Today’s video in our Near Miss of the Day feature shows a motorist tailgating a cyclist in south west London, using his horn several times, before making a close pass on the rider. The incident was reported to police and resulted in a successful prosecution.
It happened on 26 June last year on Bushey Road, Raynes Park, which runs between New Malden and Wimbledon.
The incident was filmed by road.cc reader Mitch Spears, who told us: “I reported it to the Met Police via their online reporting service on the same day.
“Three days later I received a response saying an investigation had been opened.
“I didn’t hear anything until 6 December when I received an email to say the driver was being prosecuted for ‘Driving without reasonable consideration to other users’.
“On 25 January 2018, I found out the court proceedings had completed.”
The driver was fined £220 plus £130 costs and had his driving licence endorsed with three penalty points.
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.
57 thoughts on “Near Miss of the Day 89: Tailgating driver leans on horn before close pass – and gets prosecuted”
Well done for reporting the
Well done for reporting the Knob. Shame he didn’t get 6 or 9 points, that would of altered his behaviour
CXR94Di2 wrote:
I doubt that it would. I suspect that for many bad driverts nothing short of an iron bar round the head would alter their behaviour.
ooo an Audi, what a surprise
ooo an Audi, what a surprise
Looks to me that there are
Looks to me that there are more than one driving offence going on there. Getting the idiot on just the one is something I suppose.
Oh! Good! I have a very
Oh! Good! I have a very similar incident reported to the Met that is going to court soon…
The stupidest thing here us
The stupidest thing here us the cyclists were clearly keeping pace with the traffic. Audiman clearly just objected to a cyclist being in front of him.
But he didn’t hit you and you
But he didn’t hit you and you didn’t take evasive action.
Well done to the Met for dealing with this, although a charge of dangerous driving would have been much more appropriate.
Why are Audi drivers amongst the worst? (Of course not all Audi drivers are bad but Audis do seem to attract a lot agresive drivers).
iandusud wrote:
My amateur psychology. There’s no rational reason to buy an Audi: the underlying platform, engines, most of the switchgear are common across the VAG group so there’s almost certainly an equivalent VW, Seat or Skoda which can be bought for less money. Any improvement in handling is irrelevant at road legal/sensible speeds.
So they’re bought as status symbols by insecure people. I’m guessing those sort of individuals are sensitive to any perceived slight on them when driving and feel a constant need to ‘get ahead’ and an elevated sense of their own importance.
My bit of amateur psychology:
My bit of amateur psychology: Some Audis look aggressive. Aggressive people buy them.
SimonS wrote:
You’re correct in one respect. Your psychology is pretty amateur.
SimonS wrote:
Can you buy one because some of them are fast and you like teararsing? Is that allowed or is that just another insecurity?
A bit like buying expensive bikes when you’re not really any better than anyone else but a £6k bike looks nice, tells everyone you’re got loads of disposable income. Bloody high-end bike tossers, riding around at speeds you could do on a £1k bike…etc., etc.
SimonS wrote:
I’ve had a seat, a vw and an audi and I can tell you the audi is significantly quieter inside and is easily the nicest to drive. The seat was too harsh and the passat wallowed like a barge. The passat was very nearly as refined though.
Doesn’t matter in then end as I’d rather travel by bike whenever possible anyway.
iandusud wrote:
I think it’s something similar to racists on twitter tend to be football fans. Not all fans are racists but pretty much all racists are fans. Weird.
iandusud wrote:
For Audi’s, the manufacture’s adverts aren’t about showing people sensibly driving around town giving pedestrians and cyclists plenty of room. Instead, it’s all racing carefree across expanses of open road, pictures of racetracks, pumping soundtrack of rorty engine noise. I think the problem with Audi (and the other brands/products sold like this) is twofold. What sort of drivers are likely to be attracted to that message? and how will those drivers aspire to drive once on the road?
The driver may have
The driver may have misunderstood the road junction – he seemed to start beeping when the bike rider was (correctly) in the straight-on lane at the lights. After that, perhaps it was too difficult for him to back down.
In any case, it’s intimidating to have an angry person like that making aggressive manoeuvres behind and around you, in a machine which they could use to kill you.
Result. More proactive
Result. More proactive enforcement like this is needed.
Nice camera setup.
What a w*nker that Audi
What a w*nker that Audi driver is. He could have passed any time he liked in the empty outside lane – but nooo – let’s harass a cyclist. Not fit to have a licence.
Was that a half-hearted brake
Was that a half-hearted brake check or did he suddenly realise he was speeding? I wonder?;)
According to the Government
According to the Government website this car is currently untaxed.
https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ViewVehicle
iliketoridemybicycle wrote:
Might not ever be if he’s now got too many points, lol
When i tell others what i
When i tell others what i endure everyday on my bike, the best i have is they shrug their shoulders. There’s nothing like these videos !
