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news
Near Miss of the Day 845: Cyclist close passed... by driver with bike racks on their car
Cycling on British roads can make you somewhat desensitised to close passes. You might, being extremely generous, even think some people just don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of such driving...
However, in this case that seems unlikely for more than one reason. One, the sheer face-palming ridiculousness of the close pass — rushed, on a tight bend, on a narrow country lane with oncoming traffic.
Two, the driver's vehicle has bike racks, suggesting they or someone they know cycles, you'd think meaning they might be slightly more sympathetic to keeping a vulnerable road user safe.
> Near Miss of the Day 844: Driver insists cyclists who film motorists are asking to be hit
road.cc reader David told us this one happened in South Hams in Devon last summer.
"I was cycling up a hill on a rural road out of a village and still within the 30 mph speed limit and the vehicle overtook me on a bend, too close and then cut in front of me missing oncoming traffic.
"The irony is that the VW had cycle racks on the roof rack.
The full video and statement was uploaded to Devon and Cornwall Police Operation Snap website, with Devon and Cornwall Police later explaining in a follow-up email that the case has "been reviewed and is being progressed".
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.
Latest Comments
- ktache 3 hours 28 min ago
The small frame, the aggressive posture, lots of standover height.
- mctrials23 4 hours 24 min ago
As i've said before, the police should be sued for a lot of money when someone they have knowingly ignored has gone on to commit a serious crime....
- David9694 4 hours 31 min ago
'Bad parking' blocks firefighters multiple times on same emergency call-out...
- David9694 4 hours 35 min ago
Cambridgeshire boy, 13, crashes Audi into garden wall after taking it from home...
- Adam Sutton 5 hours 21 min ago
Good stuff. Now do it on cycleway C9 through Hammersmith to Chiswick.
- mark1a 5 hours 30 min ago
It's technically allowed but it's not known as "London's Orbital Car Park" for nothing.
- Dogless 6 hours 38 min ago
You're defending bombing hospitals and refugee camps and starving children.
- mattw 9 hours 18 min ago
Used car salesman is a complete attention-seeking plank....
- tubasti 9 hours 35 min ago
I don't know if they're any better, but they's certainly become more boring.
- FionaJJ 10 hours 1 min ago
At risk of being cynical, and stereotyping the police, it's so they don't have to leave the comfort of their panda cars and pursue on foot when...
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12 comments
This whole cyclist tribalism is nonsensical; there are many types of cyclists out there, including chavs that ride stolen bikes; are they 'cyclists'? point being that many cars that have bike racks are used to carry mountain bikes and many mtbers wouldn't be seen dead on a road bike and never ride on the road.
The driver seemed completely oblivious to the presence of the cyclist. Must have commenced the overtake whilst passing the oncoming motorhome, whilst coming out of a blind left hand bend. Ridiculous
When a vehicle with bike racks does a close pass like this it does feel like a betrayal.
Atrocious example of MGIF.
Woeful driving.
Bike racks mean nothing.
The number of times I was close passed on the lanes around Llandegla, when I used to live out that way was far more than I do now living in a city.
There's nothing worse than the driver who thinks its alright to squeeze by because they aren't going very fast.
I take my hat off to the cyclist, I'd have been swearing my head off at that.
Surely the bike rack indicates they'd never ride a bike on the road?
Exactly!
Bike racks on a car do not a cyclist make. Our neighbours have 2 bike racks on their car, but I've never seen a bike in either of them!
Yup. I'm always scared of appearing on "Close Pass of the Month" whenever I overtake my cycling colleagues in my car!
When I was younger I'd sometimes cycle by a local MtB centre. I got some awful passes near there from drivers with racks carrying actual bikes. Whilst most fellow cyclists (be it MtBers, Roadies, etc) are great, I think some weekend warriors heading to a mtb centre have never ridden on road and are only focused on getting there for enough time for them 😐
Yep. I love riding both on and off road. There's a couple of MTB YouTubers I've stopped watching because of the grief they like giving anyone daring to be on the road as they get to the bike park.
Just stoopid and selfish.
absolutely that, anytime I end up riding near a MTB forest trail centre, can guarantee a close pass by someone with bikes in the back, worst one I had was a Discovery with a rack on the rear, I thought the Discovery was close, I said rude words when the 27.5 wheel of the bike on the rack came even closer. For some dumb reason theyd racked their bike so it hung at an angle and overhung the left side of the car by about half a wheel width, but of course had forgotten that bit when driving.