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Near Miss of the Day 295: “Idiot” taxi driver undertaking traffic queue close-passes cyclist at speed

Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's South Yorkshire...

The latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows a taxi driver moving at speed as he undertakes a queue of traffic before making a very close pass on a cyclist – who luckily had just looked over his shoulder as he prepared to change lanes.

The footage was shot by road.cc reader Steve, who told us that it happened approaching the Racecourse Roundabout in Doncaster as he headed along Bawtry Road on his way home from a ride.

“I was in the left lane and turned to shoulder check before moving right to continue straight on when I was greeted by a mini cab at speed undercutting the traffic.

“You can see on the video clip it has no intention of slowing behind the traffic or giving me any safe passing room.

“It was reported to the police but they said not enough evidence [to prosecute], added Steve, although he said that they would send the driver a letter.  

He gave a little more information in the description to the video on YouTube, saying: So I'm doing 20mph, just started a shoulder check before looking at changing lanes, when this bloody idiot taxi driver passed at speed.

“So-called professional driver! Where was the 1.5 metre gap?

> 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

> What to do next if you’ve been involved in a road traffic collision

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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21 comments

Avatar
Butty | 4 years ago
0 likes

Whilst the taxi vehicle may display a licence, I'm often far from convinced that the driver is the actual licence holder.

The standard of driving that I've seen ( as a taxi user, car driver and cyclist) suggets that they may not even hold a driving licence.

How can it be ensured that the driver is the professional driver holding the licence?

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
6 likes

Giff, they may not be highly trained, though black cab drivers in London have to be human sat navs, but they are by most definitions’ professionals.  They get paid for what they do.

There is no qualification for footballers or golfers, the difference between amateur and professional is the payment.

 

Avatar
pockstone | 4 years ago
0 likes

Yes, licensed by the local council. Complain to them. (And the local PCC.)

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lukei1 | 4 years ago
3 likes

SYP do seem completely unwilling to prosecute anyone, check out @NthrnCyclistTVL on Twitter who has been fruitlessly reporting incidents and complaining about the responses forever. It seems shocking that there can be such a range of (in)competence for the same offence across different UK police forces

Avatar
schlepcycling | 4 years ago
3 likes

Can you complain to the local council?, the licensing email is:

licensing [at] doncaster.gov.uk

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hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
5 likes

Shame on those police.

Steve - please raise a complaint to the police about this. It probably won't change the outcome but at least it'll put it onto their stats and encourage them to actually do their dagnammit job in future.

Avatar
ROOTminus1 | 4 years ago
1 like

I've yet to try it, but in theory as they are a professional driver you could report them to the HSE for violations under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). I've not checked if there are specific exemptions for road licensed motor vehicles, but I know vehicles of other description are covered by those regs. It's an angle I'd be willing to try if I fell victim to a professional driver using a company vehicle on work business.

Avatar
giff77 replied to ROOTminus1 | 4 years ago
2 likes

ROOTminus1 wrote:

I've yet to try it, but in theory as they are a professional driver you could report them to the HSE for violations under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). I've not checked if there are specific exemptions for road licensed motor vehicles, but I know vehicles of other description are covered by those regs. It's an angle I'd be willing to try if I fell victim to a professional driver using a company vehicle on work business.

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers. They do not have to attain a further licence. All they do is prove that they have a held a licence for a minimum of 12 months and submit themselves to disclosure to prove they are a person of good standing to receive a permit. Some councils will make them sit a test but this will be an in house affair. They also need to get a private hire vehicle licence for their car which needs to meet certain requirements. All they do is drive for a living.  You can lump all the courier companies into this category as well as they drive vehicles that do not require extra training.  A company (builders merchant) I worked for used small vans to deliver goods as it meant they didn’t need to employ drivers with HGV licenses and saved money as a result  

The H&S approach may work with the taxi company or council as they are failing to provide a safe environment for the public by allowing their drivers operate like total tools!  

If the police are going to do nothing. Complain strongly to the council. They hopefully will flag the permit and either remove it or not renew it. 

Avatar
mike the bike replied to giff77 | 4 years ago
2 likes

giff77 wrote:

......  Some councils will make them sit a test but this will be an in house affair. ......

The "taxi test" may indeed be mandated by the local council but it is almost invariably carried out by the DVSA, the agency that conducts the government's testing programme.  And yes, it requires a higher standard than the normal car test.  And yes, it includes manoeuvres unique to the taxi drivers' job.  And yes, candidates do fail.

