Close pass

DeVlaeminck

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pMj_iF8gRRc

I think they are reporting this, what are the odds the driver is prosecuted ?

chris_bass

yikes!

RideOnTime

How many cyclists in the group?

5 in front of the camera.

cougie

14 in total apparently. Is that relevant though ? At what number of cyclists would you think you could 'buzz' them on purpose and its OK.

Driver was lucky he didnt kill anyone. It would only have taken a pothole, stone, gust of wind and that rider would have been through his windscreen.

Absolute idiot.

mamba80

DeVlaeminck wrote:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pMj_iF8gRRc

I think they are reporting this, what are the odds the driver is prosecuted ?

tune into radio 2, apparently they are just about to run a piece on a guy who with a helmet cam, has got 70 motorists convicted

pblakeney

Similar events happen so often that I am blasé about it now. Ranting does no good.

RideOnTime

While I wouldn't condone the drivers behaviour this just shows the inevitable tension between things travelling at 15-30 mph and those travelling at 30 - 60 mph. There's a longer bit of footage of this incident on Youtube and the guy in the black does seem to have a fancy to riding about 6 inches inside the road centre line.

When driving I find large groups of fast moving bikes difficult and intimidating. They're almost impossible to pass safely on country roads. Bit of give and take. Perhaps this country needs to look more to designating 'green lanes' to give cyclists and walkers priority on some roads.

peat

That pass is ludicrous. *shudders*

I do side with an element of what RideOnTime is saying though. A group of bikes does tend to pulsate like a swarm of bees, making it hard to judge when is safe to pass on narrower roads.

cougie

From the tape - the road wasnt that narrow - the driver had the other lane to use. It didnt seem busy - and the only reason to not use the other lane was to 'teach the cyclists a lesson'.

sheffsimon

Just like any number of cars going past on my normal rush hour commute to and from work. As said earlier, I'm a bit blase about it.

Not condoning the driver's behaviour, and no reason to not use the other lane, but those riders seem to be all over the place

chris_bass

SheffSimon wrote:

Just like any number of cars going past on my normal rush hour commute to and from work. As said earlier, I'm a bit blase about it.

really? i'd pick another route to work if i was you.

pblakeney

Chris Bass wrote:

SheffSimon wrote:

Just like any number of cars going past on my normal rush hour commute to and from work. As said earlier, I'm a bit blase about it.

really? i'd pick another route to work if i was you.

It will not be the route that is at fault, it will be the attitude of drivers. If you live and/or work in a congested area then there is simply no way of avoiding those type of people.
What is needed is a change of attitude. And that won't be brought about by cyclists giving them abuse. Education is the key.

veronese68

At least when I get a close pass on my commute the speed differential is dramatically lower. In fact they often never complete the pass as they suddenly realise they are accelerating towards a line of traffic in their haste to pass the 'bloody cyclist'. It's the speed of that one that makes it scary to me.

markhewitt1978

It's not like passing on a city street. The driver was likely doing 60mph+ and saw the group of cyclists and just didn't think they were important enough to slow down for.

homers_double

Might I just add that sometimes when a car does make a close pass in traffic the driver might be fully aware of what he (I suppose I should add a "her" at this point too, but women are in a world of their own behind a wheel 8)) is doing and is excercising control whilst doing it.

Part of my drive home is on a two lane (not dual carriageway) road which at some points is busy and slow going and if I pass a cyclist I cant fully go into the other lane...

I'm starting to wonder if typing this is a good idea but I'll carry on...

...so I pass where I can. However as a cyclist the rider is fully in my mind and I'm regularly checking my mirror.

Before anyone starts with the "are the few seconds worth it" then no they aren't but the way I pass I consider safe.

I've never had one pull me up so maybe what I might consider a fairly close but slow pass isn't that close at all. Perhaps a little TDF yellow bike on my nearside rear bumper might tell them that yes, I do know they're there because I probably check out what they're riding as I go past.

Kieran_Burns

Happens to the best of us:

http://youtu.be/Fer0Gkdkyfc

It's something you deal with on countryside commutes. This guy got a talking to by the Police and watched the vid. He apologised (not until after doing the same bloody thing again shortly after: http://youtu.be/72DCZSa8fek )

markhewitt1978

I do think many drivers just don't have any experience of cycling at all so don't even know close passes are a thing. If you don't hit them, it's all good...

pblakeney

markhewitt1978 wrote:

I do think many drivers just don't have any experience of cycling at all so don't even know close passes are a thing. If you don't hit them, it's all good...

+1
And a "should be in the gutter" attitude.

ben@31

Here is the link for the BBC Radio 2 interview with the cyclist who's three Gopro camera rig has led to over 70 convictions. Starts at 1 hour 10 minutes and I think it ends at 1 hour 31 minutes....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b053zk4p
Thankfully he comes across quite well, explaining if the motorists don't do anything wrong, they have nothing to worry about. He's only interested in dangerous careless drivers. The motorists phoning in can't argue with that.

