An Edinburgh cyclist who filmed another rider coming within a whisker of being knocked off his bike by a left-turning motorist says the shocking footage highlights the need for safe cycling infrastructure in the area of the Scottish capital where the incident happened.
Dr Mark Hartl was riding on West Harbour Road, Granton, when the driver of a black hatchback cut across the cycling in front of him, barely missing the rider who was forced to brake and unclip his left foot.
Dr Hartl told road.cc that he spoke to the other cyclist afterwards. “He was a bit shaken, but unhurt, as he managed to stay on the bike,” he said.
While he was able to note the motorist’s registration plate, he said that since “no-one was hurt or worse, I did not consider reporting it to the police.”
With the footage going viral on Twitter after he posted it to the social network, and the story picked up by local media, Dr Hartl said that he “would rather see the publicity used to expedite the installation of a cycle path along that route.”
Highlighting “the lack of a safe cycle path between the Lower Granton Road cycle path and the Silverknowles Esplanade that leads to Cramond,” he added that “the road surface is very poor, ground up by heavy HGVs and is now since the lockdown becoming more popular with cycling families.”
> 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
61 thoughts on “Near Miss of the Day 555: Driver nearly left-hooks cyclist; rider who filmed shocking footage says it underlines need for safe infrastructure”
Atrocious bit of MGIF driving
Atrocious bit of MGIF driving. This driver should not be allowed on the roads. If you know who the other cyclist is, report it to the police and he can be the victim, you can be the witness, since their normal practice seems to be designating the person with the camera as “just a witness.”
Does it count as MGIF when it
Does it count as MGIF when it looks to me like the motorist didn’t even see the cyclist who’s ahead of the camera?
brooksby wrote:
Motorist did nothing wrong. If the cyclist had been wearing a lid and hiviz this would never have……. oh
Bet he breaks read lights
Captain Badger wrote:
Is that satire? 😉
brooksby wrote:
It’s very hard to tell these days….
I don’t think it counts as
I don’t think it counts as MGIF when they don’t even care whether they’ve actually managed to get in front or not.
brooksby wrote:
Yes it does, because the pass is ‘MGIF’ even for the camera cyclist. The speed at which the car overtakes and corners says to me that the driver kept his speed up to get past the first cyclist. The cornering is then too fast for a junction into which he cannot see clearly until the last moment when he clears the corner building. There could have been any number of obstructions in the side road that would have caused him to stop and come into conflict with the cyclist(s) he was overtaking.
I think it makes sense that he did see the front cyclist, and he assumed he was also turning.
GMBasix wrote:
OK: consider my wrist well and truly slapped 😉
brooksby wrote:
Would you use the same excuses if you were the victim of this callous dangerous driver?
Projectcyclingfitness wrote:
Does it count as MGIF when it looks to me like the motorist didn’t even see the cyclist who’s ahead of the camera?
— Projectcyclingfitness Would you use the same excuses if you were the victim of this callous dangerous driver?— brooksby
Erm – I wasn’t giving an excuse (??)
I was vaguely humorously asking whether it’s ‘Must Get in Front’ if they didn’t see that there was anything to be ‘Getting in Front’ of.
That definitely needs
That definitely needs reporting!
With driving like that I
With driving like that I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other offences e.g. insurance, license, tax, mot etc , etc. Should report otherwise what’s the point of recording?
It’s taxed & has MOT, though
It’s taxed & has MOT, though that doesn’t make the driving less bad.
That really does need
That really does need reporting. Unless you’ve reported incidents before and got a very poor response?
A point for discussion here,
A point for discussion here, does the left turn signal from the camera rider give the eegit in the car the impression they are both turning left as he assumes that they must be together (both on bikes afterall) and he then thinks it is OK to pass them around the outside of the bend. Not that the driving would be in any way acceptable if this were the case.
I know I have mistakenly assumed in the past that folk are together because they happen to be fairly close together, not that I have then tried to run them of the road but have been suprised to see them seperate.
Actually, that’s a good
Actually, that’s a good observation. Very likely that is what was going on.
I was going to make the same
I was going to make the same observation. I recall an incident in the past where a driver pulled out in front of a group of us as they assumed the cyclist we were catching that indicatd left was part of our group and we would all turn left.
I think that’s exactly what
I think that’s exactly what happened. The perils of indicating, sometimes it’s better just to keep ’em guessing!
