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"Close Pass" by a truck

Near Miss of the Day 248: Cement truck driver sees no reason not to pass

Our regular feature showing close passes from around the country - today it's London...
by Alex Bowden
Mon, Feb 04, 2019 16:38
15

“Why wait for half a second when you can just barely squeeze past someone at full pelt as though they're not there at all?” asks Simon, who was on the receiving end of this close pass by a cement truck in December 2014.

The incident occurred heading east on the A3205 Battersea Park Road, part of Cycle Superhighway 8.

“Basically, some cement truck decided to just pretend I wasn't there by the looks of things and came by with inches to spare,” said Simon.

“All the more worrying if you pause the video as it passes and look at the available road space, on a fisheye lens.”

Simon says he didn’t report the incident, “and experience suggests it wouldn't have made much difference. When I was eventually knocked off by someone who couldn't be bothered to give way at a roundabout – despite a plethora of bright flashing lights, high vis, etc etc (viewable at 25 seconds into this video) – the police reaction was basically: ‘Well, we can't see the licence plate, so guess we'll just leave it at that.’”

> 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
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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15 comments

Avatar
alansmurphy | 5 years ago
1 like

Indeed - they have to care enough not to kill you...

Avatar
antigee | 5 years ago
2 likes

"Awavey"

"tbh in those cases I dont think it matters a jot how you approach those, as has been said the driver is taking the view that they have some form of priority over you with you being a mere cyclist borrowing space on their road, and they expect you to just keep out of their way, which means they expect you pull up to stop behind the parked vehicle and wait till the traffic is clear to pass it, even if you signal move across all in good time, theyll still come through on you."

very well put and sadly that is how many drivers behave - would say that I do believe some drivers understand that more and more cyclists have cameras and may back off as they are aware that behaviour got away with in past may not be acceptable now...I will signal my intent and then use the "finger of doom" pointing to where I expect the vehicle to be and to go to or stay - either in an outer lane or back down the road behind me  .... as ever have to assess situation/type of vehicle...stereotyping aids survival  - cement trucks - an industry whose activities on the road need to come under workplace safety. 

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
2 likes

Though it might be some crumb of comfort as you are lying in the road, that not only did you do nothing wrong, but that you did everything right.

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Mungecrundle wrote:

Though it might be some crumb of comfort as you are lying in the road, that not only did you do nothing wrong, but that you did everything right.

 

I love this argument; apply it to females wearing short skirts, people getting stabbed in a ub etc.

 

On the other hand, I think even a shoulder check does give a driver some indication that something is going to happen...

Avatar
brooksby replied to alansmurphy | 5 years ago
1 like

alansmurphy wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

Though it might be some crumb of comfort as you are lying in the road, that not only did you do nothing wrong, but that you did everything right.

I love this argument; apply it to females wearing short skirts, people getting stabbed in a ub etc.

On the other hand, I think even a shoulder check does give a driver some indication that something is going to happen...

You'd think so, but... 

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Ride down the middle of the road, stop placing yourself into pinch points

Avatar
Windy Cyclist | 5 years ago
1 like

I had a very near death experience like this with a scaffolding lorry - they seem to assume that you're going to ride into the back of the parked car. I suppose the only defense is to take the lane even more but when they're coming up at speed by the time you've distinguished them from a car that probably could get past without too much issue it's too late.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Windy Cyclist | 5 years ago
1 like

Windy Cyclist wrote:

I had a very near death experience like this with a scaffolding lorry - they seem to assume that you're going to ride into the back of the parked car. I suppose the only defense is to take the lane even more but when they're coming up at speed by the time you've distinguished them from a car that probably could get past without too much issue it's too late.

I once had someone in a car who had been forced to stop suddenly, explain to me that I should have stopped, checked it was clear, and then moved out "into the other lane" to go around the parked cars.  My explanation that 'moving around a parked car' doesn't count as 'moving into a different lane' didn't cut the mustard...  

Avatar
Mungecrundle replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
0 likes
brooksby wrote:

Windy Cyclist wrote:

I had a very near death experience like this with a scaffolding lorry - they seem to assume that you're going to ride into the back of the parked car. I suppose the only defense is to take the lane even more but when they're coming up at speed by the time you've distinguished them from a car that probably could get past without too much issue it's too late.

