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news
Near Miss of the Day 367: Driver overtakes, immediately parks up (+ video)
Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day series really does make you wonder what goes on in some motorists' heads, as a driver overtakes a cyclist and then immediately pulls in to park up, causing him to hit the brakes.
Peter, the road.cc reader who filmed the incident, drew alongside the vehicle and asked the driver: "Couldn't you have waited five seconds?"
"I'm sorry, I'm in a rush," the woman replied.
"Well, you've wasted five seconds," Peter said, before informing the driver that he had a camera and would be sending the video to the police.
"That's bad driving. Look after cyclists," he added as he rode off.
> 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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33 comments
That was a SHOCKER! Straightforward inconsiderate driving.
They wouldn't have done that if it was a tractor etc, rush or no rush.
As an aside to NMotD, I was mightlily impressed with a Greggs lorry today on my commute. I was on a dual carrriageway (30mph zone slighly uphill so was doing about 16mph) and I saw his shadow, (sun was low and behind us), and heard his engine as he approached. I then heard him ease off, wait for a car to go by and then overtake me by going into the other lane. It was such a shock to the normal lets give minimal room if possible that I actually gave him a thumbs up. If I was on Twitter, I would have let Greggs know they have at least one great driver.
Yes in an ideal world this would be the norm but it isn't so credit when someone reaches those expectations.
Thing is most of the drivers that overtake me do it alright, some do it very well, you just tend to remember the really bad ones.
I salute good driving far more than "signal" bad.
Something similar happened to me last week . A " lady" ( I'm a sexist I'm a misogynist etc etc ) over took me and then tried to turn left in front of me (sort of half turned),,,,,,,,,but she realised I was there and decided to go straight on instead . She pulled over ahead and turned round I presume. I knew what she was doing. My years as a cycle courier have stood me well. " so far "
Happened to me a few months ago in wet weather - was overtaken just in front of a junction. The car took most of my stopping distance so I hit his car hard...visit to A&E (which costs here) damaged helmet and bike - luckily the only thing broken was his rear light! His defence was "you had time to stop". I clearly hit his rear light with my head just to make a point...
I'm sorry that is your first post !!
Did you get recompensed?
No - I was too hurt and shocked to pursue it and oddly, as I hit him, at the time thought it was my fault. He gave me a lift home - we had a civilised chat. I refused to pay for his light and he accepted that. I had the chance to explain the situation from my perspective and he said he would consider it before overtaking in future. Was back on the bike in a week and was nervous but I'm back to feeling invincible again...
I had a somewhat similar turn of events a few years back, although it was in a TT, so speed was a bit higher than you'd expect from a cyclist (Garmin data said 52 km/h at point of impact) - bloke pulled out from the right, then stopped to pull into a filling station. I'd made the assumption he would carry on along the road and speed up, as no indicators, but found myself hitting his nearside rear wing. After profusely apologising and checking me for injuries (none), he gave me a lift back to the race HQ, gave me his insurance details and explained he knew he was completely at fault, but just hadn't seen me. Got a new bike out of it, even if it did prevent me getting a good time on that course!
I had a very similar incident yesterday with a taxi. I was in the bus lane, he came up the other lane, pulled in front of me and stopped dead. I managed to stop in time but then I'm stuck in with traffic zooming past in the other lane and no space to get out.
The guy getting out of the taxi tried to take the blame for asking the driver to stop there, but I wasn't keen to accept that. Seems to me like the driver needs to be capable of making his own decisions rather than it being the passengers fault. He 100% knew I was there, obviously just couldn't bear to wait a few seconds to pull in behind me instead.
This sort of thing happens to me a lot, the last time it happened it was a bloody great bus that did it My usual way of dealing with it is shouting "OI" (or words to that effect) at the top of my voice. When they look at me, I say "oh you can see me now can you"? It's really really irritating, especially if the road is busy, or the weather / road conditions aren't great. It's worse than a left hook, because at least the left hookers don't then immediately get in the way / cause you to have to brake / manoeuvre.