I initially thought this thread would be just another over reaction, where the OP likes having a moan and making a fuss about nothing. But having just watched the OP's Youtube video... Pause it at 2 seconds! I've never seen such a deliberate attempt. More than half the car is over the white line and the cyclist at the front, wearing the black top, could touch the passenger window.
To answer the OP's question, I'd be surprised if the driver does not get prosecuted, as what else would the driver need to do to be guilty of dangerous driving?

chris_bass

ben@31 wrote:

I initially thought this thread would be just another over reaction, where the OP likes having a moan and making a fuss about nothing. But having just watched the OP's Youtube video... Pause it at 2 seconds! I've never seen such a deliberate attempt. More than half the car is over the white line and the cyclist at the front, wearing the black top, could touch the passenger window.

I was the same but how the wing mirror didn't hit the one furthest to the right is anyone's guess.

I don't think it was an attempt at anything, just as has been said above, a lot of drivers think as long as they don't hit you then that is enough room or they have no idea of the width of their car and so don't realise they are so close.

schlepcycling

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Happens to the best of us:

http://youtu.be/Fer0Gkdkyfc

It's something you deal with on countryside commutes. This guy got a talking to by the Police and watched the vid. He apologised (not until after doing the same bloody thing again shortly after: http://youtu.be/72DCZSa8fek )

The first one is unbelievable and possibly one of the worst I've ever seen, however I could see it coming as soon as the oncoming car appeared on the screen, it just had that inevitable 'some cockwomble is going to try and get through the gap' feel to it.

mamba80

this is what I really don't understand, regardless of the drivers views on cyclists, had he hit the oncoming car, he/she would have been killed/seriously injured and probably the same for the cyclist and the oncoming driver.
but it happens all the time, blind bends, crests of hills, oncoming, it doesn't seem to occur to them that they are not Captain Scarlet.

A "talking too" is why this sort of thing is more common place than ever, had he been banned/£1000 fine, it would send a deterrent to others.

frisbee

mamba80 wrote:

this is what I really don't understand, regardless of the drivers views on cyclists, had he hit the oncoming car, he/she would have been killed/seriously injured and probably the same for the cyclist and the oncoming driver.
but it happens all the time, blind bends, crests of hills, oncoming, it doesn't seem to occur to them that they are not Captain Scarlet.

A "talking too" is why this sort of thing is more common place than ever, had he been banned/£1000 fine, it would send a deterrent to others.

You get in a car and you feel "safe". I suspect most car drivers would feel "safe" even with Jeremy Clarkson's proposed steel spike in the middle of their steering wheel.

They'll crap themselves about eating a ready meal a day over the expiry date but stick them in a car and they become Genghis Kahn.

bendertherobot

http://youtu.be/ApJAMnDgtRU

Mine from today. Complaint sent.

briantrumpet

bendertherobot wrote:

http://youtu.be/ApJAMnDgtRU

Mine from today. Complaint sent.

Yep, that deserves one.

I've sent/phoned two complaints to local companies - not for the sake of getting disciplinary action, but just to ask the companies to remind their drivers to be careful round cyclists. I send them the photo of the accident that blocked a main road in Devon for two hours, ten days before Christmas, when someone tried to overtake me at an unwise place.

Equally, I've emailed the big local cab company to ask them to pass on thanks for the care their drivers have been taking lately - really good, professional driving. When I had a ride in one of the company's cabs I mentioned how good they were all being, and the driver said that they are getting constant reminders about safety.

bendertherobot

Yeah, pretty much what I did. Didn't rant, just asked for an assurance that it wouldn't happen again.

pinno

I like this idea of 'educating' drivers. Long gone are those helpful government ads - 'Belt up', 'Keep your distance' and 'Stay back before overtakling'. Maybe we could resurrect 'Charlie says...' but since government ads are no longer, I suppose we could have daily sermons by PC John Plod every evening at 7pm at the local scout hall and perhaps by 2032 we will have 'educated' all the drivers.

Or perhaps 2 weeks mandatory cycling as part of your driving test? All ideas welcome.

pblakeney

pinarello001 wrote:

Or perhaps 2 weeks mandatory cycling as part of your driving test? All ideas welcome.

Good idea.

Personally I liked - Dave swims like a fish.......

pinno

The OH gone to bed Blakey?

pblakeney

pinarello001 wrote:

The OH gone to bed Blakey?

Okay.
Where did you hide the cameras?

pinno

PBlakeney wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

The OH gone to bed Blakey?

Okay.
Where did you hide the cameras?

..and stop the drips off the tea bag between the cup and the bin or you'll cause a domestic.

Someone get this topic back on course please?