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Near Miss of the Day 826: Police force lottery continues as no further action for this driver's close pass on cyclist (video includes swearing)

"I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border, which is literally at the bottom of the road I was on"...

It's a long-standing fact of life as a cyclist reporting video footage of close passes and other dangerous driving that the luck of the draw — which police force's jurisdiction an offence happens under — can greatly impact if you'll be ignored, hear of a warning letter or that your footage led to tougher action.

Today's Near Miss of the Day comes from Greater Manchester, but only just. The road.cc reader who submitted this clip has had far greater luck getting justice for the dangerous driving they have experienced over the border in Lancashire.

> Near Miss of the Day 825: Police refuse to prosecute because cyclist swore after driver pulled out on him

No such punishment here, not even a warning letter, an outcome the reader told us was particularly "disappointing" as they "know for a fact" had it happened a couple of hundred metres away, across the border, it would have been a different story.

"I experienced this dangerous close pass cycling up Scout Road in Bolton," the reader recalled.

"I promptly sent it off to GMP through their awful reporting system only to hear that no further action was to be taken due to staffing issues.

"I'd done half the work for them so I'm really sad and disappointed that not even a warning letter was sent to the driver. I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border, which is literally at the bottom of the road I was on."

> 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

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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22 comments

Avatar
Muddy Ford | 1 year ago
1 like

That is clear cut dangerous driving. The cyclist would have been visible to the driver, who made no attempt to slow down but instead braked hard only because of the oncoming vehicle. I'm sure that if that vehicle hadn't been there, the cyclist would have got a very fast close with zero concern for their safety from the driver. Appalling attitude from GMP.

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wtjs | 1 year ago
2 likes

 I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border

That was likely tripe as there is as yet no evidence of this miraculous 'action' by Lancashire Constabulary experienced by the OP, but this is a real fact-albeit not yet come to fruition as I've only just reported it: there will be no response whatsoever to this from the b******s at LC Traffic. Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire Plaxton Transbus UA 5013 this morning. We have a substantial dim-witted Fifth Column on this site, dedicated to laughing off cases like this as 'nothing to worry about, and only to be expected'. The truth is that it was no fun at all

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wtjs | 1 year ago
4 likes

I left this one alone under the assumption that it was all an alternate reality dream, and I would soon wake up- but it's still here! Of course, I only 'know for a fact' that nothing whatsoever would have happened about this case in North Lancashire- along with any cases of motorist RLJs or no MOT/insurance or years of no VED, or anything else sent in by a cyclist. It seems unlikely that it's any different down near Greater Manchester, where the police were only recently released from 'special measures', but the OP is welcome to send instances where LC have taken verified real action- which does not include the comedy action letter, shown on here before, which commits them to 'no action whatsoever' among their list of possible outcomes. Remember that their 'invitation to send in cases' to be expeditiously directed to the bin forces you to lie about carrying a notification on your bike (or in the case of the numerous red light infractions I have filmed, my legs) to warn others they are being filmed, or they refuse to accept the case. How many such 'notifications' have you seen?

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Rik Mayals unde... | 1 year ago
2 likes

"I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border, which is literally at the bottom of the road I was on."

Really? You must be thinking of a different Lancashire Police than I am. Lancs plod are an absolute disgrace.

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wtjs replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 1 year ago
2 likes

Really? You must be thinking of a different Lancashire Police than I am. Lancs plod are an absolute disgrace.

EY05 EXR was the very first car I checked today on the main road. No MOT since 6th May which is only 5 months ago- which makes him a model citizen driver for Lancashire. VED paid until next May- must be under the mistaken impression that there is anybody in the DVLA or police who is even slightly interested in VED

 

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wtjs replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
1 like

must be under the mistaken impression that there is anybody in the DVLA or police who is even slightly interested in VED

AG19 DGO hasn't bothered with it for 3 months and risks no penalty at all

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ibr17xvii replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 1 year ago
1 like

biker phil wrote:

"I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border, which is literally at the bottom of the road I was on."

Really? You must be thinking of a different Lancashire Police than I am. Lancs plod are an absolute disgrace.

100% ^^^This^^^

I'll be selling my GoPro pretty soon as there's literally no point in submitting anything to them.

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Chr1s | 1 year ago
1 like

Disappointing the lack of action by police. Eventually riders will become enraged and take their own action.

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VIPcyclist | 1 year ago
4 likes

Tory cuts mean no further action. That's the reality in Great Britain.

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Argos74 | 1 year ago
2 likes

From personal experience, they're also pretty poor if you report it in person. Advised the driver of a police car parked in a supermarket carpark yesterday of two vehicles blocking a protected cycle lane within a quarter mile of where he was parked.

Did my shopping, saw him driving off in the other direction five minutes later.

And in other Manchester news, the council are applying for doing a consultation on applying to be able to enforce some Moving Traffic Offences. It's very, very limited in scope, and still likely to cause the usual suspects to explode in indignation. But there's always the hope that they'll widen the geographical scope and offences enforced remit once the general principle is in place.

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200024/consultations_and_surveys/8436...

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
10 likes

"I know for a fact that Lancashire Constabulary would've acted if I was across the border"

Ummm....paging wtjs !!!

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ktache replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
7 likes

It's almost been an hour and they have not pounced on it yet.

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brooksby replied to ktache | 1 year ago
7 likes

Must be out on a ride... Or standing taking photos at one particular set of traffic lights  3

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giff77 replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
2 likes

Need to give them a chance to recover from their meltdown and be able to provide a coherent rant regarding this illustrious police force. 

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wtjs replied to giff77 | 1 year ago
2 likes

Need to give them a chance to recover from their meltdown

What's all this 'they' nonsense? The commenters on here are essentially 100% male. 

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stomec replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
4 likes

wtjs wrote:

Need to give them a chance to recover from their meltdown

What's all this 'they' nonsense? The commenters on here are essentially 100% male. 

I'm 97.8% male tops. Does this count?

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Hirsute replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
4 likes

At least 2 females, 1 regular and 1 irregular.

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chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

I understand but for a second I though you were lighting the touchpaper...

Anyway how can you tell?  All these folks with strongly-held opinions, who spend lots of time on an online forum explaining things in detail to others, crafting bad puns and getting infuriated over petty disputes surely could be any sex?

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Hirsute replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

Umm because they said so !!

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giff77 replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
2 likes

I know of several lasses on this forum so you're  pretty much being presumptuous on throwing that 100% figure about. 

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Hirsute replied to ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

I was trying to find a photo, but this thread will have to do instead

https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-820-295701

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Rik Mayals unde... replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

I know you're only having a laugh. But they are correct you know. Lancashire police are an absolute shower, and I used to be a volunteer for them. never again would I lift a finger to assist them, I don't have the respect for them any more.

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