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news
(Avon and Somerset Police) bus driver knocks cyclist into hedgeBus driver pleads guilty to careless driving after cyclist pushed into hedge
Avon and Somerset Police says its latest court result highlights the importance of road users filming and reporting dangerous driving incidents.
The bus driver, pictured in footage released by the police, overtaking a cyclist before pushing them into a hedge was fined £256 by the court, and given five penalty points. They will also have to pay £110 in costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
A following motorist captured the incident, which happened near Barrow Gurney, in Somerset, on December 17, on their dashcam and forwarded it to the police.
COURT RESULT yesterday after incident in Dec 2021.
Driver pleaded guilty to Driving Without Due Care.
£256 fine
5 points
£110 costs
£34 victim surchargeHighlighting how important camera footage & #3rdPartyReporting is to addressing #RoadDanger#AndyCoxChallenge @AndyCoxDCS pic.twitter.com/tZLax5Sc7O
— ASPolice Roads Policing (RPU) (@ASPRoadSafety) May 18, 2022
In March, helmet camera footage submitted to Northamptonshire Police under the force's Operation Snap helped secure the conviction of a motorist who drove towards a group of cyclists on a single-track country road without slowing down, causing one of them to come off her bike.
The driver was fined £1,008 and ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £101 victim surcharge, and also had his driving licence endorsed with five penalty points.
"The success of Operation Snap is down to the continued support from the public, who enable us to take action against driving offences we otherwise wouldn't see," PC Allsopp-Clarke added.
"Hopefully this case demonstrates that we take all instances of poor driving very seriously and we will prosecute offenders accordingly, which can only be a good thing to help keep our roads safer."
The Operation Snap portal enables members of the public to upload video evidence and complete a form that automatically generates a witness statement, with police staff then reviewing the footage to ensure it meets the scheme's remit and the vehicle's registration can be identified.
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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Eagle of Bristol
https://www.eagle-coaches.co.uk/about-us/eagle-history
They provided the coaches for the school trips my kids went on.
That bus driver was really really bad what's that fine nothing would spend more on a holiday, Should have been a months wages.
, still laugh when I see that lady that fell off. Looks like the bike stopped in front and get her wheel on the side the other other bike.
why I would never use clip ons I'd fall over all the time
Only 5 points for failing to steer a bus around a person? Get 6 fixed penalty for using a mobile phone while stationary in traffic.
It must be so frustrating to the police to go through the process of bringing a successful case, for it to be undone by an unduly lenient penalty.
Only 5 points for failing to steer a bus around a person?
In Lancashire we dream of anyone receiving any points for an offence against a cyclist that didn't result in death or serious injury! That's a pretty good result by A&S Police. Nothing except 'words of advice' for this
Well it's good that the driver was fined, but I'd have thought heavier penalties would've been appropriate. Still, better than nothing. The incident could've been very nasty. It was only with luck that it wasn't.
That coach looks like it's from the '80's. I know it's down to cost, but I still wince when I see the state of school buses. They're usually the most decrepit looking vehicles, spewing the most disgusting fumes, but carrying the most precious cargo.
Fifth richest country in the world (6th after Brexit); we really don't like children.
Meh, lots of places have crappy old school buses, although that one looks more touristy.
We do need to protect the environment and improve road safety, but much of that effort is being focussed on the buses which cover thousands of miles a week (and probably account for more schoolchild-miles too). Those ones are generally not the yellow ones. There's a bit of trickle-down happening, too, like with passenger cars. (Notwithstanding the silly fashion for big SUVs)
This professional driver who carries members of the public should have their PSV license removed for good.
Get your camera SNAPs in.
This cnut should've been chain whipped.
All this tells me is that to get a conviction of driving without due care and attention you actually have to hit a cyclist (close / dangerous pass not enough) and you have to be caught on camera. For a professional driver the standards expected should be much higher and penalties much stiffer. 5 points is a joke!
I wonder if it was "only" 5 points because they pleaded guilty... Or, they only pleaded guilty because that would count in mitigation so they'd get a lesser punishment.
Too many drivers do seem to think that as soon as a cyclist is behind the driver's seat then they just vanish - *pop* - into thin air... Or at least, they drive as if they believe that.
That would be a very depressing state of affairs if true. The points should reflect the severity of the driving infraction not the level of remorse (genuine or not) of the driver.
#cyclelikeyoudrive
I take two things from this:
Not all police forces are crap
Always have a camera.
You forgot "Be lucky" - unless you're always travelling with Inspector Kevin Smith.
If the driver collided with a pedestrian, do you think he'd get 5 points, or maybe a ban?
Could easily have killed this vulnerable road user and all they get is points and a fine?
Better than nowt, I'm sure worse things have happened to wtjs!
5 points, !!
Does this mean this idiot is still a "highly trained professional driver" as they like to term themselves, or is there a seperate review of his licence by someone else to come
Nearly sure that the driver has a responsibility to inform the Traffic Commissioner about changes to their licence and any other criminal convictions. The TC will then decide on revoking or suspending their Cat D privilege. The bus company also has a responsibility to update the TC regarding drivers in their employment.
My thoughts are that they were already on 6 points and the court has awarded 5 points to bring it up close to the max without disqualification. I can't fathom why they didn't go the whole hog though.
This driver will now most likely have lost their job and will find insurance unaffordable for the next 7 years or so. Hopefully they will improve their driving, all be it selfishly in order to protect what buffer they've left on their licence Though I don't hold out much for that.