A cyclist who was so shaken by the actions of a dangerous driver he had to “pull over to gather [his] thoughts” has been left frustrated and wanting answers from Essex Police, since the force replied to say it would be taking no further action shortly after the footage of the incident was uploaded to Essex Police’s Extra Eyes portal.
road.cc reader James posted the footage to YouTube (above) after receiving – without explanation – the swift decision from Essex Police via email that it would be taking no further action.
“The footage was recorded on the B1503 in Manningtree on 11th July”, says James.
“It shows a sports car tearing past me at tremendous pace, in a reckless attempt to squeeze through a tiny gap between me and an oncoming car.
“I’ve been cycling for over 30 years, and honestly, this was the most terrifying incident I’ve ever experienced on a bike. I had to pull over shortly after along a lane just to gather my thoughts, it shook me that much.
“I reported the driver via Essex Police’s Extra Eyes portal. The response? ‘No Further Action’. And the reply came back almost as quickly as the speeding itself, which says it all, really.”
James expressed frustration that such dangerous driving was going unpunished, but hopes that sharing the video will “add to the growing chorus of voices calling for real accountability on our roads.”
road.cc has contacted Essex Police for comment, but has not received a reply at the time of writing.
This is not this reader’s first submission: back in April, he was on the receiving end of a “hat-trick of near misses” which, when submitted to the Essex Police, also warranted “no further action” according to the force.
Only after James’ local MP Sir Bernard Jenkin asked Essex Police for an explanation did he get one, the force claiming that it was unable to “locate the driver for prosecution” because their details weren’t being held on the police national computer.
> 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@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
46 thoughts on “Near Miss of the Day 933: ‘No further action’ again from Essex Police after cyclist suffers “most terrifying incident I’ve ever experienced on a bike””
Its a shockingly fast pass
Its a shockingly fast pass into oncoming traffic but not a particularly close one, driver is over the center line.
There was very little chance of that getting actioned.
Not particularly close to the
Not particularly close to the cyclist. Fairly close to the other car though.
Agreed, it’s poor driving but
Agreed, it’s poor driving but ive had experience of cycling around there, and if that’s the worst theyve had in 30 years I’m doing this cycling thing wrong.
Are we watching different
Are we watching different videos, best I can see is their drivers side wheels just over the line?
ktache wrote:
Just after the driver passes the line does seem to be directly under the middle of the car (see screengrab). However the driver should surely be charged for one thing or the other, if they’re not well over the centreline then it’s a close pass, if they are then it’s dangerous driving given the traffic approaching in the other lane.
I think speed is often a
I think speed is often a factor in how risky/scary passes are.
in this case I personally don’t think it was very close, compared to many examples. But, when taking into account the high speed it must have felt really scary and disregards entirely the safety of the cyclist
My first 3 overtakes on this
My first 3 overtakes on this morning’s commute were like that; I’ve deleted them off my memory card!
Would probably have had more
Would probably have had more of a chance if the oncoming driver reported it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if
I wouldn’t be surprised if the oncoming driver blamed the cyclist for the incident.
It looks like a pretty bog
It looks like a pretty bog standard pass to me. Too close for comfort particularly at speed, unnerving too, but enough for police action?
I get more grief from people turning out of T junctions, drives and roundabouts and ‘not seeing’ me than I ever do from close passes.
StevenCrook wrote:
Poor driving that happens in front of you at least gives you a chance to predict it and take avoiding action. A close pass from behind leaves you completetly at the drivers mercy. Every time I hear a car approaching from the rear my body tenses and I’m fearing the worst.
True – but the scary part of
True – but the scary part of SMIDSY is often you’ve made visual contact (on your side) and driver appears to be stopped and waiting, then they suddenly launch forward.
Slightly different point you’re served your scare I guess 🤷…
Often the eye contact is on
Often the eye contact is on both sides, but the driver realising it is only a cylist coming and no cars following, launches forward regardless, because they know the cyclist is vulnerable and will brake, swerve out of way etc.
Perhaps, I’ve had ones where
Perhaps, I’ve had ones where I can see them looking at me but I suspect their brain has discounted me as they were “looking for cars”. But it could be as you say, “sorry mate didn’t expect you wouldn’t get out of the way”.
The No Further Action could
The No Further Action could be that you cant read the number plate of the offending vehicle from the video.
I dont know if anyone else can read it correctly.
This was part of the upload I
This was part of the upload I submitted to Essex Police.
There is no doubt in my mind
There is no doubt in my mind that this pass should be punished in some way. The driving goes against many of the rules in the highway code and must have been incredibly frightening for the cyclist. A slight misjudgement on the drivers part and the cyclist is dead.
The problem is that the interpretation of careless driving has nothing to do with the highway code. If the cyclist had been hit then the highway code would swing into action for the civil case but it’s a bit late then.