Blanket bashing of Audis, or
Blanket bashing of Audis, or indeed anything, is really quite sad.
I do not drive an Audi.
I do disagree with blanket generalisations, no matter who does it, as it make you look slightly thick.
I do drive a 4×4.
It does have a “Cyclists, stay awesome” sticker in the rear.
I won’t look at the video, but I guess the driver was a cock. I also imagine that being a cock is the trait that would follow this person around irrespective of the sport that they follow or the car that they drive.
Selective editng is also a bit shit.
don simon wrote:
Indeed. No generalisation is wholly true, including this one.
mike the bike wrote:
Indeed. No generalisation is wholly true, including this one.— don simon
Agreed, all wankers are indeed wankers! Etc…
don simon wrote:
I think you might be sensitive about the Audi bashing because..
7 months ago
don simon wrote:
I drive and Audi and have just ordered a larger more powerful one. What’s your misguided point?
Have you sold it already due to their poor image? ! If so I don’t blame you!! 😉
http://road.cc/content/news/224622-near-miss-day-3-audi-caught-film-–-police-wont-act
Nice cars I’m sure they are, but you must admit they’re becoming a magnet for a certain type of driver..
700c wrote:
Blanket bashing of Audis, or indeed anything, is really quite sad.
I do not drive an Audi.
I do disagree with blanket generalisations, no matter who does it, as it make you look slightly thick.
I do drive a 4×4.
It does have a “Cyclists, stay awesome” sticker in the rear.
I won’t look at the video, but I guess the driver was a cock. I also imagine that being a cock is the trait that would follow this person around irrespective of the sport that they follow or the car that they drive.
Selective editng is also a bit shit.
— 700c I think you might be sensitive about the Audi bashing because.. 7 months ago don simon wrote: I drive and Audi and have just ordered a larger more powerful one. What’s your misguided point? Have you sold it already due to their poor image? ! If so I don’t blame you!! 😉 http://road.cc/content/news/224622-near-miss-day-3-audi-caught-film-–-police-wont-act Nice cars I’m sure they are, but you must admit they’re becoming a magnet for a certain type of driver..— don simon
Jesus H christ! I’ve had more breathing space from some proper stalkers. That was indeed true at the time and you have, of course, missed the subtleties of what I said. I was as against sweeping generalisations then as I am now. You haven’t included all the previous occasions that I’ve said that, have you? See what I also said about selective editing being a bit shit. If you’re going to research me, do it fucking properly, or not at all!!
Rather than sell the A4 that was ordered because of image, I changed jobs (25% salary increase too, before bonuses which should get to superbike buying territory) and have another beast for eating the motorway miles. I included the brand of vehicle to illustrate that not all Audi drivers are anti cycling twats, but hey, if that’s too difficult for you, I won’t lose any sleep.
You can get the point, or not. At the moment, you don’t.
Peace, love and stop following me!
TRying to make out the
I’m trying to make out the numberplate of the white wankermobile. Is it:
RY65 AUW ?
What a pr1ck, after the first
What a pr1ck, after the first beep it looks like he had a empty lane on the dual carriageway but chose to take out his anger at being delayed one second (probably in getting to the back of the next traffic jam) 😮
HLaB wrote:
Yep, which, as a relative local, I would say would be here :
https://goo.gl/maps/3Atb4PhPppP2
a few hundred metres up the way. Note the driver undertakes a lot of other motors to make sure he’s tailgating the rider.
A bit of a random
A bit of a random contribution… A few years ago there was a great advert on the TV, where a really unlikeable city boy was tearing around in an Audi, talking into his phone about money and shares, and being generally obnoxious.
Then he pulls up outside an Audi showroom, gets out, hands the keys to the salesman, and says something like “nah mate, not my style”.
A clever bit of reverse psychology at the time, as the brand had a touch of style and exclusivity back then. But it wouldn’t make any sense today because now it would probably be that bloke’s car of choice….!
Reading these posts made me
Reading these posts made me wonder if Audis are generally worse driven than other cars or if it’s just confirmation bias. Looks like the list of top 10 cars most likely to have been in an accident has one audi model in http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/05/top-10-cars-most-likely-to-have-been-in-an-accident.html
But can’t find any info on accidents per mile. Presume audis tend to cover more miles than average because of use in company car fleets so are more likely to be in an accident.
So my 5 minutes of Google research are inconclusive, so we’ll never know!
I drive an Audi. I own 3
I drive an Audi. I own 3 bikes. I don’t drive like this. Just saying, let’s all grow up a bit
Trickytree1984 wrote:
Proof, if proof were needed, that there’s an exception to every rule.
Even if Audi’s are more
Even if Audi’s are more likely to be driven in this manner, generalising all Audi drivers as dangerous drivers, or whatever, is a bit like saying cyclists always jump red lights, ride in the middle of the road, etc. I reckon we’re probably all a bit bored with those sort of comments from the bottom of the internet.
