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Near Miss of the Day 232:Punishment pass and brake check

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s Northamptonshire
by Simon_MacMichael
Wed, Jan 02, 2019 13:58
18

“Yet another Northamptonshire driver who thinks this is acceptable driving standard,” says road.cc reader Dave of this latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series.

“A punishment pass and brake check as he thought I was being awkward by riding in the middle of the road,” he continued.

“Of course I was riding in the primary position to try to prevent such behaviour.

“At least this time Northamptonshire police agreed, I did have reason to report him, and the driver was offered (and accepted) a driver alertness course.

“Hopefully he will be more considerate next time he overtakes,” he added.

> 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

Near Miss of the Day
NMotD Northamptonshire
Simon MacMichael

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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18 comments

Avatar
StraelGuy | 5 years ago
0 likes

That's what so scary about our roads these days. Since the economic crash, joe public has looooong worked out that there basically isn't any day to day road policing any more. Driving (let alone cycling) is getting more and more like the wild west every day.

Avatar
Pedantic Pedaller | 5 years ago
2 likes

I have answered my own question:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429995/bull-bars.pdf

It reminds me of 2003 when the Government announced it was making it illegal to drive and use a mobile telephone.

Then we discover not.  The Government only made it illegal to drive and hold an object in the handsurprise

Avatar
Pedantic Pedaller | 5 years ago
1 like

BULL BARS?

The vehicle is fitted with "bull bars" on the front.

Is this legal?

Avatar
grumpyoldcyclist | 5 years ago
4 likes

Nice that on this occasion the police did what was expected and the driver had to pay to be educated for the day.

They might, just might, remember that.

Avatar
Pilot Pete replied to grumpyoldcyclist | 5 years ago
0 likes

grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

Nice that on this occasion the police did what was expected and the driver had to pay to be educated for the day.

They might, just might, remember that.

I would think they will probably think “if I get caught doing this again, I might get prosecuted rather than an awareness course”. That is more likely to deter a repeat, unless they are truly brain dead...

Avatar
kil0ran | 5 years ago
4 likes

Illegal overtake regardless of anything else - overtaking on zebra crossing markings

 

Avatar
mike the bike replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
3 likes

kil0ran wrote:

Illegal overtake regardless of anything else - overtaking on zebra crossing markings

 

Not sure about that sir.  It is certainly forbidden to overtake another vehicle on the approach side but whether a bike is, in law, a vehicle is a somewhat murky area.   

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to mike the bike | 5 years ago
0 likes

mike the bike wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Illegal overtake regardless of anything else - overtaking on zebra crossing markings

 

Not sure about that sir.  It is certainly forbidden to overtake another vehicle on the approach side but whether a bike is, in law, a vehicle is a somewhat murky area.   

The Highway Code is a bit vague, but the law is very specific *in this instance*, a bike is NOT considered a vehicle. Unless it’s got a side-car attachment (of course?!).

So yep, it’s not illegal for a car to overtake a bike on zigzags.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/regulation/27/made

Avatar
kil0ran replied to HoarseMann | 5 years ago
0 likes

HoarseMann wrote:

mike the bike wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Illegal overtake regardless of anything else - overtaking on zebra crossing markings

 

Not sure about that sir.  It is certainly forbidden to overtake another vehicle on the approach side but whether a bike is, in law, a vehicle is a somewhat murky area.   

The Highway Code is a bit vague, but the law is very specific *in this instance*, a bike is NOT considered a vehicle. Unless it’s got a side-car attachment (of course?!). So yep, it’s not illegal for a car to overtake a bike on zigzags. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/3113/regulation/27/made

 

Thanks for clarifying.

Avatar
Awavey replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
1 like

kil0ran wrote:

Illegal overtake regardless of anything else - overtaking on zebra crossing markings

 

thought we went through this last time one of those came up, technically its not, because the way the actual law is worded on the markings, it only applies to not overtaking a motorised vehicle, cyclists are sadly fair game in that circumstance, though you could argue its driving without due care and attention.

 

its rubbish overtake and annoying that they effectively lean on the cyclist to get out of their way, but Im not sure if its a brake test as their brake lights are already on passing and it looks an awkward junction as you look right to check it really is still clear to proceed as that view will have been blocked even in a tank like that by the other cars and road angle, and you probably see the red light for the other lane first, then the green still next to it, they could easily have confused themselves and braked as a result,as once the wingmirror is past most drivers assume you arent there on a bike anymore anyway

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
9 likes

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

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burtthebike replied to HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
7 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

I was always disappointed that no SUV company would use my advertising slogan;

"Only got four inches?  Drive a 4x4"

Avatar
Capercaillie replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

HarrogateSpa wrote:

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

I was always disappointed that no SUV company would use my advertising slogan;

"Only got four inches?  Drive a 4x4"

Saw one shiny black Rangerover with the personalised number plate "ME BIG".

Surely that's just further advertising their inadequacies, plus their probable bullying driving.

 

Avatar
Rik Mayals unde... replied to Capercaillie | 5 years ago
0 likes

CaribbeanQueen wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

HarrogateSpa wrote:

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

I was always disappointed that no SUV company would use my advertising slogan;

"Only got four inches?  Drive a 4x4"

Saw one shiny black Rangerover with the personalised number plate "ME BIG".

Surely that's just further advertising their inadequacies, plus their probable bullying driving.

 

I saw a belter this week. A woman driving a white merc, with the reg no: MR5 1 NAG. Spaced just like that. Either she is game for a laugh, or thick. Her husband must be brave, because she wouldn't have had the plates made spaced like that. 

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
3 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

 

I really need to up my game on my Raleigh Rapide!

Avatar
armb replied to alansmurphy | 5 years ago
1 like

alansmurphy wrote:

HarrogateSpa wrote:

It's not a big surprise that someone who thinks it's a good idea to buy a car called 'Warrior', drives aggressively.

I really need to up my game on my Raleigh Rapide!

I have a Raleigh Vitesse and a Dahon Vitesse, and I'm not very fast on either. I'm a bit worried what it says that I used to drive an Escort....

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
6 likes

Hang on, if another driver gets convicted of using his vehicle as a weapon, why wasn't this prosecuted the same?  The intention was clear, to knock off and probably injure the cyclist, so why aren't cases like this assault.  They would be if any other weapon than a car was used.

Avatar
alansmurphy | 5 years ago
5 likes

Unless the rider has further conversations to say the driver was annoyed, I'm not sure they were or that it was a brake check as such. It was worse.

 

Terrible driving, risking injury to you, lack of awareness of the road ahead and not wanting to damage their precious alloys on the island ahead. I mean, just putting the brakes on and letting you through may have cost them 5 precious seconds so that wasn't an option!

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