There is certainly some mileage in complaining to the council about poor driving.  It is far from unknown for a driver to be stripped of his/her licence for falling below acceptable standards and that would be my first avenue of action.

Best of luck.

Avatar
WiznaeMe replied to giff77 | 4 years ago
1 like

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Avatar
hampsoc replied to WiznaeMe | 4 years ago
1 like

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to hampsoc | 4 years ago
0 likes

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

I was thinking of this very same thing, not that long ago.  In fact, anyone can learn to drive, since at the end of the day, it's muscle memory.   Once you've been doing it long enough, it becomes second nature.  Driving safely, however, requires the ability to think, and most important - to consider other peoples' rights, and to have on one's mind constantly, the very real possibility that one's actions could potentially kill someone, or very seriously hurt them.  

Driving safely is a function of intelligence, and I'm sorry, but there can be very few holders of joint first class honours in maths and physics, who go on to become a cabbie.

Put more succinctly: most taxi drivers are as thick as shit. 

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 4 years ago
2 likes

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

I was thinking of this very same thing, not that long ago.  In fact, anyone can learn to drive, since at the end of the day, it's muscle memory.   Once you've been doing it long enough, it becomes second nature.  Driving safely, however, requires the ability to think, and most important - to consider other peoples' rights, and to have on one's mind constantly, the very real possibility that one's actions could potentially kill someone, or very seriously hurt them.  

Driving safely is a function of intelligence, and I'm sorry, but there can be very few holders of joint first class honours in maths and physics, who go on to become a cabbie.

Put more succinctly: most taxi drivers are as thick as shit. 

I don't think that's a fair assessment. I've seen lots of poor taxi driving but I've also seen very careful ones as well.

Also, Fred Housego won Mastermind in 1980 which is a clear counter-example to your sweeping statement. However, taxi driving is a career that people resort to when other options aren't available so the stupid may be over-represented.

Edit: Just found Frances Arnold, a Nobel Laureate that used to drive a taxi.

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

I was thinking of this very same thing, not that long ago.  In fact, anyone can learn to drive, since at the end of the day, it's muscle memory.   Once you've been doing it long enough, it becomes second nature.  Driving safely, however, requires the ability to think, and most important - to consider other peoples' rights, and to have on one's mind constantly, the very real possibility that one's actions could potentially kill someone, or very seriously hurt them.  

Driving safely is a function of intelligence, and I'm sorry, but there can be very few holders of joint first class honours in maths and physics, who go on to become a cabbie.

Put more succinctly: most taxi drivers are as thick as shit. 

I don't think that's a fair assessment. I've seen lots of poor taxi driving but I've also seen very careful ones as well.

Also, Fred Housego won Mastermind in 1980 which is a clear counter-example to your sweeping statement. However, taxi driving is a career that people resort to when other options aren't available so the stupid may be over-represented.

Edit: Just found Frances Arnold, a Nobel Laureate that used to drive a taxi.

You must be living in a different place.  I live in London - for another three days anyway - and the only 'safe' taxi drivers I've seen, are the ones whose colossal idiocy is taken into account by other road users, who keep out of their way.  They are a lethal menace, whose utter disregard for the safety of others is made worse by their belligerent, mouthy belief that their pursuit of money is more important than other people's lives and comfort.

But of course, there as exceptions, as you quite rightly point out.  Those exceptions just constitute an infinitesimally small percentage of the global 'swarm' of the cockroaches that they are.

Clever people can be selfish.  Take those two doctors whom 'Cycling Mikey' stopped from driving on the wrong side of the road.  Take Lord Winston.  But those two doctors weren't endangering anyone, really.  They were breaking the law and being twats, but no one was placed in imminent danger of death.  But every single time I have almost been killed by some thick f**k on the roads and have bothered to remonstrate, the response has always been gobby abuse, delivered in a SE London accent with a command of vocabulary that would embarrass an eight year old.  

In response to 'fluffykitten' - it's entirely possible that I have 'issues' with people of low intelligence.  But I can tolerate a lack of brains.  I can tolerate malice.  What I can't abide is when stupid people are nasty.  And that's basically the British taxi driver.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 4 years ago
1 like

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

You must be living in a different place.  I live in London - for another three days anyway - and the only 'safe' taxi drivers I've seen, are the ones whose colossal idiocy is taken into account by other road users, who keep out of their way.  They are a lethal menace, whose utter disregard for the safety of others is made worse by their belligerent, mouthy belief that their pursuit of money is more important than other people's lives and comfort.

