Police intend to prosecute helmet cam cyclist for holding up van driver – for nine seconds; British pro warns against Snake Pass trespass; Simmons goes Postal; Public Consultations: a waste of time?; Boulting’s back + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Police intend to prosecute helmet cam cyclist for holding up van driver – for nine seconds
So I’ve just received a Notice of Intended Prosecution because when videoing a phone using, MOT-expired Audi driver, I held up a van by around 9 seconds!
Waiting for the physical letter, then I guess I’ll be seeking legal advice. Any suggestions appreciated!@BristolCycling— Tom Bugs (@BugBrand) March 9, 2022
This story, flagged in the comments on yesterday’s blog, is a bit of a weird one.
Tom Bugs, a cyclist in Bristol, tweeted earlier this week that he received a Notice of Intended Prosecution. His offence? Holding up a van driver for ‘around nine seconds’.
According to Tom, the lengthy hold-up occurred as he attempted (CyclingMikey-style) to capture useable footage on his helmet camera of an Audi driver using his phone behind the wheel (bonus points – the Audi’s MOT had also expired).
In doing so, a van driver behind was briefly held up. Tom said that he “acknowledged the van with a hand gesture and moved on in a matter of seconds.”
However, after submitting footage of the phone-using motorist Tom was issued with his notice, for riding his bike “without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other people using the road”.
PS Van driver then went through a red light – ASPolice rep (MB) commented “I would imagine in his frustration then decided to go through the red light” which feels presumptuous & an unprofessional comment which I’ll no doubt challenge too.
— Tom Bugs (@BugBrand) March 9, 2022
To make matters worse, after his brief delay the van driver drove through a red light – which the representative from Avon and Somerset Police claimed owed to “his frustration”…
Tom tweeted his annoyance at what he thinks is a “negative and petty” decision, though he was also at pains to praise Avon and Somerset Police in general, which he described as “a leading UK force for dealing with constant road danger”. He later said the incident was “just a minor issue within a system that generally works well”.
I will, of course, add that the submission team at ASPolice are generally doing a great job, a leading UK force for dealing with constant road danger. But the decision to try to pin this one feels negative & petty.
— Tom Bugs (@BugBrand) March 9, 2022
In the words of one of our readers:
Drive into a cyclist, and you just get a warning letter. But a cyclist holds up traffic for nine seconds and they get prosecuted.
Yes, that makes sense.
Groupama-FDJ pro Jake Stewart warns against Snake Pass trespass – questions “how this will be conducive to finding harmony with motorists”
It’s been Snake Pass-mania this week.
The landslide-affected A57 – closed to motorists due to road works since the end of February – quickly captured the imagination, acting as a symbol of a car-free utopia as riders flocked to the pass to enjoy a temporary reprieve from motor traffic.
However, to many it has also served as a sign of how local authorities view cycling and active travel in general, after Derbyshire County Council barred bike riders and walkers from the road on Tuesday due to ‘safety concerns’.
As we saw earlier this week, many were appalled at the decision to extend the road closure, with one Twitter user describing it as an anti-cyclist move “dressed up cheaply as health and safety”.
To protest the decision, a group of cyclists have organised a ‘mass trespass’ on the hill tomorrow, invoking the 1932 mass trespass of nearby Kinder Scout, which helped galvanise the ‘right-to-roam’ movement for ramblers.
Updated poster with meet location. Please share this one! pic.twitter.com/Yie6zYUlc3
— Harry Gray (@HarryHamishGray) March 9, 2022
However, Saturday’s event has been criticised by Groupama-FDJ pro Jake Stewart, who has warned against the negative effects the protest may have on motorists’ views of cyclists.
The Coventry-born rider, who came second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last year but has been suffering from intestinal problems this season, tweeted last night: “Please, if you’re a cyclist considering attending this mass trespass this weekend, consider again.
“Take a thought to how we as cyclists are currently viewed in a number of people’s eyes and ask yourself how this will be conducive to finding harmony with motorists in the future…”
The 22-year-old, who says he rides Snake Pass regularly, also tried to cool enthusiasm for the climb, arguing that there are “plenty of other climbs in Derbyshire which are more stunning and nicer roads”.
Please, if you’re a cyclist considering attending this mass trespass this weekend, consider again. Take a thought to how we as cyclists are currently viewed in a number of peoples eyes and ask yourself how this will be conducive to finding harmony with motorists in the future… https://t.co/YgL8KaBIrh
— Jake (@jakey_stewart) March 10, 2022
I ride Snake Pass regularly and let me tell you, even traffic free, its not that great a climb…plenty of other climbs in Derbyshire which are more stunning and nicer roads…I’ve got plenty of GPX files for you if you’re struggling to get off the A-roads 😘 just a thought x
— Jake (@jakey_stewart) March 10, 2022
The response to Stewart’s tweet has been mixed to say the least. While some agreed with the classics man that cyclists should avoid stoking up antagonism from motorists, others criticised the rider’s perspective, as a professional racing cyclist, of safety on the road:
I totally agree Jake its mad to give motorists more reason to hate cyclist’s by ignoring the rules. It just generates anti cycling rhetoric in the media and that ends up endangering lives.
— Dean Tranter (@BikeWrenchUK) March 10, 2022
He gets to ride on closed roads 80 odd race days a year and has the brass neck to lecture the rest of us for wanting the same
— Harry Gray (@HarryHamishGray) March 10, 2022
The cyclists Vs drivers thing is a media confection, and when you think about it doesn’t make much sense. I have a bike, but I don’t think of myself as a “cyclist”, though I like to go for a bike ride every so often. The conflict comes from 2 tonnes of metal traveling at 60mph
— Chris likes dinosaurs but not transphobes 🦕🦖 (@Nerd_CB) March 10, 2022
If you’re a pro cyclist who doesn’t actively oppose car culture, then you’re just a guy who gets paid to exercise and I’m not interested in your opinions thanks hun
— Hannah 🚲 (@theeyecollector) March 10, 2022
It’s not the first time that Stewart has had his say on the cyclists versus drivers debate. In January, he responded to drivers’ complaints about the Highway Code changes, which he claimed underlined why “cycling in the UK is doomed”.
