Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to news
news
Crime & Legal
Close Pass on Cyclist in Milton Keynes

Near Miss of the Day 121: Yet another unnecessary close pass

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s Milton Keynes
by Simon_MacMichael
Tue, Apr 10, 2018 13:59
11

One of the more common themes we’ve seen in our Near Miss of the Day series is a motorist who endangers a cyclist by overtaking far too closely – and often, when there is ample room on the carriageway to pass them safely (if there isn’t, the correct thing to do, of course, is wait until it is safe to do so).

Here’s another one that falls into that category, filmed on 6 April in Milton Keynes by road.cc reader Dean.

He told us: “I think some driver education is needed here before he kills someone.

“He didn't even move across the road when nothing was coming the other way!”

Dean has reported the incident online to Thames Valley Police and is currently awaiting their response.

> 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 [at] 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

Near Miss of the Day
NMotD Milton Keynes
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

11 comments

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
2 likes

Ooh! I've had a reply from VirginMedia and it goes like this:

"Hi. It's a general safety notice that a lot of vans and trucks on the road have. I can assure you that we take road safety extremely seriously. ^SG"

I was less than impressed at this utter load of bollocks and am back wating for a response, again...

Avatar
Pudsey Pedaller | 6 years ago
4 likes

Please road.cc, be more mindful with your headlines. By using the word 'unnecessary' to describe this close pass, you are implying that some close passes are necessary. They aren't. Ever.

Avatar
zero_trooper | 6 years ago
4 likes

I work in construction and we had some awful stickers on the backs of our vehicles (vans and Transit-sized tippers, not plant) which stated something like 'Cyclists do not pass on the nearside' and 'Pedestrians do not approach this vehicle' WTF?!?

As I pointed out, as soon as the 'driver' got out of the vehicle, they became a 'pedestrian', so in theory could not then re-approach and enter the vehicle 

I also provided a list of circumstances where cyclists could quite legally (and safely) pass on the nearside.

Turns out that by using these stickers (and presumably some other stuff) my company qualified for an award from CLOCS - https://www.clocs.org.uk/

I suspect that was in turn, another tickbox for the Considerate Constructors scheme.

CLOCS - 'looking out for vulnerable road users' 

Avatar
richiewormiling | 6 years ago
0 likes

i've seen worse to be fair

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
5 likes

Yesterday had a virginmedia car trying to bully his way infront as we appraoched the mini roundabout not 150m from home, casually gets in front about 20m away and drifts across as if I'm not there. I kept my line and came out in front because there were two other cars in front so he got a mouthful, I know where the twat lives (roughly) Might find a few flat tyres tomorrow when I get a moment.

Most of the problem staems from inaction by the police, if I 'accidentally' swung a sledgehammer at their faces whilst they were casually walking down the street they'd soon do something about it, do the same in a motor and it's stop wasting our time!

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
5 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

Yesterday had a virginmedia car trying to bully his way infront as we appraoched the mini roundabout not 150m from home, casually gets in front about 20m away and drifts across as if I'm not there. I kept my line and came out in front because there were two other cars in front so he got a mouthful, I know where the twat lives (roughly) Might find a few flat tyres tomorrow when I get a moment.

Most of the problem staems from inaction by the police, if I 'accidentally' swung a sledgehammer at their faces whilst they were casually walking down the street they'd soon do something about it, do the same in a motor and it's stop wasting our time!

I've been asking Virgin Media to explain what the "Cyclists stay back" stickers mean and what their purpose is. After the initial helpfulness, they are unable to answer such a simple question. The thick fuckers must know why they put them on the vans, mustn't they?

Avatar
cactusbob replied to don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
3 likes

don simon wrote:

I've been asking Virgin Media to explain what the "Cyclists stay back" stickers mean and what their purpose is. After the initial helpfulness, they are unable to answer such a simple question. The thick fuckers must know why they put them on the vans, mustn't they?

Clearly they are there to warn the cyclist about the apalling driver in the vehicle 1

Avatar
Kendalred replied to cactusbob | 6 years ago
8 likes

cactusbob wrote:

don simon wrote:

I've been asking Virgin Media to explain what the "Cyclists stay back" stickers mean and what their purpose is. After the initial helpfulness, they are unable to answer such a simple question. The thick fuckers must know why they put them on the vans, mustn't they?

Clearly they are there to warn the cyclist about the apalling driver in the vehicle 1

We should all start carrying stickers with "...because the driver of this vehicle is grossly incompetent", and pop one directly underneath.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Kendalred | 6 years ago
2 likes

KendalRed wrote:

cactusbob wrote:

don simon wrote:

I've been asking Virgin Media to explain what the "Cyclists stay back" stickers mean and what their purpose is. After the initial helpfulness, they are unable to answer such a simple question. The thick fuckers must know why they put them on the vans, mustn't they?

Clearly they are there to warn the cyclist about the apalling driver in the vehicle 1

We should all start carrying stickers with "...because the driver of this vehicle is grossly incompetent", and pop one directly underneath.

 

Excellent idea.  It just needs to be shorter as you won't fit all that on a sticker in a readable font.

 

 "As driver is a moron" maybe?

 

(Or maybe, slightly less confrontationally, just a sticker with 'awesome' to stick over 'back'?)

Avatar
Legs_Eleven_Wor... | 6 years ago
10 likes

The bit before 'pass' is really superfluous.  At least in town, because unless the cyclist is slow, every close pass is 'unnecessary'.

The other week, taxi driver screams past me at 15 yards (I shit you not) and slams the anchors on at the red light.  I pass him, slot into the ASL in front of him, and shake my head.

EDIT: that wasn't clear.  I mean I was fifteen yards from the red when he passed me [/EDIT]

Matey's response is to sound his horn, open his window and shout, 'Oi! You got a fackin' problem, cant?'

I ignore him, and make sure that I'm out of his way when the lights go to green.

Home, upload video, send to the Met.  Two days later, I hear that a Notice of Intended Prosecution has been sent out to him.

I would give anything to have been i a fly on the wall when he opened that.

Avatar
cactusbob | 6 years ago
2 likes

Sadly this happens all the time in Milton Keynes. Only a couple of weeks ago I saw a cyclist sitting bleeding on the verge because it was even closer than this. 

Latest Comments