Near Miss of the Day 576: Close pass driver faces disciplinary action (video includes swearing)

alansmurphy wrote:

Has any driver ever genuinely apologised?

Whenever I've approached someone and even told them I have video if they'd like to see themselves, they are at best passive aggressive. Even if they don't deliberately insult you then they'll question why you positioned yourself as you did, point out the road is a bit dangerous for cyclists (irony), or just blame something else. It's as if eyes, brakes or roadcraft don;t exist; they must get thru somehow and you're lucky they're so skilled as to not hit you!

I think a pyschological study of such drivers would be revealing; I'd guess that they would be seriously tending towards narcissim, lacking in empathy and utterly selfish; a bit like Trump or Boris the Liar.

tending towards narcissim, lacking in empathy and utterly selfish; a bit like Trump or Boris the Liar

Can't argue with that!

In this case the cyclist had to change direction to avoid a collision. You can just see it in the video but probably best to emphasise it in your submission. I suspect that this makes all the difference athough without specific feedback I may be wrong.

We'll agree to disagree about the effectiveness of driving awareness courses.

I am fairly used to to the sight of uniformed police officers, having worked on crime reduction many jobs ago, but I'd be mortified if one spoke to me in "anger", and the fact of having to take a course would affect me, I think. But then so many drivers remonstrate with police real world and online, so those are your candidates for a ban, fine, etc.  

In the case of the "otherwise blameless", I'd be fairly satisfied with the idea of a police car parking at a driver's house, uniforms walking up their front garden, knocking the door.  They've then got to explain to the people around them why the police called. 

I'd be fairly satisfied with the idea of a police car parking at a driver's house, uniforms walking up their front garden, knocking the door

I wouldn't. BMW, Audi, Golf GTI, Range Rover etc. drivers would regard that as a badge of honour. Prosecutions and Points are the only way to Prevent Blood on the Road!

There's some research that shows that speed aware courses are effective at reducing re-offending - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

I'm not sure if there's any similar research on driver awareness courses, roadside education and warning letters. I'll admit to being a bit sceptical about them, but I'd like to see some evidence before I make my mind up.

There's some research that shows...

There's always some research that shows whatever they want. The diligence with which the police and the magistrates seek to avoid awarding points, even when it's only 3, tells me that points are the only things feared by drivers. We want points...for them.

She didn't include it here. 

Sadly, I suspect that the disciplinary is as a result of the confrontation not the appalling driving.

Probably thinking it'd be amusing to intimidate the cyclist - will be regretting it now that the both the cops and employer are taking action.

He felt he was entitled to overtake that close because I wasn't "on the cycle path"- which is a narrow bit of shared use pavement that starts just beyond the bus stop he nearly forced me into.

That is the bit that really gets me, when so many drivers seem to think the have a right to be judge, jury and potentially executioner when cyclists have broken "the rules" (especially thier made up ones) yet you don't see them jamming the brakes on in front of speeders, chasing down red light jumpers to argue with them or trying to run cars of the road because the driver is on the phone. Funny that

Apart from the fact you don't have to use a rubbish cycle path, that path hadn't even started when he was overtaking you. Basically he thought it was amusing to try and intimidate a cyclist, hence the horn as he passed. Should really be an imidiate fine and points for that behaviour

i was trying to see if there was such a thing on your clip. Normally thats what they get antsy about. 

I mean that's the "shared path"

thats a cycle path ?   how stuff like that gets past a risk assessment by highways depts I dont know.

but thats appalling, the attitude of drivers to bully you off the road like that, it shouldnt happen, just shouldnt be allowed to happen.

This path is dangerous, you cannot cycle on it at speed.
There is allways a risk of cars pulling out of drive ways, and pedestrians/children waling on it.

Keesvant wrote:

This path is dangerous, you cannot cycle on it at speed. There is allways a risk of cars pulling out of drive ways, and pedestrians/children waling on it.

Motorists don't think like that. All they can see is that the council has said that's a cycle path so cyclists should bl00dy well use it.

Imagine if a new road was built with no tarmac, just gravel and maybe some tank traps, and we insisted that motorists used it anyway because the govt built it so it must be used...

Yeah, they have a copy. Either warning letter or NIP. A&S Police treat us a witness and not a victim, so who knows.

i had the same indifference from A&S police for the last time i reported a near miss

http://bristolcars.blogspot.com/2019/02/vu61hxm-nissan-driver-doing-clif...

1. you can call their collisions dept direct on a weekday morning and ask for a status update: 01278 647 496 

2. you can let the bristol cycling campaign know of your experience. they like to know fhe  current state-of-affairs before they meet with the police commissioner (as they do)

3  and sometimes someone from the police turns up at BCyC events, from where you can accost them personally and ask about why the failure to communicate  

after doing all these i still couldn't find the final outcome except that (a) prosecution was successful and (b) driver not eligible for a safety course having already done one  presumably that means they got penalty points instead  

it's frustrating as there's no motivation to send videos their way if they just disappear-don't be afraid to be noisy  

good luck

after doing all these I still couldn't find the final outcome except that (a) prosecution was successful and (b) driver not eligible for a safety course having already done one  presumably that means they got penalty points instead

That's a lot better than many of us suffer elsewhere in England!

(a) prosecution was successful

Then the result should be in the public domain if it went to court. If they won't tell you any further then it was probably dealt with by way of an endorsable fixed penalty notice. Still sucks that they won't give you the result, given that everything else has been done, bar update the complainant.

Could Bristol Cycling Campaign not chase up the policy with the P&CC?