I hadn’t even considered that
I hadn’t even considered that as a possibility, but you might be right…
If true that only serves to
If true that only serves to emphasise how poor some drivers’ understanding of the roads is. If a car indicated to turn left, it would never cross their minds to assume that the car in front of them was also going to turn left when they hadn’t signalled to do so.
Yes riders do often ride in groups, but assuming that all groupings of more than one rider are actually a group, and all going the same way, is dangerously careless, as this video might indicate (no pun intended).
Totally agree.
Totally agree.
EK Spinner wrote:
NOT a ‘mistake’ at all. It was in all accounts MGIF at whatever the cost and harm to.the cyclist.
Why else would the scrote behind the wheel veer on the wrong side of the road and flooring it?
“With the footage going viral
“With the footage going viral on Twitter after he posted it to the social network, and the story picked up by local media, Dr Hartl said that he “would rather see the publicity used to expedite the installation of a cycle path along that route.”
Not a fan of this argument, the infrastructure would only help at that location, and not the hundreds of other places where this happens. However the publicising of the proper conviction and punishment of the offender and significant sentence would hopefully help everywhere. Especially in conjunction with an increased chance of being caught and charged
Quote:
As negligent as the driver, then.
Dr Harti
Dr Harti
Please. Please Please. Report this to Police Scotland. Even though nobody was hurt (does mental trauma count?) they may take action. It may actually lead to the Fiscal processing as the cyclist had to take evasive action which is one of the caveats required for a charge in this case. Also the reporting may highlight a vehicle that is illegally on the road which in turn could trigger a load of other offences. There may also be an anti social order on the vehicle which will lead to its seizure.
At the very least they will have words if you get a sympathetic constable.
Quote: With the footage going
Quote: With the footage going viral on Twitter after he posted it to the social network, and the story picked up by local media, Dr Hartl said that he “would rather see the publicity used to expedite the installation of a cycle path along that route.”
I’m all in favour of the instalation of good cycling infrastructure but the instalation of a cycle path is not the remedy for that sort of driving.
iandusud wrote:
in one sense it might be as an off road cycle lane might well be installed with give way lines, giving drivers priority and removing this offence by putting the onus on the cyclist to know who is coming up behind them that might be turning left.
Not an ideal solution though as the cycle lane should have priority over turning traffic.
Totally agree with you – I
Totally agree with you – I hate cycle lanes that cede priority at every side road junction.
What I’d like to see are tiger/zebra type junctions at the entrance to side roads – either just paint on the road or even better would be raised humps similar to traffic calming measures. Then it’s more explicit that vehicles have to be careful when entering or exiting side roads.
Of course none of that helps if the driver is dangerously incompetent.
hawkinspeter wrote:
should be standard on all roads to remind drivers that pedestrians crossing side roads have priority. The majority seem to think otherwise.
Your less than ideal solution
Your less than ideal solution is not a solution at all.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
Indeed, but to the non cyclist planning roads it seems like a good idea, improve safety for cylists, don’t inconvenience drivers.
I know that road very well.
I know that road very well. It’s actually where I learned to drive, a long time ago and no that wasn’t me in the car!
Yes, Police Scotland should be sent the footage. Given their record, they may not take action, but they should get it all the same.
A point worth noting is that the road is generally a decent one for cyclists as it’s not busy. But you do have to keep an eye out for the road surface, which is very poor. There are a few industrial units along the route, so if you cycle along there you do watch out for the occasional mixer truck or tipper truck. But you can divert off the main road bit further on and ride along the promenade.
It’s of note that the driver saw fit to overtake, given the poor road surface that means you generally have to trundle along there at low speed to avoid damage to your vehicle. It’s a classic case of a driver not thinking ahead, and probably not looking after their vehicle that well either. I bet the suspension bushes will be knackered if that’s the way the person drives.
Cycling infrastructure is
Cycling infrastructure is always welcome and I believe it will get more people cycling but there will never be enough infrastucture to go every where we need to go and at some point nearly every cyclist will need to use a road. If cycling is going to become a real alternative form of transport, with all it’s benefits, then the roads will need to be made safe to use. One way of doing this is to make sure that motorists like this one are educated and, if the behaviour persists, then punished (severely). If we don’t report then this won’t happen. It may not happen anyway without the support of the police but that’s out of our control. If we report at least we will know we have done our bit.