“Daily I have to make the decision to put my life in the hands of people like this…just to do my job,” he tweeted. “Too many have to make that decision to ride their bike for fun/get around. Society is broken.”
Simmons goes Postal: Controversial Trek-Segafredo rider compares latest crop of US talent to Lance, Floyd, Big George and co.
I bet Trek-Segafredo’s PR people just love Quinn Simmons.
After his compatriots Brandon McNulty and Matteo Jorgenson finished first and third on yesterday’s stage of Paris-Nice (with Simmons himself taking the KOM jersey at Tirreno-Adriatico), everyone’s favourite bike racing Trumper – sorry Chloé – compared the latest generation of American riders to… US Postal.
“The last time we had Americans riding at this level was with Postal,” the 20-year-old said to Cyclingnews after stage four of Tirreno.
“It’s good news about McNulty’s win, he’s had a great season so far, it’s his third win. Magnus Sheffield has won too, Neilson (Powless) won San Sebastian last year, too.”
I’m sure those riders will be chuffed to be compared to the pioneering role models Lance, Tyler, Floyd and George…
Though, as a proud supporter of The Donald, perhaps picking role models isn’t Simmons’ strong suit.
Also – though I’m not saying Quinn has read the USADA report cover to cover – just like when George Bennett infamously described Chris Froome’s epic ride at the 2018 Giro as “doing a Landis”, any time a rider compares themselves or others to that murky era in the peloton, eyebrows will certainly be raised.
The poor Trek staff 🤦♀️
‘Quinn? Quinn, you said the quiet bits out loud again.’ https://t.co/O2UmohzsJl— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) March 11, 2022
Unpopular view, but I actually like seeing Quinn Simmons on TV at the front of a bike race.
Only because it means you can be sure he won’t be talking shit on Twitter for a couple of hours.
— Simon MacMichael (@simonmacmichael) March 11, 2022
Let’s spare a thought for that lost generation of American bike riders, trapped in limbo between the hedonistic Postal days and the current wave – including Transitions Lenses model (and Tour stage winner) Tyler Farrar and 2014 Dauphiné winner Andrew Talan-… actually, let’s just forget about him, shall we?
Public Consultations: a waste of time?
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses” – Henry Ford
Why consultation are a waste of time.
How do council’s ever expect to get ‘consensus’ on cycling schemes when most people don’t cycle (yet) and don’t like change?
— Adam Bronkhorst (@AdamBronkhorst) March 10, 2022
I don’t think the ‘cycle lobby’ are aggressive, in fact i’d say looking at comments on FB groups to any posts suggesting safer cycling it’s people who don’t want it who are the most aggressive. Here is a typical comment from last night. pic.twitter.com/tZpM4LOcZJ
— Adam Bronkhorst (@AdamBronkhorst) March 10, 2022
Consultations are a good things, but they should no more be allowed to prevent development of cycling infrastructure than anything else that is necessary for the community to function well.
— Darth Linda (@linkcott18) March 10, 2022
100% agree with you. So many planning applications are passed despite massive public outrage. Why councils don’t implement their commitments to active travel and don’t listen to their own experts but value joe publics opinion more is beyond me.
— Adam Bronkhorst (@AdamBronkhorst) March 10, 2022
What do you think? Are public consultations a worthwhile exercise or an unnecessary evil when it comes to implementing cycling and active travel schemes?
Houle by himself
🇫🇷 #ParisNice @HugoHoule is fit and healthy and motivated to continue racing so he will fly the IPT flag in France. https://t.co/pq3JrYEU16
— Israel – Premier Tech / Israel Cycling Academy (@IsraelPremTech) March 10, 2022
Poor Hugo Houle.
With illness devestating the Paris-Nice peloton like a Tadej Pogačar attack, the Canadian rider is the last man standing for his Israel-Premier Tech team.
The squad’s other remaining riders, James Piccoli, Carl Fredrik Hagen (both due to a non-Covid virus), and Tom Van Asbroeck (respiratory infection), all pulled out before yesterday’s stage, leaving Houle to make it to Nice on his own.
The 31-year-old is riding pretty well too, and sits eleventh overall on the general classification.
Israel team down to one rider in Hugo Houle. In the 2018 Paris-Nice by the time the race reached Nice, Groupama-FDJ had one finisher in Molard, same for Lotto-Jumbo with Gesink… and nobody from UAE finished the race, they were all DNF by the end https://t.co/O8sB6TybAZ
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) March 11, 2022
As of this morning, only 113 riders remain at Paris-Nice, with a further eight – including sprinters Fabio Jakobsen and Jasper Philipsen – withdrawing before today’s stage six to Aubagne.
Even the journalists at the race are falling victim to the bug going around the peloton:
Unfortunately had to DNS Paris-Nice this morning having caught the chest infection that’s decimating the peloton. Eyes so red I look like I’m possessed
— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) March 11, 2022
Time to rest the keyboard and get ready for the spring classics…
Sigur Jonas
Is it true that Vingegaard used to play drums for Sigur Ros?
Pure talent 🤟🏼 pic.twitter.com/NfzYZIFzt2— Jacopo Guarnieri (@jacopoguarnieri) March 11, 2022
Podium at the Tour de France, deliver brilliantly entertaining post-race interviews, play drums for a 2000s Icelandic post-rock band…
Is there anything Jonas Vingegaard can’t do? Apart from remember Filippo Ganna’s name, of course.