I once had someone in a car who had been forced to stop suddenly, explain to me that I should have stopped, checked it was clear, and then moved out "into the other lane" to go around the parked cars.  My explanation that 'moving around a parked car' doesn't count as 'moving into a different lane' didn't cut the mustard...  

To be fair, Check, Signal, Manoeuvre is not a bad foundation before altering position, even within lane. You cannot always rely on a following driver to observe parked vehicle + cyclist and have the wit to anticipate that the cyclist is going to need to pull out to pass the parked vehicle, outside the door zone.

Observe, anticipate, give yourself time and take position early when going around parked vehicles.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Mungecrundle wrote:
brooksby wrote:

Windy Cyclist wrote:

I had a very near death experience like this with a scaffolding lorry - they seem to assume that you're going to ride into the back of the parked car. I suppose the only defense is to take the lane even more but when they're coming up at speed by the time you've distinguished them from a car that probably could get past without too much issue it's too late.

I once had someone in a car who had been forced to stop suddenly, explain to me that I should have stopped, checked it was clear, and then moved out "into the other lane" to go around the parked cars.  My explanation that 'moving around a parked car' doesn't count as 'moving into a different lane' didn't cut the mustard...  

To be fair, Check, Signal, Manoeuvre is not a bad foundation before altering position, even within lane. You cannot always rely on a following driver to observe parked vehicle + cyclist and have the wit to anticipate that the cyclist is going to need to pull out to pass the parked vehicle, outside the door zone.

Observe, anticipate, give yourself time and take position early when going around parked vehicles.

I get that, but I was already riding about a metre out from the kerb, checked over my shoulder and moved out to go round the parked car (the big metal thing directly in my way).  The driver of the car which then came bombing up behind me and had to stop hadn't anticipated that I might go around and not over the parked cars (haven't got a fat bike yes ).  But, yes, its true: I didn't signal.

Avatar
Awavey replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Mungecrundle wrote:
brooksby wrote:

Windy Cyclist wrote:

I had a very near death experience like this with a scaffolding lorry - they seem to assume that you're going to ride into the back of the parked car. I suppose the only defense is to take the lane even more but when they're coming up at speed by the time you've distinguished them from a car that probably could get past without too much issue it's too late.

I once had someone in a car who had been forced to stop suddenly, explain to me that I should have stopped, checked it was clear, and then moved out "into the other lane" to go around the parked cars.  My explanation that 'moving around a parked car' doesn't count as 'moving into a different lane' didn't cut the mustard...  

To be fair, Check, Signal, Manoeuvre is not a bad foundation before altering position, even within lane. You cannot always rely on a following driver to observe parked vehicle + cyclist and have the wit to anticipate that the cyclist is going to need to pull out to pass the parked vehicle, outside the door zone. Observe, anticipate, give yourself time and take position early when going around parked vehicles.

tbh in those cases I dont think it matters a jot how you approach those, as has been said the driver is taking the view that they have some form of priority over you with you being a mere cyclist borrowing space on their road, and they expect you to just keep out of their way, which means they expect you pull up to stop behind the parked vehicle and wait till the traffic is clear to pass it, even if you signal move across all in good time, theyll still come through on you.

Avatar
a1white | 5 years ago
4 likes

Shocking, but I’m more interested in one of simons other YouTube videos! ... https://youtu.be/oIe0zYmvOfw

Avatar
lllnorrislll replied to a1white | 5 years ago
2 likes
a1white wrote:

Shocking, but I’m more interested in one of simons other YouTube videos! ... https://youtu.be/oIe0zYmvOfw

^^^BEST THING ON ROAD.CC EVER!!! ^^^

Avatar
matt_cycles replied to lllnorrislll | 5 years ago
1 like

lllnorrislll wrote:
a1white wrote:

Shocking, but I’m more interested in one of simons other YouTube videos! ... https://youtu.be/oIe0zYmvOfw

^^^BEST THING ON ROAD.CC EVER!!! ^^^

 

I couldn’t stop watching the other video!!

Avatar
Tommytrucker | 5 years ago
1 like

Uuurgh, reminds me of the boat chase in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

 

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