Ironically if the oncoming car had been forced to slow down and move in then the police could take action for inconveniencing the driver.
Until the law is changed to match the highway code then, as far as I can see, the police’s hands are tied. A good start would be to make the 1.5m and 2m passing distance a legal requirement as some countries already do I believe. Even better, make it a legal requirement to pass on the other side of the center line which would be a lot easier to enforce from video evidence.
Just one more thing. If you have the guts then ride further out from the kerb until you hear the car behind slow down. A lot easier said than done I know. A wobble to avoid a pothole can make drivers a bit more wary. The highway code tells drivers to expect cyclists to change direction suddenly and it seems churlish to disappoint them.
Bungle_52 wrote:
That’s playing a Russian roulette though and only a matter of time you end up like cyclist Dave featured in the other article if the driver happens to be texting at the exact moment which is endemic in this day. I would rather I am close passed than killed or life-changing injured by some pleb.
Also sadly a wobble – while
Also sadly a wobble – while it *may* attract driver attention or make them think “oh – need to give them space” – can also be used afterwards as “cyclist lost control, not my fault”.
Of course almost anything can, currently (“sun inexplicably lost control and got into my eyes while I was carefully doing observation / inexplicably failed to be very bright during the evening hours…”)
chrisonabike wrote:
Surely they would need to prove that a cyclist “wobbled” due to lack of control rather than just avoiding road surface anomalies (e.g. potholes). Anyhow, overtakes are supposed to leave 1.5m as a safety margin to allow for a cyclist “wobbling” (avoiding hazards)
hawkinspeter wrote:
Surely they would need to prove that a cyclist “wobbled” due to lack of control rather than just avoiding road surface anomalies (e.g. potholes). Anyhow, overtakes are supposed to leave 1.5m as a safety margin to allow for a cyclist “wobbling” (avoiding hazards)— chrisonabike
They would be the defence ergo don’t have to prove anything… (sure, different standards of proof in civil cases)
I agree – but apparently stuff like bringing the Highway Code into court – never mind an actual driving examiner as an expert witness – appears to be currently off the cards. Given the existence and regular usage of the “incompetence defence” I wonder if those would be considered (by prosecutors) to look like hounding a “regular motorist” with “unfair” technical questions and risking losing the sympathy of the jury?
They would be the defence
They would be the defence ergo don’t have to prove anything…
They don’t have to prove anything because the cases never go to court.
overtakes are supposed to leave 1.5m as a safety margin to allow for a cyclist “wobbling” (avoiding hazards)
Except they don’t, because they know that whatever they do they can expect nothing worse than an ‘advice letter’. This is A-Class PN68 BYL yesterday, with the sneering coppers’ ‘well, it’s more than 1.5m !’ (actually, of course, OpSnap just bins them without looking)
wtjs wrote:
Ah – so you can prove that you and your bike were in fact more that 4cm wide at that time? And that you didn’t have the camera floating outside your right bar-end while you cycled on the pavement, and that you didn’t have the camera on a pole miles in front of you…
so you can prove that you and
so you can prove that you and your bike were in fact more that 4cm wide at that time?
Not at the same time as I prove my speed lateral to the axis of the bike, as Heisenberg showed so well. Also, you forgot the mirror, which may or may not be attached to the door
I have tried wobbling and
I have tried wobbling and acting like I learned yesterday cycling, in roads in less civilized places where almost everybody close passed me (the video posted here with the red cabrio, would be a dream passing in such places) . The difference is for sure noticeable and recommended if you feel in danger.
Fortunately, paintjob repairs in cars are expensive worldwide, and that is the only thing drivers will surely respect.
whosatthewheel wrote:
We will have to agree to disagree about the texting. Many cyclists have been killed by texting drivers even when they have been riding close to the kerb. You are far more visible if you are further out and movement from a wobble is more likely to be detected in the drivers peripheral vision than an effectivly static image that riding in a straight line would present.
Yep, this is why I don’t take
Yep, this is why I don’t take the lane on any sort of road where drivers are likely to be flying up behind me at any speed around a corner etc. They can probably squeeze past me if I’m at the edge. If I’m in primary they will hit me.
That’s a shocking clip. The
That’s a shocking clip. The driver of the red convertible managed to put both the cyclist and the driver of the oncoming car in danger. Why Essex Police don’t think this is worth following up is beyond me.
I was under the impression
I was under the impression that Essex rozzers were notorious for giving bad drivers a free pass?
Them doing nothing is the least shocking thing about this video.