Paint isn’t infrastructure, meme edition
Paint is not infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/elM8PcEJ7S
— Cycling Professor 🚲 (@fietsprofessor) March 11, 2022
For the Always Sunny fans:
— 🇦🇺 Robert Jamieson (@blkjam) March 11, 2022
2022 Giro Donne route unveiled as organisers promise better coverage and more prize money
Massively increased prize fund and markedly improved broadcast coverage – really encouraging news from #GiroDonne today. https://t.co/GfMc99uc5e
— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) March 10, 2022
While most of the attention this summer will be paid to the inaugural Tour de France Femmes, women’s stage racing has received another boost with the news that the Giro d’Italia Donne – which returns to the World Tour for 2022 after being demoted last year due to issues with organising and broadcasting rights – will improve both its TV coverage and prize pot.
Race organisers Pulse Media Group (PMG Sport) and Starlight have promised two hours of daily live broadcast, distributed to 160 countries around the world through Discovery-Eurosport, and a €250,000 prize purse, which matches the money to be awarded by the French Tour.
Women’s cycling’s major grand tour, the Giro Donne has suffered in recent years due to poor organisation and limited race footage. The race was downgraded to the 2.Pro Series in 2020 after failing to supply the live television coverage required for World Tour status. While the organisers promised live TV for last year’s race, this was limited to the final 15 kilometres of every stage.
The 🇮🇹 #GiroDonne just announced a prize pot of 250 000 EUR, 5 times their previous prize pot.
I hope they also invested in providing proper coverage where we can actually see the mountain stages – unlike last year, as that should always be priority.https://t.co/nt8UVsjLSs
— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) March 10, 2022
However, with the race turning to cycling’s top division this year, the organisers have promised significant improvements.
“Once ASO, this very big organisation, decided to introduce the Tour de France Femmes again, it is a strong sign that women’s cycling is growing fast,” said Roberto Ruini, founder of PMG Sport and General Manager of the Giro Donne.
“I think there is no competition but it is a big opportunity to develop the race together and women’s cycling movement together. The prize money that we set at €250,000 is a big sign of this growth.”
The ten-stage 2022 Giro Donne will begin on 30 June in Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital city, and will feature a mountain-top finish at Passo Maniva before finishing in Padova on July 10, two weeks before the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes.
Boulting's back: Ned returns to the stage this autumn with nationwide tour of one-man cycling show
Loudhailer emoji!
After three years away, I’ll be back touring a brand new one-man show this autumn. I’ve missed these evenings! Brilliantly, I have titled it the Retour De Ned, which is amusing. Tickets go live at 10.00 this morning.#ReTourDeNed https://t.co/LaURquV5qd pic.twitter.com/LEhicADTvI
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) March 11, 2022
Ned Boulting may already be back in the commentary box this week for ITV4’s daily highlights of Paris-Nice, but he’s also planning a return to the stage, with his one-man cycling show set to tour the country this autumn.
Titled ‘Re-Tour de Ned’, the show sees Boulting – who has covered the Tour de France on TV for almost two decades and edits the mind-bogglingly comprehensive Road Book – launch a “fresh assault on your cycling senses” with what he describes as an “indispensable theatrical road map for anyone aspiring to wear the yellow jersey on the Champs Elysées: a really very rough guide to the tactics (pedal faster) and challenges (not pedalling fast enough) which will need to be deployed to win the biggest bike race in the world.”
The broadcaster, podcaster and author’s first foray on the stage since 2018 (what’s happened since then?), the 29-date tour begins at the Quad Theatre, Plymouth, Devon on 8th October, taking in no less than four stops in Yorkshire, before concluding at the Edinburgh Assembly Rooms on 13th November.
“My last stage show tour was in 2018 so I’m excited to be getting back out there,” Ned says. “Along the way, there will be time to call to mind the greatest racers of the age, and to do hopelessly bad impressions of them.
“There will be scope to celebrate all that is French about France, and all that is Tourish about the Tour: Stuff like ignoring 12th century cathedrals, peeing at the side of the road, pushing spectators over, punching demonstrators and generally behaving like a shaven-legged hooligan for a month while riding over entire mountain ranges!”
“Join me for another ride through the peaks and troughs of the silliest and the grandest month of the year. I’ll hand out copious, thoroughly unreliable, advice on How To Win The Tour de France. Or if not that, then at least How To Watch It On The Telly!”
The full list of dates, and information on how to purchase tickets, can be found here.
Race roundup: Burgaudeau foils the fast men with great escape at Paris-Nice, while Pog, Remco and Jonas miss a turn (literally) at Tirreno-Adriatico
🏁 🇫🇷@mat_burgaudeau surprend les sprinteurs ! 🏆
🏁 🇫🇷@mat_burgaudeau beats the sprinters and wins stage 6! 🏆#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/TV9lSjySxx
— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) March 11, 2022
It was a dramatic day of racing at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, with French riders triumphing – with typical panache – in both races.
At the Race to the Sun, TotalEnergies’ Mathieu Burgaudeau held off a charging peloton with metres to spare to take his first ever professional victory.
Following strong moves from Britain’s Matthew Holmes and Team DSM’s Søren Kragh Andersen (with his by now customary doomed attack on every stage), Burgaudeau made his move over the short climb to the intermediate spring with nine kilometres remaining.
The 23-year-old, who took an impressive fifth place overall in last month’s Etoile de Bessèges, gave it his all on the following descent – taking a few risks along the way – to open up 20 seconds on the chasing bunch.
Il faut prendre des risques insensés pour empêcher @WoutvanAert ou @LAPORTEChristop de gagner. C’est ce que fait @mat_burgaudeau ! Qui sait ? Bien joué. #ParisNice2022 pic.twitter.com/gEpqUdrjTm
— 🅰ntoine VAYER 📸🖋️ (@festinaboy) March 11, 2022
Despite the efforts of Jumbo-Visma and Trek-Segafredo behind, that gap was enough for Burgaudeau to take the win after a nerve-jangling finale, with Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert taking second and third mere metres behind the strong and canny Frenchman.
