- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
news
Near Miss of the Day 184: Overtaking driver risks hitting cyclist head-on
Today's video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows, as ever, some very poor driving - although rather than a close pass from behind, it depicts a motorist overtaking another car, the manoeuvre bringing his vehicle perilously close to a cyclist riding in the opposite direction.
It was filmed in Rubery, Birmingham by road.cc reader Phil on his morning commute. He told us: "Car decided to overtake another car and was really close, probably the closest yet on my commute to work."
While there is no rear-facing footage, just how risky the overtake was can be gauged from the fact that there is a driver passing Phil from behind, and who as a result of the other motorist may not have been able to have given him as much space as might otherwise have been the case.
> 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
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.
Latest Comments
- chrisonabike 1 sec ago
"But no-one cycles / but everyone has to drive" - great self-fulfilling prophecies....
- chrisonabike 5 min 55 sec ago
Just make that gate a modal filter (people can cycle through) and you're done....
- chrisonabike 16 min 50 sec ago
That can be done...
- chrisonabike 21 min 11 sec ago
Other cycle-delics are available of course. Available in appliable patches.
- Dnnnnnn 24 min 10 sec ago
Fair point(s) - although I don't suppose they're likely choices in this scenario!
- wtjs 28 min 44 sec ago
I got a reply to my complaint from Amazon and the listing has been removed...
- Pot00000000 17 min 21 sec ago
Mistakes happen in articles. Maybe people should just drop the writer a note instead of trying to win imaginary internet points.
- OnYerBike 41 min 42 sec ago
Being easy to fit isn't the sole criterion for a good tyre. Easy to fit tyres also tend to be easy to remove tyres, which is fine if you're trying...
- Surreyrider 1 hour 17 min ago
Equally, you could say don't fixate on the frame material - both ti and carbon can be made comfortable or stiff.
- chrisonabike 11 hours 29 min ago
That's a bit forward! But yes; pop up any time you like. Except when the buses have been at the bridges.
Add new comment
13 comments
I'm reckoning more an Audi behemoth.
Brings back a bad memory of a BMW X5 driver deciding to overtake a line of traffic south out of Royston on the A10. I was coming downhill at over 30MPH and squeaked through a gap between the kerb and wing mirror with inches. I really don't think they saw me at all and our closing speed must have been approaching 100mph. I avoid that same road whenever I can ever since and have developed a deep seated loathing of X5s, especially black ones.
Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Grim Reaper himself drives an X5.
That wasn't a SMIDSY instance, that was a ISYBIDGAF instance.
Maybe, but how would you pronounce that? Izzy Bid Gaff doesn't have quite the same ring to it...
Works better if you remember Welsh or Gaelic spelling rules?
Then it's quite clearly pronounced as "fat-arsed-fcuker".
Very dangerous manoeuvre, and probably well exceeding the speed limit too. I daylight flash front and rear lights on commutes; perhaps it makes a difference in some potential SMIDSY instances.
Usually I find the first driver has been patient enough to wait for a safe place to pass, gives you loads of room, and the following drivers get closer and closer. Granted they've had less time to see you but the fact that one driver has given "something" a wide berth you think would mean they'd do the same...
Wow, two close passes in about 7 seconds, one from the front and one from behind!
It does sometimes seem that close passing is contagious - motorists see one dick doing it, then take that as a green light to also do it. I've also found sometimes the opposite also to be true, the first car in line gives you plenty of room, then all the others do too.
Then again, just to cover all bases, there are the times when they start off giving plenty of room, then progressively get closer, as if it's some kind of competition as to who get get the closest!
Is it that the second driver sees the first close pass, thinks "Oh, right, that's how close I can pass them" and then copies them...?
TBH this video wasn't so shocking as some of the ones we've had on here: I reckon I encounter overtaking like that every couple of weeks.
Yeah, I've had a few like that. Dangerous fcukwits!
More unusual was the motorist yesterday, who proceeded to reverse away from the traffic lights towards me, as I was approaching from behind. I asked if he hadn't seen me and he replied "Yes, and you can see that I'm reversing!" (silly me).
I have quite few passes like that, the police in Norfolk seem to take it seriously though. I've reported 3 which have all resulted in prosecution.
Well I hope you have reported that? I get this happen occasionally
I had one like that 2 weeks ago but could not see the reg when I stepped through frame by frame.
The pass at the end wasn't much better !