But of course, there as exceptions, as you quite rightly point out.  Those exceptions just constitute an infinitesimally small percentage of the global 'swarm' of the cockroaches that they are.

Clever people can be selfish.  Take those two doctors whom 'Cycling Mikey' stopped from driving on the wrong side of the road.  Take Lord Winston.  But those two doctors weren't endangering anyone, really.  They were breaking the law and being twats, but no one was placed in imminent danger of death.  But every single time I have almost been killed by some thick f**k on the roads and have bothered to remonstrate, the response has always been gobby abuse, delivered in a SE London accent with a command of vocabulary that would embarrass an eight year old.  

In response to 'fluffykitten' - it's entirely possible that I have 'issues' with people of low intelligence.  But I can tolerate a lack of brains.  I can tolerate malice.  What I can't abide is when stupid people are nasty.  And that's basically the British taxi driver.

Yeah - Bristol for me.

I'm wondering if you're falling victim to selection bias with regards to taxi drivers as I've seen poor driving by all sorts of other drivers too.

It's been very rare that remonstrating to drivers has had a positive effect, so these days I let the camera do the recording and the police do the talking.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 4 years ago
0 likes

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

I was thinking of this very same thing, not that long ago.  In fact, anyone can learn to drive, since at the end of the day, it's muscle memory.   Once you've been doing it long enough, it becomes second nature.  Driving safely, however, requires the ability to think, and most important - to consider other peoples' rights, and to have on one's mind constantly, the very real possibility that one's actions could potentially kill someone, or very seriously hurt them.  

Driving safely is a function of intelligence, and I'm sorry, but there can be very few holders of joint first class honours in maths and physics, who go on to become a cabbie.

Put more succinctly: most taxi drivers are as thick as shit. 

 

Nah - it's not about being 'thick'.  I'd be really cautious about calling any group 'thick', in fact I'm not entirely sure about calling any individual 'thick'.  Much of the time what looks like 'stupidity' is deliberate and is employed because it benefits the person being 'stupid'.  People are often just as clever as they are incentivised to be.

 

Taxi drivers are often stressed, in a hurry, and sometimes (I suspect) full of a resentment that makes them less-than-concientious about the well-being of other road-users.  Can't help noticing that the last spree-killer the UK produced was a taxi-driver.

 

 

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 4 years ago
0 likes

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

hampsoc wrote:

WiznaeMe wrote:

giff77 wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

Taxi drivers are in no way professional drivers.

can you explain why you think this to be the case. Which occupations do you regard as professional drivers?

Not wanting to answer for someone else, but this always irritates me when a group of drivers somehow infer they are 'professional' simply beacuse they happen to get paid for driving.

profession (noun): any type of work that needs special training or a particular skill, often one that is respected because it involves a high level of education.

In summary, I would consider occupations where people who have to undergo weeks of specialist training by qualified instructors.  i.e. not taxi drivers.    I might include HGV drivers though. 

 

To be fair to taxi drivers, you do typically undergo special training to qualify for a driving license and driving safely is a particular skill.

The issue is more that 'professional' often implies a certain level of competence, whereas there's plenty of counter-examples in many other professions (e.g. cowboy builders, politicians etc).

I was thinking of this very same thing, not that long ago.  In fact, anyone can learn to drive, since at the end of the day, it's muscle memory.   Once you've been doing it long enough, it becomes second nature.  Driving safely, however, requires the ability to think, and most important - to consider other peoples' rights, and to have on one's mind constantly, the very real possibility that one's actions could potentially kill someone, or very seriously hurt them.  

Driving safely is a function of intelligence, and I'm sorry, but there can be very few holders of joint first class honours in maths and physics, who go on to become a cabbie.

Put more succinctly: most taxi drivers are as thick as shit. 

 

Nah - it's not about being 'thick'.  I'd be really cautious about calling any group 'thick', in fact I'm not entirely sure about calling any individual 'thick'.  Much of the time what looks like 'stupidity' is deliberate and is employed because it benefits the person being 'stupid'.  People are often just as clever as they are incentivised to be.