If today’s exhilarating finale wasn’t enough, here are some more reasons to sign up for Burgaudeau’s fan club (which should be called, if there’s any justice, Burg’s Babes):
Burgaudeau’s from the island of Noirmoutier off the Vendée coast, connect to land via the Passage du Gois, scene of an infamous Tour de France crash in 1999. He spent part of the 2020 lockdown… at sea as his father is a fisherman with a commercial boat and went back to help
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) March 11, 2022
I love everything about Mathieu Burgaudeau, from the trouble his surname gives Sean Kelly to the fact he’s never skipped arms day in his life and his Julian Alaphilippe ‘stunt double’ appearance
— Andy McGrath (@Andymcgra) March 11, 2022
At Tirreno-Adriatico, the climbing enigma Warren Barguil made it a clean sweep for France with a dominant solo victory in Fermo. The Arkea-Samsic rider looked the strongest of the day’s break on the short, steep ramps towards the end of the stage, and eventually broke clear on the double-digit gradients to take a comfortable win.
Behind, drama ensued as the big three of Tirreno (and quite possibly, stage racing over the next few years), Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard all strayed off course after Evenepoel overshot a corner with six kilometres to go.
Crazy scenes as Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard going the wrong #TirrenoAdriatico #procycling pic.twitter.com/9vzgH81day
— thecyclingdane (@Thecyclingdane) March 11, 2022
At that stage, the trio had broken clear following an Evenepoel acceleration and looked set to hunt Barguil down. Despite a somewhat frustrated chase from the Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl prodigy, all three ended up finishing together, only ceding two short seconds to a late attack from Ineos Grenadiers’ Richie Porte.
Despite the mishap, the sight of Pogačar, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard riding away from their rivals must be an ominous one for any rider with aspirations of grand tour success over the next decade. To paraphrase music critic Jon Landau, I have seen the future of stage racing (for a few kilometres at least), and its name is Pog, Remco and Jonas…
Tadej and Remco are the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. Not sure which is which, but it’s great stuff. I just wish Egan was there too.
— Matt Rendell (@mrendell) March 11, 2022
Weird cycling prizes, #178
In last week’s article about the – ahem – ‘goody bag’ presented to Ellen van Dijk by sponsors EasyToys following stage one of the Dutch Bloeizone Fryslân race, I mentioned how that particular prize could at least be considered an upgrade to the vacuum cleaner awarded to Jolien D’Hoore at the 2015 Ronde van Drenthe.
Well, at today’s Drentse Acht van Westerveld, the prequel to Drenthe which takes place tomorrow, the podium ceremony featured what could only be described as a Generation Game-style assortment of questionable prizes, including a hoover, a kettle and an air-fryer.
Remember last week when I joked about hoovers being given out as prizes?
Well, today it looks like we’ve got a hoover, an air-fryer, a kettle, a seat and a small girl’s bike being given out to the riders.#Drentse8 pic.twitter.com/q2ESrzCGiu
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) March 11, 2022
On the road itself, SD Worx’s Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus, one of the peloton’s most valued domestiques, beat Alison Jackson and Floortje Mackaij in the sprint.
It’s not yet been confirmed which prize Majerus drew out in the lucky dip…
Twitter pokes fun at Remco’s detour
Remco Evenepoel’s off-route sojourn at Tirreno-Adriatico provoked quite the reaction on Twitter.
Yesterday we reported that the Belgian star has been banned from driving for three weeks after he was caught doing nearly 35mph over the speed limit in November 2020. The Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl rider claimed that he was speeding because he was late for a physio appointment, as part of his recovery from his horror crash at Lombardia earlier in the summer.
That excuse, naturally, has provided plenty of fresh material for cycling Twitter:
Remco going too fast again 😅 #TirrenoAdriatico
— pro cycling trumps (@procycletrumps) March 11, 2022
Remco’s explanation for missing the corner: “I was running late for a physiotherapist appointment.”
— Max’s Cycling Thoughts (@CyclingOpinions) March 11, 2022
And a slightly more serious take on the subject:
As you watch Remco Evenepoel furiously pedal around Italy, note that he is conveniently “serving” a three-week driving ban in Belgium for excessive speeding.
— Peter Flax (@Pflax1) March 11, 2022
With all the focus on his driving conviction, lest we forget Remco’s original and most stubborn nemesis – gravel:
To fair Remco was just looking for a gravel section to lose time on https://t.co/iKBM0JmQz8
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) March 11, 2022
Nine second hold-up – your reaction
Before I send you off into the weekend, here’s a selection of some of your (and Twitter’s) thoughts about the curious case of cycling Tom and the delayed van driver…
Apart from the risible NIP, I feel that one of the biggest issues with this story is the fact that the police have just given the van driver the perfect defence when his driving through the red light gets to court. ‘I’m ever so sorry, your honour. But I missed the red because I was frustrated at the cyclist holding me up. Even the police agreed with me on that as they are on record doing so.’
On my commute yesterday a car had stopped in the middle of the road for no discernable reason, which held up traffic.
The day before a delivery driver had stopped in the middle of the road, holding up traffic, to make a delivery when there was a space to park 20 metres down the road.
This was annoying, but it wouldn’t have crossed my mind that they should be prosecuted for this because I’m not batshit crazy.
Nine seconds might not sound a lot, but to be held up and stopped by a cyclist trying to do a holier than thou would annoy me too… it always feels like longer. Yes, the driver is in the wrong, but deliberately impeding their journey is also wrong.
Nine seconds is nine seconds. If it feels like longer, that’s your issue and it excuses nothing by way of your subsequent reactions and behaviour.
