Lesley for appearing in the film, adding: “This is not a game you want to play. You versus a car – you are not going to come off best.”
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.
Latest Comments
- eburtthebike 5 sec ago
Six months too long.
- eburtthebike 7 min 3 sec ago
About ten years ago, when I was a bike mechanic, I had a series of three bikes in a couple of weeks with the front brake cable wrapped around the...
- IanMunro 21 min ago
It's astounding that people managed to ride bicycles at all before bike fitters started selling their services to the public..
- KDee 25 min 30 sec ago
Interesting article published by Dutch News (link below). I don't drive much in NL, so didn't know that you can effectively keep racking up fines...
- Oldfatgit 26 min 7 sec ago
* waves * Go have the same collision that I had - without wearing a helmet - and we'll compare brain injuries. I'll wait.
- David9694 1 hour 43 min ago
Essex campaigners welcome Extra Eyes initiative to catch bad drivers https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/24297908.essex-campaigners-welcome-e...
- Eton Rifle 1 hour 59 min ago
Yeah, I know it's not ALL about aesthetics but, Christ that looks horrible. ...
- Nick T 4 hours 39 min ago
As a motorbiker as well as cyclist, that side nod is how I greet other riders
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Boatsie, is that you?
- timmyotool 11 hours 46 min ago
£52 of sale price is so impressive, when you see some companies giving small %age of profits from sales to similar initiatives. Well done Galibier!
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89 comments
I tried to watch the video but the backing music was unbearable. You wouldn't have backing music during a lecture or a public meeting so why does this video need it?
Driver decides to play chicken, despite the kid obviously having no use of the front brake or steering.
Kid is an idiot, that said there were some truly shocking examples in the intro montage of cyclists actually swerving at cars which does not appear to be the case in the collision. Very hard to swerve with front wheel off the floor.
Also the wheelie on the roundabout was very impressive.
Is there another longer clip to watch?
There are comments about why she didn't stop, but where did the bike appear from? Off the pavement, from behind the dash cam car? I didn't see anything that showed where the lad came from.
Yeah, there was a longer clip, probably found on the older article on this foolish child meeting a dangerous driver. The kid was in the other lane for a while before the collision.
I can appreciate what this police video was trying to achieve, but they used a completely inappropriate example which mostly shows a dangerous driver... Or, is driving into oncoming cyclists merely careless these days?
Nice history rewriting going on
Thanks for that.
You can drive on the wrong side of the road round a bend and hit a cyclist who has fallen off and get away with it if you are a female doctor (can't remember the name).
who cares - he is an idiot who got what he deserved
Fuckwit. Shame he got off so lightly.
These morons aren't "cyclists". They aren't representative of anyone who visits this website. They're dicks looking for a reaction.
The driver was obviously allready distracted by the advanced guard of morons and the little dick at the back got what he deserved.You have to laugh as he desperately trys to steer his bike out of the way when hes pulling a wheely.No sympathey here at all.
Best teach the little shit with a couple of tons of car, here's hoping the little scrote doesn't go on to become a bus driver or HGV driver after having been taught that might is right. Apologies as there isn't a slow clap emoticon.
The wee nyaff got his just desserts but the "on a bike you're not insured" line is trotted out by the mother, and she actually praises the driver who clearly could've stopped but didn't. The level of societal conditioning involved in inculcating such a stance is stupendous. People have so little perspective it beggars belief.
Human beings have an unfortunate tendency towards power-worship, it's why fascism is an ever-present possibility (see also the return of one of our unimaginative trolls on this thread - I wonder if he was aroused from standby-mode by LBC, which shows no sign of reigning in its 24/7 petrol-head anti-cycling hate campaign)
The most upsetting thing about this video is the thought that these kids will trade in their bikes for cars and be granted driving licences in just a few short years time.
Why didn't the car stop?
And where did plod find the resources for this video?
When are we going to get the piss poor driver being singled out in a plod video?
Quite (and seven also makes the point). On the many occasions that a driver has overtaken me into oncoming traffic at far higher speeds than the kid here, I've yet to experience the oncoming driver not being able to stop or slow down sufficiently to avoid a collision. Pudsey Pedaller's observation that the driver turns to the offside is also baffling (the action not PP's point).
Most of all though, when adults (the driver) behave as badly as that kid, you know something is seriously wrong with their maturity.
Having being on the end of Herts 'finest' too often I'm shocked as to where they found the resources because they'll do fuck all when it's people on bikes being cut up, driven at, assaulted, hit and run etc and will stoop so low as to harass the victim of assault and pervert the course of justice so that the person acting out the assault gets off.
They have such integrity that an inspector will blow you off without any notice (literally turned up and no-one at the station so had to phone the command centre) when you turn up to resolve a complaint because you aren't prepared to turn up at an unmanned station at 10pm instead!
You'll also get the chief inspector protecting her minions and spouting bullshit to try to explain away their unlawful/criminal acts.
But yeah, we can spend time and money on something like this, fucking wankers!
As for the bullshit about the skull being like an eggshell, just lol, it's not, it offers more protective qualities than a cycle helmet for a start off.