Why Essex Police don’t think
Why Essex Police don’t think this is worth following up is beyond me
It’s not beyond me, they’ve been on the Lancashire Constabulary ‘Cyclists Can Get Stuffed or Get KSI’d’ training course
https://upride.cc/incident/w2agw_barbarian_closepass/
https://upride.cc/incident/cd10wer_audiq7_closerpass/
https://upride.cc/incident/dp14fym_insignia_closepassdwlcross/
https://upride.cc/incident/kn21axh_lancspolice_closepass/
I use to agree about
I use to agree about Lancashire police. but I had 2 bad passes this year and used there new potal and they prgressing both videos I submitted.
I used to agree about
I used to agree about Lancashire police. but I had 2 bad passes this year and used their new portal and they are progressing both videos I submitted
Good. Now try and find out what that ‘progress’ is, and show us the genuine outcome and the video- the odds are that they won’t tell you, which means that it’s an advice letter at best.
wtjs, you really need to
wtjs, you really need to learn to use the quote function so that your comment, rather than what you’re quoting, shows in the bottom scroll bar. I was about to call Lancs police and say you had clearly been kidnapped and your account hijacked!
My wife ahd this one – nfa
My wife ahd this one – nfa from essex.
Illegal numberplate too.
I have Sprintex mirrors and
I have Sprintex mirrors and find them very useful for keeping an eye on whats coming up from behind. They are convex morrors to give a wider view but at that speed the car would be up on you very quickly.
The trouble is, these
The trouble is, these incidents don’t always look that bad on a forward-facing camera, which is pure gold for the anti-cyclist brigade. I’ve personally found that my rear-facing camera gives a much better view of a close pass incident, probably the best investment I’ve made.
Yeah, I haven’t bothered to
Yeah, I haven’t bothered to submit numerous clips because despite them coming well within 1.5m, on the footage it doesn’t look that bad and I can almost guarantee nothing will happen.
By far the worst ones I get are head on though. Cars that drive at me at speed. One lovely chap in a standard issue wankpanzer last night sped up when overtaking parked cars and came within 20-30cm of my shoulders because he didn’t want to wait for a cyclist to pass a line of parked cars. You can just see their hatred of your and the indignation that they have to give way to a fucking cyclist.
There was a classic one on
There was a classic one on here from somewhere in Surrey where it showed the front one first. You were left wondering why there was a video. Then the rear one was shown. Bloody hell!
The driver had basically followed 2 sides of a triangle homing in on the cyclist to then veer off and away at the last second!
Hirsute wrote:
Like this one from Gloucestershire?
https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-779-293395
I’ve lived in Essex for 57
I’ve lived in Essex for 57 years; the police don’t want to do the work. A couple of months ago a drunk driver caused a head on with another vehicle close to the village where I live and they couldn’t be asked to breathalyse him. That about sums them up.
the police don’t want to do
the police don’t want to do the work
Below is the Lancashire Constabulary ‘ReportItOnline’ response to PO64 AUR (no VED for 10 years, no seatbelt, no front number plate, rear plate deliberately hidden). It’s the one binned soon after I reported it dated 17th July- by an un-named officer. They’re always un-named these days. What a bent, joke Force this is!
In the South of England at
In the South of England at least, you are completley on your own as a cyclist, and the driving and level of drug taking behind the wheel just goes from bad to worse. Cycling round town in this hot weather, the stench of weed coming out of cars is unbelivable. Despite commuting daily for years, I’ve never ever seen a single car stopped for this or texting while driving. There is no law on the roads anymore.
Dunno about that but when I
Dunno about that but when I was visiting Bristol a week or so back, there seemed to be more dope-smoking going on than in Edinburgh. But perhaps it was just the hot weather meaning that more people were outdoors? Or that I had inadvertently chosen the more louche districts to potter about in? (Certainly not as noticable in Keynsham! OTOH I don’t spend much time in the better districts of Edinburgh either…)
The one place I really
The one place I really noticed it recently was it in your neck of the woods (relatively speaking) in Inverness, it was a bank holiday weekend but the whole place seemed to reek of weed from morning to night. I didn’t particularly object – I gave it up decades ago but I still quite like the smell – but I was quite surprised. Didn’t see any evidence of anybody smoking it while driving though, unlike what I see every day in London traffic jams.
Good weather effects? Or
Good weather effects? Or perhaps tourists? Haven’t been up there for probably
half aalmost aa decade, but had a summer just north of Inverness working. The trope (rings true) is that highland locals are generally working too hard making tourist / any other cash during the good season to really enjoy them! (I was working, I did enjoy the time too but by that time relaxation involved the hops not the weed).It’s common enough around Edinburgh (indeed my nose detects daily smokers round my flats). It just seemed to be more noticable around Brizzle. Again – there on holiday during a heatwave, so likely my observations will be quite biased. (And I think I can still feel the sharp gradients in my legs).
July montage claiming they do
July montage claiming they do do something sometimes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2qgGSDxEpM