Obviously it’s all relevant. Nine seconds is a long time if you’re running the Olympic 100m. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say this wasn’t relevant in the case described.
Seriously, though, if your temperament is such that you get annoyed for a nine second delay, I’m not sure you should be allowed to be in charge of any form of heavy equipment.
Plenty of things annoy me – packaging that’s impossible to open without industrial tools, Carlton Kirby’s commentary ‘style’, grocers apostrophe’s, use of the words ‘snowflake’ and ‘gammon’, shop assistants who jump on me to ask ‘are you OK there?’ as soon as I walk through the door…
I’d find it bizarre to suggest that the people responsible for all of those should be threatened with prosecution, though.
(Well, maybe the apostrophes…)
You couldn’t script this!
I would LOVE this to go to court to see what the magistrate made of it. I would hope it wouldn’t get that far and the CPS would chuck it in the bin and send a laughing emoji response to the police force who are suggesting this.— 🌱Carrie Purdom ignored you fine the first time. (@CarriePurdom) March 11, 2022
Clear to everyone The Police are finally and rightly sick and tired of trouble making cyclists who don’t obey the road rules themselves but spend their days trying to provoke and video other road users so they can post online, slag The Police off whilst making reports. GREAT!
— Nerd (@stillphone) March 11, 2022
is it April 1st yet ?
Did the van company just make a large donation to the @ASPolice christmas fund ?
If only all the motor vehicles that hold me up on my London Cycle commute could be prosecuted 😉
( Inner London average motor vehicle speed 8mph)— cycleoptic💙💚 (@cycleoptic) March 11, 2022
If frustrated 🙃
— Stevie Zero (@zero_stevie) March 11, 2022
11 March 2022, 09:13
11 March 2022, 09:13
Check out this month’s road.cc Podcast, where you can hear me yap on about how much I love the Tour of Flanders…
Are time trial bikes safe to ride on open roads? LEJOG record holder Michael Broadwith on the road.cc Podcast
On episode 20 of the road.cc Podcast, we're joined by the Land's End to John o' Groats record holder Michael Broadwith as we discuss the use of increasingly slippery TT bikes on open roads
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Latest Comments
The defence may well have argued that, and the magistrate may have accepted it, but that's not what the law says. It says that you have only driven without reasonable consideration for others if someone is inconvenienced. But the offence is committed if you drive without due care and attention, OR without reasonable consideration for other person. You have done the first if the driving falls below what would be expected of a careful and competent driver, regardless of whether anyone was inconvenienced. And CPS guidance specifically cites driving too close to another vehicle as an example.
Some years ago (before there was a cycle lane) I used to commute on Sidmouth St. But only because I worked on the London Road campus, from anywhere else there are better alternatives. As a cycle route it runs from between two busy roads, neither of which are exactly cycle friendly. So it's hardly surprising that no cyclists use it.
The officer's comments unfortunately reflect the reality of UK law. While the Highway Code guidance indeed refers to 1.5m, that is not anywhere in the law. And the criteria in law for proving a charge of careless driving does in fact rest on whether the rider is being "inconvenienced", as the discovered several years ago when the Met prosecuted a taxi driver who nearly hit me when cutting into my lane from the left near Marylebone. The prosecution lawyer was a barely competent newbie who fumbled over his words. The court computer was barely capable of playing the video footage, which kept freezing and crashing. The cabbie had an highly assertive defence lawyer who immediately seized on this point, and argued to the magistraite that I clearly hadn't been "inconvenienced" because I had not stopped or swerved, and had carried on my journey. Never mind that didn't have time to do either of those things, or that I was centimetres from being hit - the magistraite acquitted him on those grounds. That is unfortunately the outrageous reality of actually prosecuting a close pass incident. I know it's popular to blame the police and the CPS for not prosecuting enough close passes ... but the fact is the law is inadequate, and if the driver has a good lawyer then they can likely get off most close pass prosecutions.
Let's not forget the protruding "side" mirror...
HTML rules are clearly only partially implemented
please can we have the ability to use bold and italics for emphasis back as well?
As a Reading resident and cyclist, I can say I cannot think of a single occasion when I have seen a cyclist using the Sidmouth St cycle lane, nor can I think of any reason I'd use it myself. It doesn't connect to any other useful cycle routes. I don't rejoice that some of it is going back to motor traffic but I can see why the council is proposing to do that. Reading could really do with a cycleway to cross the town centre west to east and east to west but I'm not holding my breath on that.
Giant are one of the most trustworthy brands out there when it comes to manufacturing components given that they actually own their own production facilities. None of that matters though when it comes to road hookless, I and most other people won't touch it with a barge pole. We're surely at a stage now where it's toxic amongst consumers and it's only a matter of time before the UCI ban it for racing.
Filling the road with one person per car is using the road space more efficiently, amazing, I never realised that.
I bought a Giant Defy recently and immediately sold off the hookless wheels at a pretty big loss and won't ever do that again. I'm not buying hookless for road ever. Giant in particular has very short list of what tires they test with their rims so it's way too restrictive even if I was going to ride hookless wheels. Which I won't. Very short sighted by Giant.
49 thoughts on “Police intend to prosecute helmet cam cyclist for holding up van driver – for nine seconds; British pro warns against Snake Pass trespass; Simmons goes Postal; Public Consultations: a waste of time?; Boulting’s back + more on the live blog”
Sit in a traffic jam on the
Sit in a traffic jam on the pushie and request the police prosecute all the cars in front of you with single occupants for not having reasonable consideration when using the road.
I get held up by people
I get held up by people driving their cars all the time! 😀
So many comments and thoughts
So many comments and thoughts come to mind on reading this, “I’ll bet the officer issuing the NIP is a petrol head Clarkson fan” being one.
