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news
Near Miss of the Day 705: Tailgating close pass driver highlights need for Highway Code change
The latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows a Range Rover driver tailgating a cyclist along a road that lacks safe options for overtaking yet still making a close pass, underlining why one of the changes made to the Highway Code with effect from tomorrow advises cyclists to The rule also states that you should ride in the primary position in situations where it would be unsafe for a driver to overtake them, which is clearly the case here.
The footage was shot on Keelings Road in Hanwell, Stoke-on-Trent, by road.cc reader Rob who said: “This was from 2019 but had a profound effect on me mentally for a long time and still makes me angry today.
“I bought the camera after increasing amounts of incidents with reckless drivers.
“After first having the video dismissed by the police it was then picked up again and they decided it was worth pursuing.
“After a little nudge to find out what happened, the driver was cautioned.
“I would rather have had him prosecuted as it was really dangerous – notice the pull in towards me as he went past.”
Rob also added the email he received from the police to tell him about the action that head been taken:
Apologies for the delay I had not forgotten you. I had issues initially as the vehicle had several registered and insured drivers and I had to identify the driver at the time of the incident. The case has been finalised and a warning has been given. I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter and the supply of the footage which assisted.
Other than the tailgating and close pass itself, there are a couple of points worth noting here.
The width of the street – and that of the Range Rover itself – plus two-way traffic means there was simply nowhere the driver was able to overtake Rob safely, and rather than sitting on his rear wheel, the safer option would have been to hang back until the road widened.
It’s clear the motorist decided instead to go for it as soon as there was the slightest gap, and while the pull back in towards the cyclist may well have been designed to intimidate, it also seems partly in response to the fact there is another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.
It’s also noticeable how much pavement parking there is on this street on both sides of the road, which would force pedestrians into the carriageway to get past those vehicles.
> 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.
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48 comments
This is an example of why you need camera's front and rear; a front camera would have shown the dangerous cut-in that the rear camera didn't show.
A "warning" is not the same as a caution.
Once again a certain type of vehicle driven by someone who clearly thinks that everyone else should get out of their way, especially plebs who ride bicycles. Personally I think the driver in this instance should have their enormous car crushed (hopefully along with their enormous ego). I live in an area with a propensity of Range Rovers and similar luxury SUVs driven by people who clearly think that they are far more important than "ordinary" people and they drive accordingly.
We have a neighbour who drives a Range Rover Sport. She takes her child to school in it every day, and usually pulls out on other drivers then floors it. So, as well as polluting the air for all the other children walking to school, she is also increasing the danger to the children by speeding when there are lots of children wlking to school, and adding another large vehicle to the congestion outside school. As she is only about 4.5 ft tall she struggles to see over the bonnet so is very dangerous to other road users. Oh, did I mention that the school is 200 yards up the road from her house?
She definately thinks she is above the Law, and lords it over the other road users as she seems to be of the opinion that she is more important than other road users. She always close passes cyclists at speed. She and her hubby are bullies when behind the wheel, I have lost count of the near misses when they pull out on other vehicles. I once saw her try to pull out but the oncoming vehicle wouldn't yield and she had to slam on. She pulled out behind the car and roared up to their bumper, sounding her horn and screaming and waving her fist.
But it is cyclists who are the danger.
I saw just that sort of entitled woman today; well dressed, 30's in a fancy SUV and flew past me in a 60 kph suburban zone; I was driving my car and sped up to match her speed momentarily.. 100 kph.
OK - own up! Who ate half the opening paragraph?
It was that or carrot cake!
I'm left wondering what one of the changes made to the Highway Code with effect from tomorrow advises cyclists to
I'm on the edge of my
Pretty standard for Stoke TBF.
Cautioned? That is dangerous driving. How could anyone pass their test driving like that ?
"I'll just bully this cyclist with my 2.3 T weapon"
I'm not sure why you think that example of driving "highlights need for Highway Code change". That sort of aggressive driving is already illegal.
Quite. Fack-wits who drive like that do so in flagrant disregard for 126 (stopping distances), 163 , 167 and others.
These numb-nuts are not going to have a lightbulb moment over a reiteration of existing rules
Judging by all the news and social media comments, nobody is going to give two plops about what they say, as per usual misleading images of the simplified rules are been published by everyone and their dog saying how stupid they are. Our local newspaper ran a post on Facebook say 'Are you going to give cyclists more space on the road?' seriously it's ridiculous how few people realise that cyclists are human beings just trying to get from A to B without dying.
I feel duty bound to say how I fully agree with this comment.
The changes coming into force tomorrow include barely any changes to the laws or the rules, they simply clarify how they should be dealt with by road users.
Riding in primary position has been in Bikeability and other training for years and years, but the current HC doesn't mention it ... hence drivers constantly bleating about cyclists in the "middle of the road" and telling them they should be riding by the kerb. The new HC clarifies that this is not only acceptable but encouraged in some circumstances (such as those shown in this video).
No change to the law, just putting additional clarity where it belongs ... in the document all road users should be familiar (YMMV).
Exactly - "Be excellent to each other!"
Duuude.....
Most savoury
Since 2010 there's been a substantial reduction in the number of road traffic Police. Devon & Cornwall had the largest cut, a 76% reduction. Essex by 71%, Nottinghamshire by 68%, Wiltshire by 47%, Avon & Somerset together with Dorset had a reduction of 39%. Cuts have consequences one if which is the ease by which cheap shots can be made by the intellectually dishonest.
"Austerity" was a political/ideological decision, not an economic one; nobody 'forced' the Govt into it.
Yeah.. who needs economically responsible government; overrated innit?
Great idea, though why stop there though? When folk get burgled, they should pay a £20 refundable charge, when they get mugged £30, knifed £60, murdered £100 etc. This way the police could self fund really easily by doing less work.*
*Alternatively get a grown up to explain taxes to you.
Perhaps it could be extended elsewhere, £50 to see your GP, if your stomach pain turns out to be cancer you get your money back, if it's just indigestion no refund? We must stop members of the public wasting government resources, which are needed for tax cuts and awarding huge contracts to cronies, by asking public servants to serve the public.
How about £49.99* per comment, refundable if it turns out not to be factually incorrect or a re-write of a previous post, designed to adjust the position but resulting in a contradiction?
*Those who regret the disastrous EU-enforced decimalisation of patriotic Sterling could pay £49 19 / 11.5d** +
** Apologies if they are triggered by my use of a decimal number of old pence
+ It wasn't mandated by the EU, which did not exist then and the UK was not a member of its ancestor organisations but hey ho, we live in the post-truth world.
You're obviously too young to remember decimalisation as £49.99 would be most closely represented by 49 pounds 19 shillings and 9 and a half pence!
Obviously there's a tuppence conversion fee.
Can you give me change from a florin?
I'd give you a solid 8 out of 10 for the 'triggering' subject matter in this post, however, an overall score of only 4/10 as it was a little too obvious for any proper bites.
He got perked up by Nick Freeman recently but although still chatty I think he's on a bit of a decline. Still, it's January, we've a while to go until spring.
Garage at large? Fuckwit at large, more like.
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