What appals me about this and many other NMOTDs is that, once a mistake has been made, motorists feel its more important to keep going, and sometimes even accelerate, than to behave reponsibly and slow down or change direction for the saftey of a cyclist.
I fail to see how any form of
I fail to see how any form of cycling infrastructure, apart from a raised flyover, would prevent this sort of incident, even protected lanes can’t have the protection extend across junctions, so any idiot driver that MGIF will continue to drive like this.
Needs reporting to the police so this driver can be prosecuted.
If you are raising it for awareness then I suggest Dr Hartl should be calling for a tougher stance with law breaking drivers, as I suspect they will only get a warning letter or a training course.
Needs reporting to the police
Needs reporting to the police so this driver can be prosecuted
I agree- always report if you have the video. Driver is guilty, but he wouldn’t be prosecutd in Lancashire. The report would just be ignored, but you have to follow-up with a complaint- and when the police come up with a really stupid argument to justify their ‘no further action’ you have to follow that up too! Persistence is the only way with the police, who will dodge, duck and dive to avoid taking action.
Agree – I think, in my
Agree – I think, in my experience, it has been easier and far convenient for local councils to devise one form of cycling infrastructure, no matter how poorly thought out, constructed, disconnected from safe entry or exit points or any other cycling routes, than to maintain a strong and decisive stance on cyclists’ safety on general roads where a large number of us end up anyway.
I’d prosecute this any day of
I’d prosecute this any day of the week.
And it definitely wouldn’t be suitable for a letter or training course.
When we submit a TOR the officers opinion is noted as to what the action taken should be (for this one it would definitely be a summons – I’d like to see someone try and explain that overtake in court).
Hang on, does this mean road
Hang on, does this mean road.cc group think has penetrated the Police force and is taking over ?!
hirsute wrote:
Dream on …
hirsute wrote:
its the internet. Inspector Kevin may or may not be an ex or serving policeofficer
Yes, but we usually take
Yes, but we usually take someone at their word unless they’re saying things that don’t add up or seem unlikely enough to throw things into doubt.
hawkinspeter wrote:
It seems to me that nicmason will agree that Inspector Kevin is a real policeman if they agree with him; if they disagree with him then they’re clearly no true policeman 😉
I disagree
I disagree
Well, I disagree right back
Well, I disagree right back atcha.
So there 😉
If you have a look at
If you have a look at @SheffNW_NPT on Twitter or Facebook you may be unfortunate enough to see a photo of me and some videos of close passes that we have posted. There’s also a video of me talking about op close pass somewhere on Twitter floating about.
of course that wouldn’t prove that that is me, I could be impersonating a police officer which would then get me in more trouble than it’s worth I would think but who knows these days?
I will await the complaint of me impersonating me to be submitted to the police – only way to prove it – but then again – this conspiracy could go all the way to the top!
Well said sir. All we need
Well said sir. All we need now is for you to be put in charge of footage submitted by cylists nation wide and we’d be on our way towards active travel becoming a reality.
No thanks, I’ve got enough on
No thanks, I’ve got enough on just with Sheffield.
Change is coming – this being the police though it is sometimes like pushing treacle uphill
Safe cycling infrastructure
Safe cycling infrastructure in the form of dedicated cycling paths is hardly a panacea IMHO. A perfect example in my home city of Coventry (around the Cannon Park area, if you’re local) – a dedicated path has been constructed leading from a shared pavement just off the A45. However, this has narrowed the road down to one lane from two and there is no way to either enter or exit the path onto the road; furthermore, the path is a) usually clogged and b) littered with frankly bizarre speed bumps. This leaves anyone merging onto the road with the awkward choice of either sharing a single lane with increasingly irate motor traffic that is unable to overtake (bearing in mind the road is a 30) or riding at snail’s pace down an agonising roller coaster path that leads to an equally rubbish shared path. There is good infrastructure and bad infrastructure but sometimes just maintaining roads might go a long way.
Driver needs to be prosecuted
Driver needs to be prosecuted. This was an utterly stupid overtake with the driver obviously having no regard for the cyclists, even if he thought they were together and turning left.
Top summary!
Top summary!
No amount of safe
No amount of safe infrastructure is going to prevent complete bellends like that from driving how the hell they like. Get that twat reported, pronto.