The issue of a NIP does not
The issue of a NIP does not mean that you are going to be prosecuted. It must be served within 14 days of the incident. It protects the Police position for enquiries as the road user is aware that they may be asked about the incident at a later stage. That later stage may never come or the enquiries made may be months away. The NIP means that, for example, if you have video footage, you can preserve it, if you wish to make notes while fresh in your mind you can do so, there may be witnesses to get details from etc. It’s wrong to jump to the conclusion that the cyclist here is going to be prosecuted for an offence.
headingley wrote:
I’d agree – issuing a NIP doesn’t mean that the CPS is going to take it further and it absolves the police from any complaints by drivers that they only looked at the cyclist’s side of the video evidence.
However, a NIP for 9 seconds delay is risible – they could have just informally warned the cyclist (about holding up traffic to film others) which would be more proportionate.
hawkinspeter wrote:
When you consider the kind of close passes we see on here that only generate a warning letter a NIP for this is way, way over the top.
headingley wrote:
I’m sure you’re right, but NIP does stand for Notice of Intended Prosecution, so the implication is you get one is that the police intend to prosecute you.
What!?
What!?
1) I didn’t know holding up traffic for 9seconds was a crime. What is that law? Does that mean that every time a driver stalls and holds up a traffic queue it’s considered a crime?
2) There appears to be a total lack of circumstance being taken into consideration – surely the police should be thanking the cyclist for helping stop crime.
3) It seems wrong that in the same situation that if ‘all crimes’ are being prosecuted that the van driver doesn’t get santioned running the red light.
Anecdotally, it seems the police officer or officers would seem to have a bias against the cyclist.
peted76 wrote:
1) The charge under
1) The charge under consideration could be obstruction; it could be careless or inconsiderate cycling. If there was a confrontational element, an officer might even be considering an assault. Theoretically, if he prevented the van from moving, there could be an illegal detention involved. Without trawling through the tweets again, I think Tom Bugs said it was careless/inconsiderate cycling.
If somebody stalled or slipped their SPD, it is something that is unintended; stopping to take photos is intentional. (That delay may be justifiable, and I’m not supporting the cyclist being prosecuted, I’m just answering the question.)
2) We have a few short tweets to determine what the police are taking into account; it may simply be a “placeholder” to keep the option of a charge open.
<cynicism> it could be a shot across the bow so they can abandon action against the van driver while the threat of a NIP terminates any complaints from the cyclist.</cynicism>
3) We don’t know he isn’t.
Anecdotally, we have Tom Bugs’s comments to that effect.
peted76 wrote:
Does it mean that the police are going to leap on every taxi driver who stops in a painted cycle lane to take a phone call, forcing cyclists to wait or to go out into a lane full of (increasingly angry) motorists?
No; didn’t think so…
RE Jake Stewart.
RE Jake Stewart.
Unfortunately trying to appease the small minority of vocal haters is a futile exercise. They will just generate a another spurious reason to hate and abuse us. This has been the way for Out Groups throughout history.
Appeasement achieves nothing.
Agreed – the twitterarti have
Agreed – the twitterarti have gone off on a tangent there. As far as I’ve learned from whats published, the full closure is becasue of the landslip and the council wanting to keep people away from it as some have been standing in it – irrespective of their mode of transport. Jake S is pointing out if a group cyclists break a safety rule thats intended for all – you’re just fanning the flames for any mororists v cyclists rule breaking flame wars down the line. This could be resolved without a mass protest ride.
The condecension in the tweet is Hannah is hilarious, does she think he doesn’t do X thousand miles training on open UK roads throughout the year, probably mixes with traffic way more than us (or her)..
Jake S is pointing out if a
Jake S is pointing out if a group cyclists break a safety rule thats intended for all – you’re just fanning the flames for any mororists v cyclists rule breaking flame wars down the line
It is going to make precisely no difference. The same people will be anti-cycling on Bookface and drive dangerously with or without a protest ride.
As Chris Hoy has proved in the past, being able to ride fast does not make you a qualified psychologist and cycle campaigner. Jake Stewart should wind his neck in.
I also think he’s missing the
I also think he’s missing the point – the “tresspass” isn’t intended to inconvenience motorists in any way but is protesting the Council’s hypocritical decision to close the road to cyclists “for their own safety” when the road is in fact safer than it’s ever been to cycle on.
A critical mass ride once the road has fully reopened would be a different prospect (one which I would generally be in favour of, but I can see a more convincing argument that it could exacerbate conflict with motorists).
A few weeks ago there was a
A few weeks ago there was a video on here of cars being driven through a temporary traffic light showing red. Nobody, not even on here, turned that into #AllMotorists.
When there was the Kinder Scout trespass in the 1930s, I doubt that the newspapers were off on one about ‘all pedestrians…’, or even about ‘all ramblers…’.
So why are all cyclists held to be responsible for the actions of every other cyclist in existence??
I think Jake misunderstands
I think Jake misunderstands the point of trespass tbh – the goal is not to simply find a suitable cycling road; but to break down the unfair rules that ban cyclists from riding on certain roads.
Good job trespass happens, though, as we wouldn’t have national parks otherwise…
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/learning-about/news/70-years-of-the-peak-district-national-park/the-mass-trespass
Apart from the risible NIP, I
Apart from the risible NIP, I feel that one of the biggest issues with this story is the fact that the police have just given the van driver the perfect defence when his driving through the red light gets to court. “I’m ever so sorry, your honour. But I missed the red because I was frustrated at the cyclist holding me up. Even the police agreed with me on that as they are on record doing so.”
It’s a summary offence, so no
It’s a summary offence, so no need to prove the meant to,cross. Just the fact they did.
same as speeding, no insurance etc.
On my commute yesterday a car
On my commute yesterday a car had stopped in the middle of the road for no discernable reason, which held up traffic.
The day before a delivery driver had stopped in the middle of the road, holding up traffic, to make a delivery when there was a space to park 20 metres down the road.