Another futile MGIF. Can't really see the police doing much, though I'd hope at least a warning letter would be issued.
In the urban environment, I reckon that north of 90% of overtakes on cyclists are completely pointless.
Petrolhead colleague to my left stunned me earlier today, by saying that he never overtakes cyclists on his way to work.
I asked him why.
'What would be the point? They'd just overtake me at the next set of lights'.
That's because proper petrolheads, who are interested in engineering and proud of their driving (be it safety on public roads, or speed on the track), are generally a well-mannered bunch. It's the twats for whom a car is there purely to contain an infotainment system, wear a badge and display their status who are the problem.
That is, if you expand the definition of a "Petrolhead" to include the requirement of safe considerate driving. I fear we are straying into "no true Scotsman" territory
If they had caused an accident it would have cost them much more than 5 seconds - well it should do at least. So the argument is invalid. Next excuse please.
I can't get it in my head why MGIF mentality
Drivers pass cyclists that way, for the same reason that we don't look where we put our feet in order to avoid crushing insects.
sad thing is she has no clue what she has done wrong
I had 2 a bit like that yesterday. The second one the cab driver pulled out of a side road, then immediately stopped to turn right. I was going downhill at speed and just scrubbed enough off to get up the inside.
Most drivers are just useless and utterly clueless as to how to drive.
Did you send it to the police? If so what was the outcome, I'm guessing zilch
There's no teaching people who are quite so cretinous and selfish.
I had my regular near miss (although fully anticipated it and avoided any harm, as it happens pretty much fucking daily) at a mini roundabout near my home. Caught the driver at the next junction to find he's already flipping the bird at me out of the window before I say anything.
You've just got to file this shit under "M for moron" and move on.
No. The selfish morons and cretins can be taught. Large fines and points on the licence do work eventually, and if you just move on and don't report it, the next time you'll see them is their picture with a story about how they killed a cyclist. Not reporting someone so obviously unfit to drive is selfish.
So you want to blame the victim of a close pass for the future death of another victim of a close pass?
Reporting a close pass is a waste of time.
I had a noxious substance sprayed onto me, followed the perpetrator home (at a distance), then called the police while in sight of the car and the house into which its occupants had gone. The Met weren't the slightest bit interested.
Wow! Suggesting that I am blaming the victim in any way is such a leap of logic I'm tempted to report you to the logic police. I have reported close passes, as have many people on this website, and they get prosecuted. Just because it didn't work for you once doesn't mean it doesn't work for anybody ever. There must be courses in logic you could take.
What I do know is that the more you let people get away with driving like that the more they will do it, so every incident should be reported so that these drivers change their behaviour or lose their licence.
I agree with both of you.
Of course it is better that these cretins are dealt with.
But conversely it is like first aid, you are trained to evaluate the situation and judge whether it is safe for you to proceed - and it can't be underestimated the mental damage done in a society that generally treats cyclists as second class citizens. Hence engaging may cause you further mental damage and is perhaps best avoided.
It is down to each of us to developing coping techniques for the crap we face else we would give up entirely. No coping technique is wrong.
Sadly, not limited to the Met.
As few years ago, I was just beginning a short, but reasonably quick descent not far from home when I was shocked to be hit in the side of the face with an egg (kudos to the hurler for their aim at least). Caused a serious wobble but I was OK and the police car that was immediately behind me, and saw the whole thing, stopped to check that I was OK.
I asked what they were going to do about it, and their response was basically that it was "only an egg", I hadn't even come off the bike and I was fine to carry on. They got back in the car and drove away.
It isn't just drivers who get away with stuff.
Go throw one at a Police car, I wonder how that might pan out...
I was going past a farm once, and spotted a sign that said: "Duck, eggs".
I thought it was a strange place to put a comma and then it hit me
I prefer to file it under "CR for culling required".
Kudos on the ninja skills.
A battering of the wing mirror normally adjusts their thought process!
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