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news
Near Miss of the Day 204: Bus driver overtakes cyclist then pulls straight in to avoid oncoming traffic
The latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows a bus driver overtaking a cyclist on a country road in Hertfordshire – then immediately cutting in to avoid oncoming traffic.
It happened on Sunday afternoon just after 3.3pm and was filmed by road.cc reader Zac while he was on a group ride on Carborne Hill just outside Newgate Street village in Welwyn Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
It’s not clear which route the bus was on nor who the operator is – it is in Transport for London livery, however, and the location is just a couple of kilometres outside the M25.
It’s one of a number of videos we have seen recently featuring bus drivers overtaking cyclists dangerously.
Police in Bristol twice warned operator FirstBus about close passes after two separate incidents were filmed there on the same day earlier this month.
> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 - Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?
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.
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
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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Thank you for that update NMOTD204.
Update on this Near Miss.
Driver pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. Recieved 7 penalty points, £400 fine, £100 costs and £40 victim surcharge.
!!
Obviously you need to go faster !
I was the rider in the video sent to Road.cc by the camera owner. I'll keep things brief.
This near miss happened at a speed of 38mph.
I have all the vehicle details, and reported the incident to both the bus operator (CT Plus) and the rail company (GNR) who were responsible for contracting out this rail replacement service. Only GNR have responded so far.
The incident has been reported to Hertfordshire Police.
Screen Shot 2018-10-29 at 01.15.31.png
YY66PYF, I think?
Bus driver does a good job overtaking the 1st red cyclist, but spent a long time alongside 2nd rider - perhaps feared gap between leading and 2nd rider was too small and not wanting to pull in too early ?
That's poor assessment - only overtake if you can finish in the space available.
Some rural buses drive a bit over the centre line because of overhanging trees and branches and also because continuously slamming the left wheels on the drain covers is unpleasant for passengers. I'd guess positioning over the c/l discourages drivers from attempting overtakes and forcing the bus to brake hard to avoid branches?
While bus driver is at fault, I have to say the 2nd rider could have helped by braking earlier once the bus was alongside - when any long vehicle overtakes I freewheel with fingers on the brakes so I can brake out of the gap if it narrows. Just saying ...
It is disappointing how often drivers misjudge rider's speeds. As I often ride at 25mph+, I keep my cadence at around 100rpm. Whirling legs give drivers a clue that I'm moving fast (plus fluo. colours and 2x flashing rear lights in daylight).
And risk the driver slamming his brakes on just after he goes past ?
I've had a bus alongside brake hard. And he pulled in at the same time.
Where would you prefer to be - alongside the bus going fast or behind it, going more slowly?
And if I might come off because all my space has been taken, less speed gives me more time and lessens any impact.
Your choice though ...
You don't seem to be allowing for the scenario where you let them go by and then they slam their brakes on. You are only allowing a gap to develop then them braking hard.
The only solution to the scenario you propose is to ban any overtaking...
Suicidal driving... except it's everyone else they are likely to kill.
"Suicidal driving" - I'm not sure this means what you think it means...
It's a Tfl bus, but probably not on route (I don't think they go that far north?). Buses off duty are usually the most dangerous. There is an operator logo on the front, but I'm not sure what it is. The poster definitely needs to report this to the police. It looks like the cyclist had to slow down, otherwise he'd have ended up under the bus.
Yep, agree with the comments above. The driver should have realised he didn't have the speed to get in front and abandoned the manouver.
Agree hirsute, more terrible driving.
The bus in fairness pulls out wide and early but doesn't allow for the downhill. The rider is probably doing 25-30mph. The worrying element is the bus driver doesn't at any point think that his position is dangerous, he's struggling to make the pass and think to abandon and pull in. Must get in front, no appreciation of his vehicles length or the danger his several tonnes is placing the squidgy human in!
Exactly: the bus driver remains on the wrong side of the road for a worryingly long time...
Unfortunately this seems to be the case with a lot of bus drivers. I had one the other day trying to bully me to overtake a cyclist, flashing his lights and talegating me. Perhaps I am more cautious than the average road user, having been on the receiving end (and also I always think “what would happen if 17yo me came round that corner now” rather than “can I overtake before the corner”), but if I don’t think it’s safe to pass in my moderately fast (at least compared to a bus), small, MX5, lord knows how the bus driver thinks it’s safe for him to pass too.
Seeing how the bus spent a lot of time on the wrong side of the road, I'm not sure you can claim that
The rider didn’t do himself any favours there. If he’d have stayed riding abreast, and not pulled into single file, the bus wouldn’t have been able to pull that manoeuvre.
Please save your victim-blaming for the Dail Mail comments.
Firstly, it wouldn't really be advisable to keep two up when going 25-30mph downhill, especially around corners. And most importantly, it is the bus driver who is attempting to overtake so their responsibility to make sure they carry out this maneouvre safely. The driver clearly misjudged the speed of the riders going downhill but had far too much of the 'must get past bicycle rider' mentality to accept his mistake and drop back in behind until it was safe to pass.
no victim blaming here. It’s just experience and best practice. If you take any doubts out of a following driver’s mind about whether they can ‘squeeze past’ they don’t. It’s a form of passive control, and it works.