This was annoying, but it wouldn’t have crossed my mind that they should be prosecuted for this because I’m not batshit crazy.
AidanR wrote:
information request
How many police offices have been charged with inconsiderate driving, fior holding up traffic in the process of dealing with dangerous drivers.?
AidanR wrote:
They should have parked on the pavement / in the cycle lane – that’s what they’re for. Obviously deploying their BOLAS…
A cyclist being prosecuted? I
A cyclist being prosecuted? I assume they were wearing an ID tabard?
Car Delenda Est wrote:
well in this case he submitted his own details on the police portal when submitting the video for action, so probably not
So no one made a complaint
So no one made a complaint that they were inconvenienced byt the cyclist!
So no crime committed
Ah – but there was an injury
Ah – but there was an injury – to a driver’s sense of pride…
Public consultations aren’t a
Public consultations aren’t a waste of time.
They are also not referendums.
Re Tom.
Re Tom.
Just looked it up on Cycling UK web site. Max fine £1000. I’m sure we can come up with a suitable contribution if Tom does get fined and as far as I’m concerned it will be worth it IF the Audi driver and the Van driver receive APPROPRIATE punishments. Tom does say that Avon and Somerset are brilliant at dealing with camera submissions and I think they came top in solving bike thefts in a recent survey. As others have said a NIP does not necessarily mean it will be taken through, if it is then I would imagine being stopped to obtain evidence of wrongdoing would be a good defence and even if he’s fined I doubt it would be the maximum.
In the mean time, if Tom is right, thank you to A&S for taking cyclist’s submissions seriously. I wish they were my police force.
He needs to take this one to
He needs to take this one to the courts. For a start, I don’t think it would get there; based on the current backlog and resource challenges such a case would not be a prioity.
Should it come to court, then the length of and reason for the delay will make it very hard for a magistrate to put forward a guilty verdict.
However, cyclist haters are everywhere, so who knows!
I would certainly join the
I would certainly join the Snake Pass Trespass if I was down there, even though it’s not a really great route apart from the absence of traffic. As for the cycling pro anxious not to incite drivers…!!! Hitler and Putin have demonstrated that appeasing The Bad does not work.
I would love to be a fly on
I would love to be a fly on the wall when they present their report to their sergeant for approval to send to the CPS. Or during the phone call to the CPS for advise on if it meets the required thresholds.
I had a friend who used to be a sergeant and he told some crackers. Usually about young constables fresh out of the depot and bursting to charge anything that moved. Though some of the older hands looked for creative approaches. The best one being a lad charged for jaywalking rather than rioting due to the brief claiming his client was out walking the dog.
I once had a rookie traffic
I once had a rookie traffic copper try to report me for driving an articulated lorry without a tachograph and without matching front and rear number plates.
Thankfully, the experienced officer they were paired with was able to explain that as an MOD truck, it was exempt tachograph regulations and allowed to have mismatched numberplates.
(Military trailers are registered as vehicles in their own right)
At the risk of becoming the
At the risk of becoming the lightning rod for anti police sentiment-
“Or during the phone call to the CPS for advise on if it meets the required thresholds. “
CPS advice isn’t required for this offence. It’s a police charging decision. If it was CPS then I doubt op close pass would be viable.
that said, I’m not sure I fathom the rationale, as someone who regularly holds up traffic and stands in the middle of the road to enforce the law I have been responsible for much longer delays then 9’seconds.
Everyone is entitled to a court hearing*, so I’d suggest that might be the best way to go. If only because the prosecution would have to call the person who was inconvenced for 9 seconds to explain how much of an impact it had on them
*assuming the prosecutor is happy public interest test is met.
Thanks for the clarification
Thanks for the clarification Inspector.
As an aside. I was reading that the PSNI will be allowed to respond to minor driving offences that fall under careless driving with a FPN plus points in order to take the pressure off the courts. I’m sure there will be strict criteria and thresholds etc to ensure certain behaviours end up in court. What are your thoughts?
PSNI will be allowed to
PSNI will be allowed to respond to minor driving offences that fall under careless driving with a FPN plus points
Can all forces not do this already? The problem is that they (or the one I know about, Lancashire, doesn’t). As far as it’s possible to tell Lancashire has never prosecuted, FPN-ed, penalised with points, or even sent offenders on the joke online course anybody for close-passing a cyclist. The worst that can happen is ‘words of advice’ to ignore or warning letter to throw in the bin. The same applies to any of the indisputable red light crossing offences, white line crossing offences, illegal number plate offences or No VED offences, and when I start my mobile phone campaign, I’m pretty sure the situation will be the same. They have never run a close-passing ‘operation’. We’re certainly disadvantaged here!
My understanding is that it
My understanding is that it will be for offences that normally would require a summons with the exception of more serious cases.
My understanding is that it
My understanding is that it will be for offences that normally would require a summons with the exception of more serious cases
The problem, for Lancashire residents, with your entirely sensible point is that, here, no traffic offences that they want to cover up require a summons, or any other action for that matter. Below is HY66 ZZB performing a standard ‘white van’ close pass at 45 in a 30 limit on 6.3.22, reported the following day as APL103086. You can see from the DVSA and ‘Check-MOT’ websites that the lorry has been untaxed since 4.6.19, and that it was due for its first MOT in September 2019. It’s likely it was sold around June 2019, because it was doing 30,000 miles a year for its first 3 years, and 10,000 a year since, so the dodgy new owner has decided not to bother with VED. Lancashire Constabulary has written off the DVSA as ‘rarely updated’ (a stupid comment, in my opinion) and claims that the only reliable information comes from the Police National Computer- you wonder where the PNC gets vehicle information from! We are so accustomed on here to NFA for close-passes that nobody will be surprised that LC promptly NFA-d the report as their opinion is that if they don’t hit you, they weren’t close enough- however, they won’t accept the absent VED either: I made the point, they refuse to reply. Lancashire is a paradise for offending drivers because they’re Bad Cops- the Preston Connection! Lancashire Constabulary could teach the Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force a thing or two about acting against the public interest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvk9/episodes/downloads
Thanks for taking the time to
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I guess I recognise the frustration that anti-police sentiment creates and in some respects am guilty of it myself.