I was hit by a delivery van
I was hit by a delivery van who left hooked me without slowing or indicating. It was at a junction along a large segregated bike path. Sent me sprawling across to the other side of the road. Got big rash and a shoulder injury that refuses to go away months later. Amazingly, bike not too damaged. Cosmetic damage is almost more annoying, however. Reported it. Policeman called me and said ‘I’ve talked to the driver, he admitted he didnt check or indicate. Look, he’s a nice guy, on this occasion he’s just cocked up. I can’t see any grounds for prosecution. That’s for where someone fails to stop, etc.’
‘…he’s just cocked up. I can
‘…he’s just cocked up. I can’t see any grounds for prosecution’
Looks like the police officer cocked up as well <facepalm>
Policeman called me and said
Policeman called me and said ‘I’ve talked to the driver, he admitted he didnt check or indicate. Look, he’s a nice guy, on this occasion he’s just cocked up. I can’t see any grounds for prosecution. That’s for where someone fails to stop, etc.‘
This is one of their favourite dodges. They tried it with me on the case below (sorry, it has been shown several times)- the story was that he had apologised so there wasn’t any point in doing anything else. It was about 4 months later when the documents were collected together for an ‘alleged’ prosecution. My statement was taken as the pandemic began to bite in the UK. The present date for the court case is still given as June 2021, although it is also stated that there is likely to be a further delay. The offence took place on 30.9.19. They will always try to put you off as the first stage of the dodging. Then they just try everything to slow it down in the hope that you will die or succumb to another more successful close pass, or just lose interest. And I think the original officer did say ‘I’m a cyclist myself’!
So the incident happened at
So the incident happened at the end of September 2019, but you didn’t make a witness statement until Feb or March 2020?
Just as well you had video footage to refresh your memory.
So the incident happened at
So the incident happened at the end of September 2019, but you didn’t make a witness statement until Feb or March 2020?
Correct. You have to fight every step of the way with Lancashire Constabulary, against all the dodges and tricks, initially ignoring the report, then trying to forgive the offence on the victim’s behalf etc. etc. You get nowhere with LC without persistence, but they’re still fighting by giving the prosecution a zero or negative priority etc.
Dr Mark Hartl is an eye
Dr Mark Hartl is an eye witness to a victim suffering a near, potentially fatal impact from a (willfully callous) dangerous driver and, in the intrest of public safety, should have a moral duty to report the scrote behind the wheel before they endo up killing a child or any other vulnerable groups.
The victim may be reluctant but needs encouragement to have the incident reported as now that dangerous driver will believe they can continue on their rampage, unabated, as will similar others.
When I was 17 I was coming
When I was 17 I was coming down a slight incline probably at about 20-25 mph when someone overtook then immediately put their brakes on I was so close that I could not slow down as quickly as they did. They then turned left so I had to go left with them and there was hardly any room between their rear passenger door and the kerb. My pedal clipped the kerb I was flung off fortunately just behind the car and my bike was left as I was lying in the road. They stopped and the bloke was shaking more than I was. He had thought he would have more room in front of me before he would slow down then he had thought I would be able to slow down to make up for his cock up and it was only when the bike and myself fell behind him that he realised that I had been in his blind spot on the inside. Scared the living daylights out of me, it had also scared him to the same level that he might killed me. I cycled off to play cricket and had a lovely afternoon as I recall I made a half decent score that day.
The car ended up on the wrong
The car ended up on the wrong side of the road.. anyone coming the other way would have resulted in a nasty collision; that idiot driver should be prosecuted for dangerous driving at a minimum.
Pretty much how I got hit the
Pretty much how I got hit the one time a driver drove into me. Came up from behind, performed an incomplete overtake and a left hook into me. Bent my front wheel beyond repair, but fortunately didn’t injure me.
A difference was I was in the marked cycle lane – which took me across the mouth of the side-road the driver wanted to turn into. That seems like really bad design, I now think, for precisely this reason. Another way in which bad infrastructure is worse than none at all.
In my case it was a hit-and-run – driver took off like a scalded cat immediately after, and I didn’t have a camera or get the licence plate. Made me glad I only have a cheap bike, as a replacement wheel didn’t cost much.
Will you be posting more now
Will you be posting more now the trolls from last year are gone ?