 

Taxi drivers are often stressed, in a hurry, and sometimes (I suspect) full of a resentment that makes them less-than-concientious about the well-being of other road-users.  Can't help noticing that the last spree-killer the UK produced was a taxi-driver.

 

 

'Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation… (Carlo M. Cipolla)

Avatar
yupiteru replied to ROOTminus1 | 4 years ago
7 likes

ROOTminus1 wrote:

I've yet to try it, but in theory as they are a professional driver you could report them to the HSE for violations under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). I've not checked if there are specific exemptions for road licensed motor vehicles, but I know vehicles of other description are covered by those regs. It's an angle I'd be willing to try if I fell victim to a professional driver using a company vehicle on work business.

I worked for the HSE for 10 yrs (left a few years back) and was often asked these sort of questions but unfortunately PUWER would unlikely to be relevant in these circumstances, largely because the incident occured on the public highway and so Road traffic legislation would be a more appropriate avenue to investigate and consider a prosecution and the HSE have no enforcement power relating to Road Traffic Legislation.

  As you may be aware in any potential prosecution the likeleyhood of sucess has to be considered and very rarely (if at all)  has legislation related to 'The Health and safety at work act 1974' been applied in these circumstances.

Even though all all work activities taking place on the public highway theoretically fall to the HSE's enforcement, only in very rare occasions would it be appropriate to take over the lead from the Police.

Road traffic incidents arising from the movement of a vehicle on the road are only potentialy investigated by the HSE when someone was actually injured and where either the injured person was engaged in, or a person was injured as a result of:

exposure to a substance being conveyed by a vehicle;

vehicle loading and unloading activities but not picking up or dropping off passengers;

construction, demolition, alteration, repair or maintenance activities on or alongside public roads; and

an accident involving a train.

The work vehicle (taxi) in this case was not involved in any work activity other than travelling and so the Police are the lead agency and have the final say.

People do not realise that the HSE's hands are tied in many circumstances as the appropriate 'Enforcing Authority' ie the HSE, the Police, the Local Authority can only investigate where legislation dictates they are allowed to. 

In some circumstances the Police may ask the HSE for expert assistance in an investigation, but even then, usually on the public highway the Police are in charge.

Hope this helps

Avatar
ROOTminus1 replied to yupiteru | 4 years ago
2 likes

yupiteru wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

**snip**

I worked for the HSE for 10 yrs (left a few years back) and was often asked these sort of questions but unfortunately PUWER would unlikely to be relevant in these circumstances, largely because the incident occured on the public highway and so Road traffic legislation would be a more appropriate avenue to investigate and consider a prosecution and the HSE have no enforcement power relating to Road Traffic Legislation.

  As you may be aware in any potential prosecution the likeleyhood of sucess has to be considered and very rarely (if at all)  has legislation related to 'The Health and safety at work act 1974' been applied in these circumstances.

Even though all all work activities taking place on the public highway theoretically fall to the HSE's enforcement, only in very rare occasions would it be appropriate to take over the lead from the Police.

Road traffic incidents arising from the movement of a vehicle on the road are only potentialy investigated by the HSE when someone was actually injured and where either the injured person was engaged in, or a person was injured as a result of:

exposure to a substance being conveyed by a vehicle;

vehicle loading and unloading activities but not picking up or dropping off passengers;

construction, demolition, alteration, repair or maintenance activities on or alongside public roads; and

an accident involving a train.

The work vehicle (taxi) in this case was not involved in any work activity other than travelling and so the Police are the lead agency and have the final say.

People do not realise that the HSE's hands are tied in many circumstances as the appropriate 'Enforcing Authority' ie the HSE, the Police, the Local Authority can only investigate where legislation dictates they are allowed to. 

In some circumstances the Police may ask the HSE for expert assistance in an investigation, but even then, usually on the public highway the Police are in charge.

Hope this helps

 

Sadly, it explains it perfectly.

It's so frustrating that in situations where there is a potential overlap of legislation, the agency with with the poorest rate for seeking convictions takes the priority. It says something that I more faith in any of the RSPCA/HSE/ONR/EA to seek justice in their jurisdictions than certain regional Police forces.

Maybe if the Highways Agency were to take responsibility for upholding the Road Traffic Act, and given the respective powers, we'd have an even national approach to it's enforcement, not the regional lottery we currently have. This is the only circumstance where I wish the rest of the country was more like Birmingham.

Avatar
alansmurphy | 4 years ago
3 likes

What more evidence do they need?

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