In my case it’s entirely down to the apparent dishonesty and lack of responsiveness from some forces to what are quite clearly serious / dangerous motoring offences and the experience of politely trying to discuss a crazy stupid close pass with the driver of a police van only to be confronted by a ridiculous level of agression by the driver for my troubles – I literally expected to be beaten up.
Having said that, I recognise it’s a very difficult job and that most of the serving officers will be motivated by trying to do the right thing / help the other public.
Inspector Kevin Smith SYP
Could you explain what you mean by that?
PS I am not anti police but I am concerned by what appears to be significant differences in the way different police forces (and even different officers in the same force) interpret and deal with the videos we see on here in NMOTD.
Bungle_52 wrote:
— Bungle_52You’re not the only one.
Meanwhile Kent police have found the time to arrest and charge 74 Insulate Britain protestors. The Met and Herts forces have also charged protesters. And we know they are institutionally racist and sexist.
But the police will face far more serious issues when sea level rise affects the Thames barrier and the coastline of SE England while increased levels of fuel poverty leads to increased crime as desperate people need to spend money in an attempt to keep warm.
Inspector Kevin Smith SYP
Are you sure criticism of the widely varied responses from police forces across the country is anti-police sentiment?
Most of the posters here would be massively supportive of the police if it wasn’t commonplace for incidents where cyclists lives have been put in jeopardy by motorists were not simply dismissed out of hand on such a frequent basis.
It would be an interesting experiment for a the same helmet camera video to be sent for review across every single police force across the country to find the responses by police force…. I would speculate that there would be a one or two police forces who would consider the offence suitable for prosecution by way of an NIP, a couple more would send a warning letter and the rest would either ignore or NFA the complaint.
If only there was some uniform standard which should be applied equally by all police forces…. maybe a law? oh wait………..
I have lived in two separate police force areas, police scotland…. who when presented with video evidence of a driver who pulled onto a roundabout in front of me causing me to have to brake sharply to avoid a collision. Said driver was on their mobile phone (caputred in glorious 60fps 1080hd footage) had an Expired MOT and VED….. yet somehow that was No Further Actioned.
Contrast that with Northumberland Police I have submitted 3 clips of the most dangerous close passes incidents I have had all of which were actioned 2 of which were warning letters the 3rd was a fine and vehicle seized.
If you cycle past “Road
If you cycle past “Road Closed” signage – are you still insured?
Will an organisation such as BC or CUK still represent you if you were to be hit by a vehicle being driven by someone with the correct authorisation (such as a roadworker or a resident)?
The problem about
The problem about consultations is not the consultations, it is the way that politicians deliberately abuse the results.
A typical consultation is not a vote, it is a request for alternative view points. These views should be assessed individually and against other views to ensure that all aspects of whatever the scheme is has been assessed. View points that are not valid can be noted and set aside, interesteing ideas can be explored further. Concerns that are raised independently (rather than by copied submissions and lobby groups) can carry more weight. However, councillors then like to pick up the numbers and say the majority were for/against a scheme when 0.5% of the local population have responded and most of those have sent in some knee jerk response to change without any considered view of the actual scheme.
My council is a bit prone to “Do you think cycle safety is a good thing?” then having a plan for a scheme which is rubbish but has no space to make comment, so you are then left with a “I am in favour of this scheme” or “I am not in favour” so there is no real effort to do anything but a tick box excercise to satisfy what may be a legal requirement of guidance on consultation. As the consultations aren’t effective, schemes then go ahead that have been inadequately considered and then the council gets all sulky when motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all complain about how the scheme is obviously flawed.
IanMSpencer wrote:
Alas having a consultation has become a tick box-exercise! I’ve rambled before about this but I agree – it’s “don’t ask the question until you’re pretty sure you know the answer”. So when these things go awry it’s because the council didn’t really have an idea of what people wanted and didn’t make much or any effort to get anyone on-side first.
The cynic in me says authorities know this. They know most people won’t have bothered to engage with consultations – often because they think it’s pointless as they were ignored in the past. So the authority comes up with their plan – which will be done pretty much regardless. Shortly before they start actioning it they do the consultation and then to any complaints they then say “but we consulted on this…”. Just occasionally there’s so much reaction this blows up in their faces.
i was waiting at a junction
i was waiting at a junction yesterday and a 4×4 drew up right next to me – it was on the wrong side of the road, blocking the right lane – down with the window and the driver starts berating me ‘what are you doing etc?’ ‘I’m f+++kin turning, and what are doing doing blocking the lane intimidating me etc?” And so forth.
What is the matter with people? Why can’t they let me just wait for a gap and cycle into the flow. Why do they have to overtake at a junction?
Zombie thread alert (this was
Zombie thread alert (this was the first one I found mentioning the infamous 9 second delay).
It seems that the bizarre 9 second traffic delay prosecution is being picked up by other new sites: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/police-confirm-campaigning-bristol-cyclist-6834467
Also: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b78ec6ee-a7b4-11ec-a9dd-14c997a643ea?shareToken=f9d2dbf5c5e0a129644a9fea03cc4fee
Prosecution dropped on 9
Prosecution dropped on 9 second holdup by cyclist
https://twitter.com/BugBrand/status/1578326480240594944
hirsute wrote:
Excellent news. Shame it took so long when we all knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere.
His Twitter posts (I hate the chopped up nature of Twitter) are a good read and he recommends Bristolians to sign the ePetition for safer cycling in Bristol: https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=255&RPID=21264853&HPID=21264853