The kid was immensely stupid for doing what he did and he was lucky to come away only walking wounded. Unfortunately, teenagers and adolescents take risks that other age groups wouldn't; it's part of growing up. That's not to excuse their actions, but it does mean that if you see them behaving in risk-taking behaviour, you have a responsibility to do what you can to reduce that risk, not add to it. This is especially true if you are in control of a vehicle that has the very real potential to kill another human being.
However, the driver doesn't appear to take any kind of evasive action despite the group of young cyclists obviously not cycling in a safe manner. As has already been mentioned, the cyclist by no means swerved into the driver's path at the last second.
There's also the fact the car is positioned against the centre white line as the video begins despite one of the other cyclists riding on and even slightly over the white line.
Finally, as the cyclist is hit, you can see the car is actually pointing toward the oncoming lane, not toward the kerb as you would expect if they were trying to avoid a collision.
I'm not suggesting the driver deliberately aimed for the cyclist, only that their hazard perception is so woefully lacking that they'd surely fail that part of the theory test. That would mean their driving fell below the standard expected of a competent driver which in turn means that this was careless driving at the very least.
Also, this behaviour should be considered a 'game' only in the same way hunting can be considered a 'sport'.
Anyone with any sense isn't going to continue driving with a silly kid wheelying toward them.
Leaving aside any possible prosecution (however unlikely) - nobody should want to hit a bike - fixing your bonnet is going to be £100s.
I have to concur with the other comments here.
I would not do this, but when I was young I did do other stupid things.
What I have never done, as both a young or mature driver, is to drive towards a kid on a bicycle like that driver did.
Also it is shameful that our kids don’t have safe places and segregated onfrastructure so that they can explore their environment safely on a bicycle.
wow do you really believe these kids play chicken on the roads because they don't have a park? Get real, they do it because of peer pressure and for excitement. If they weren't doing this they'd be leaping in front of trains or something else equally dangerous. Stupid people do stupid things, a bit of infrastructure will never change that.
Shock news! Teenagers behave like teenagers. At least they weren't twocing cars and driving like that.
Lots of people that age take risks, it's part of growing up, rebelling against authority. The only thing that makes this newsworthy is that they did it on bikes, which I'm sure every cyclist finds rather annoying as it gives the drivers yet another stick to beat us with. Hopefully the lad has learned his lesson and has a slightly more realistic awareness of risk.
Did anyone else notice the illegally parked car causing danger half on the pavement at the junction in the background while the policewoman is talking? I wonder if she did anything about it?
I’ve seen this video before, yes the kids a dick. but he’s right in front of the car for a significant period of time and the car driver drivers straight into him it’s not like he swerved in front at the last second. It’s that sort of self entitlement that landed CA in prison for 18 months. There any number of reasons somebody could end up in the wrong lane it doesn’t mean a motorist should do nothing to avoid a collision, it’s a kid FFS.
Don't think you can say that, no one expects a kid to purposely ride into you path.
on purposely, by mistake, it doesn’t matter if your going to hit somebody you stop. Cyclist have been sent to prison for anything less.
Care to provide an example ?
Charlie Alliston, he had no brake I hear you cry!
He was found not guilty of man slaughter and only guilty of W&F. Read the judges comments,
“On your own evidence by this stage you weren’t even trying to slow or stop. You expected her to get out of your way. Thus I make it clear that it was not merely the absence of a front brake but your whole manner of riding that caused this accident.“
and how about the Highway Code,
“The rules in The Highway Code do not give you the right of way in any circumstance, but they advise you when you should give way to others. Always give way if it can help to avoid an incident.”
This motorist could have stop but didn’t and contribute too the incident. If the kid and fallen on there head and die do you think the driver would have thought there was nothing they could have done, do you think they would have felt no guilt ?
Comparing someone willfully riding against traffic versus an accidental collision between a cyclist and distracted pedestrian. Nice shoehorning of some agenda, but totally different cases
No you miss my point, I’m comparing mrs Briggs to your ferial child, and Charlie to the motorists. she will fully walked into his path. It was CA not bothering to stop which resulted in his conviction.
Also not that I’m matter in this case but the suggestion that mrs Briggs was on the phone at the time was withdrawn in court.
No comment on the Highway Code ?
Clearly, but being stubborn isn't usually considered a virtue.
For which they should be held to account. That does not mean they deserve to be seriously injured or killed or that a driver has the right to continue to drive at them when they are in a position not to.
Again, no-one is defending the
yobscyclists, that would be a straw man. We are pointing out that the driver was in a position to avoid the collision or at the very least minimise the impact, that they had a responsibility to do this and that for some reason (choice or incompetence), they didn't do this.With respect to the vehicle they are using the are vulnerable, especially when it comes to interactions with motorised vehicles.
Certainly, the other cyclists and pedestrians are also vulnerable. Not so much the cars (or more accurately, the drivers of those cars).
I don't have to be religious to have an expectation that drivers who have the very real potential to KSI me when I'm on a bicycle, not only recognise that potential, but also drive in a manner that respects that potential. Also, the
feralcyclist in no way endangered the driver in this video.That 's your opinion. If the driver had to do an emergency stop or evasive maneuvre, the outcome could have been as dangerous. But keep defending the feral, go for it .
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