If you say things like that, you really do appear quit under-informed and over-opinionated.
I’m fairly sure I don’t get treatment like that from every Audi driver I encounter.
ChrisB200SX wrote:
ymmv though, certainly my experience is the majority of close and fast passes I get around my neck of the woods come from Audis, Ive no idea if thats meaningful or not because I dont count the number of cars or car types per ride, so maybe the proportion of Audis on the local roads is right in line for the average number of close passes per ride count, and they are just as bad as other car types in other parts of the country, maybe its confirmation bias and I now only notice the Audis, and not the Toyotas or Hondas too
for sure its not every Audi driver. all I know is I can reasonably guarantee when I get that sixth sense feeling of a car bonnet closing in on me within an uncomfortably close margin and usually at speed, you never got a close slow pass curiously, it will turn out to be an Audi.
I never take notice of the
I never take notice of the car make tbh, you can have a really nice patient pass by someone in a feck off Range Rover and the next minute a really shit pass by someone driving a Nissan Micra. Simple fact is some cretins shouldn’t be let loose with a wheelbarrow, a nice 3 month ban and a £1000 fine plus 9 points might make twats like this think twice about driving like a cunt.
Re the marqe, I think the fact that some sportier models tend to have a bit more power plus driven by a male that thinks he’s the daddy of his domain and no-one shall get in his way is why certain types of vehicles come up more often in these incidents than others.
BTB, it’s not only blokes
BTBS, it’s not only blokes that drive Audis badly.
ktache wrote:
Of course they don’t however the vast majority of those driving power sporty models AND driving like a dick are males. This is a fact.
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Quite a few of them are Asian too. What are you trying to say?
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
The vast majority of any activity done in a reckless, thrillseeking fashion will be done by males. Some women drive quicker than others but it’s rare that you get a woman taking balls to wall, brain out risks, especially in cars. That goes for cycling too. Ok, once in a while an Atherton comes along but anything daft , with risk of serious injury, is usually male dominated.
Women can drive ‘badly’ and aggressively at times but it’s usually lower speed, range rover town driving in my experience, very rare for them to rage-follow you at 120 or whatever.
there must be a connection
there must be a connection between the P.L.G.C ‘s (prestige lifting german cars ) and the small number of IQ of the driver (most of the time close to an ork’s iq or less) and the hatred for cyclists..
it can’t be explained otherwise! The majority of the videos are held between an idiot with an SUV or sedan of these major brands, audi bmw mercedes plus some british SUV’s. ok, we got the long vehicle driving orks (busses, white vans, lories and other big vehicles used as a terrorising aid against the cyclist.) but that is prety much a standard low IQ group of individuals. Where are we heading??
tsarouxaz wrote:
Yes it can, it’s bollocks.
fukawitribe wrote:
Having them, or speaking a load of them?
brooksby wrote:
The latter – yer man here is basically making up stuff, perhaps to appeal the more foamy mouthed members ?… dunno. Still bollocks.
I’ve just got around to
I’ve just got around to watching this one.
Am I missing something, here? – the cyclists are in one lane of a dual carriageway. The clue’s in the name: there are two lanes.
Why was Mr (presumably) Audi so keen to stay in that specific lane and intimidate the cyclist, when there was a whole other lane that he could have used? (and when he later demonstrates that both steering wheel and brakes do work, its not like he has a mechanical problem…).
I’d quite like to hear Mr
I’d quite like to hear Mr Audi’s side of the story – what was this all about in his world? Don’t worry,I’m not going all soft (social worker’s reaction to a burglary : “whoever did this needs help!”) – just curious is all. And I’m also clear that if you’re having any sort of bad day, enough to affect your driving, you. don’t. drive – it’s not ok to put others at risk or take it out on them – so juries, judges and magistrates please take heed.
The other thing I’m curious about is what else like this is going on in the driver’s life, in respectable south west London : as in is this the very first time (and maybe the last ever) he’s shown this level of aggression in a situation he doesn’t like, or are there other spheres of say family or work life where this behaviour happens?
finally Mr Audi and all the others others like you, one way this encounter on the roads today could go is that I get home safely, as do you, go to work the next day, celebrate my birthday and do all my normal things. Or I could, at the least worst end today in hospital for say two weeks, all my responsilbities cast asunder, perhaps undergo an operation or two with several weeks’recovery, at the end of which Work say “you know what, we managed fine without you…” Perhaps some minor short term consequences for you, some shock, some money lost, but basically your life goes on. There’s only a split-second to decide : Which is it going to be, eh?
The rider shouts out the
The rider shouts out the registration when it goes past.
