Near Miss of the Day 346: Intimidating driver leans on horn ahead of close pass

Submit it to the police, because that is not careless driving.  That is dangerous driving.

Because of the fact that the driver was on the horn prior to passing you without giving you adequate clearance that shows intent, which means careless driving is ruled out.  You cannot be carless if you see the cyclist, blast the horn and close pass anyway.

You never know, you might actually get some action on the matter.

oh no, never EVER ride , drive without recording it, not in britain. I refuse to- which is really sad, even just to cycle a minute or so to my highstreet, i make sure at least one or two cameras are recording. Silly isnt it, and certainly not something a dutch grandmother would feel the need to do. I firmly believe filming footage, attaching it to somewhere like rate driver and you tube will help matters. The police just arent seen as a threat to these people, but knowing your car is being watched, and you might get recognised in public, that to me seems more of a detterent. You cant go around abusing other people on the road, just how you wouldnt walk into kfc and abuse a granny in front of you for being slow to order. The police obviously have to make it LOOK like they care, but outside the met service, i doubt many of them do. Theyre too understaffed to go around dealing with every incident they get reported to.   I'd rather have my rides recorded too, as if i were unlucky enough to be wiped out whilst riding motorbike/ pushbike, at least there would be some evidence to show the suspect vehicle. I found a motorbike on its side, with a rider absolutely screaming in agony and blood pouring from his chest. I had been cycling nearby and after calling the ambulance, he was taken away and spent months in hospital. The driver failed to stop. It was only at that point my comment on our local news paper article prompted the police to track me down, and ask me directly for footage of my ride that day. They were searching for a grey mercedes, driven at speed, which didnt stop at the lights and who went into the side of the motorbike rider, who was doing nothing wrong. Thanks to my footage and one cctv camera, they found the driver and car. Thats why i want everyone to have a camera on the road, not just for their own safety, but even perhaps for prosecuation of others who might otherwise have escaped it. 

Is it worth reporting drivers for poor driving though? I commute between Surbiton/Epsom and close/bad passes happen every single week. If I had a camera I would spend hours each month editing and sending footage off. I have close passes, people overtaking immediately before and on small roundabouts, overtaking then cutting back in and hitting the brakes as they join a que of traffic. I ride with 3 bright front lights, side amber lights and two rear lights, high vis night and day which helps but you STILL get people pulling out right in front of you and trying to overtake......

I appreciate your frustration. But I'd submit it to the cops anyway. The driver is a jerk. There are plenty of other drivers in the clip who show clearly how to do an overtake properly.

oh also, i dont bother sending to the police now. I see theyve got [operation snap] running in dorset, but the last time i reported someone for getting out their car, punching me in the face and pushing me off my bike into oncoming traffic, simply because i refused to cycle at 30 mph on a pavement shared with pedestrians,[ by hearing no further contact from them]  ive kind of lost faith in the police's ability to act on such matters. 

thanks very much for using it simon. Anything i can do to show people just what NOT to do around cyclists. It makes no sense to me, why do people driving think its ok to horn at someone on a bicycle for seemingly[ slowing them down] yet they are perfectly content with sitting behind someone two abreast at zero mph in long lines of traffic? They dont horn at them, or get out and try to push them to the side of the road do they? so how comes its ok to beep at someone moving FASTER than lots of cars in traffic? Just the same- would be- if a cyclist or motorbike rider comes up alongside cars in traffic, looks at the drivers and says loudly KEEP LEFT! USE THE BUS! SINGLE FILE, NOT TWO ABREAST! speed up!       you cant have it both ways, this is my point. If people cannot work out how to pass someone using the most effecient, congestion busting, versatile vehicle in the world, then they should not be in control of a killing machine. Ive been stuck behind cars EVERY day, as have many other cyclists, especially in london and bournemouth, but we never abuse the car drivers for slowing us down, because we're decent citizens.