What is it with Audi drivers
What is it with Audi drivers being A-holes? I have often pondered which of these came first- 1) The driver was an A-hole from birth so bought an Audi to reinforce the image or 2) the driver bought the Audi and became an A-hole by some weird form of osmosis.
gjh wrote:
More towards 1 I think – you choose your car according to your disposition. “Ugly cars for ugly people”, as I usually say around most models of Subaru and anything with sentiments like Avenger (not that you could do much avenging in an old Hilman), Outlaw or Barbarian written on it.
Or just crap if the number plate contains 666, or FUN, TOY or MUD (unless it’s a beat-up old Land Rover actually engaged in farming and not a prentious Range Rover with a load of extra roof lights, one of those snorkel exhausts and a massive roof rack, all topped-off by a ‘One Life Live It’ sticker, but it’s all legit and justified because (a) in 2016 they carried the camping gear for some scouts walking The Ridgeway and (b) they helped look for someone’s dog in a snowdrift in 2014. it’s Berkshire mate, not flipping The Serengeti or the North Pole.
And don’t forget if you have shelled out, or as seems more the case nowawadays are shelling out for your 18 reg Audi or whatever you did/do so on the basis of the adverts showing sunlit empty sweeping coastal roads, luminous city centres with gorgeous smiling company, or tearing-up some mountain trail (boo!) or maybe Terry at work’s got one – anyway imagine your horror at meeting the reality of traffic jams, municipal car parks and worst of all being burnt-up by cyclsists, who, I know it’s been said on here before pay no road tax, no insurance, are constantly killing pedestrians and generally being a danger to themselves and a menace everyone else on the road, just trying to get from A to B…
David9694 wrote:
I own two bikes and am getting an Audi.
It simply down to what deals where available when the Mayor decided that he needed to encourage me to get a new car. In fact 4 out of 6 of my neighbours who were encouraged to change their cars by the London Mayor have Audis. The other two have SUVs though one of my neighbours was considering a van as he’s a tradesman. The equivalent sized Mercedes are plasticiky inside and the BMWs have less technology as standard. This is probably one reason why you are seeing a lot more Audis on the road.
This driver is probably pissed off that his once luxury sports car is now as common as muck and then a cyclist dares to legally move under the speed limit in front of him. Anyone who lives in the area and uses that road knows that motorists in that lane frequently drive under 40mph for good reasons, so him ramming a cyclist is simply because he’s an a-hole.
gjh wrote:
Give it a rest with the Audi-bashing, it’s boring. I don’t drive mine like this, nor does anyone else I know that owns one.
LastBoyScout wrote:
fakenews
LastBoyScout wrote:
No-one says that all Audi drivers are like this.
But unfortunately too many Audi owners do drive like dickheads and make out that they own the road (and quite a few of other people’s houses, it seems). Hence the stereotype. If it bothers you then I suggest you either change your car or accept that the stereotype exists and isn’t going to go away.
Let’s put this in perspective. This is only a discussion on the internet, it’s not as if we all live on your street and pelt your vehicle with rotten fruit or smear dogsh*t on the door handles.
Would have loved to have seen
Would have loved to have seen the Audi driver’s face when he was told it was on video, and then shown the evidence.
@Don Simon
@Don Simon
Firstly, you missed my wink emoji so there was no need to get so wound up
Secondly, if you come onto forums giving it the big’ I am’ about your salary, cars, suits or whatever then expect some banter back for it.
Thirdly, I like your – very recognizable -signature pic so probably why I’m more likely to remember what you’ve said in the past. Not a stalker honest 🙂
Thirdly he hasn’t answered
Thirdly he hasn’t answered the question of whether he’s an Audi driver, an Audi 4×4 driver, a 4×4 driver, a combination of or none of the above. We are delighted that he measures his importance on his pay packet though 😉
It’s a pretty clear one, looks like there’s a half arsed cycle lane that the Audi driver thinks the cyclist should be in and he attempts to intimidate and endangers someone’s life. He may be aggressive, stupid, arrogant, young, old, have had a 25% pay rise or be a lovely Audi driver who cares for rescued kittens…
I’d love to see some research
I’d love to see some research on the psychological impact of car interior decor on driving behaviour like they have done with music. I have long suspected that the black and shiny chrome trim boy racer interiors of Audi’s fuels some of the bad behaviour.
Where as I, in my faux ash wood interior Mercedes with Classic FM gently trilling, can seemingly obey all speed signs and overtake cyclists with patience and due care.
“Mercedes drivers are just as bad!” I hear you say? Well.. if they will widen the range to the point where anyone can afford one ( like Audi did ) then they will fall into financial range of the emotionally stunted. That Mercedes have adopted some dreadful black and chrome interiors too only reenforces my basic premiss.
I feel a paper coming on… If we can waste money paying scientists to study why bees shouldn’t be able to fly someone can pay me to research why shiny high contrast car interiors subconciously cause rage behaviour in humans?