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news
Near Miss of the Day 15: Tractor driver holds line, almost hits cyclist
If you ride regularly in the countryside, you'll know just how frightening it can be when a tractor is bearing down on you.
That's what happened to road.cc reader John Berry on Sunday as he rode into Cricklade, Wiltshire, in what he described as "more like a head-on" than a close pass.
"I was doing the decent thing, pulling up next to a wide bit of road to allow him to pass safely ... and he just held his line," said John.
"I guess he pays 'road tax' and I was only on a bike ... what right did I have!"
We can't help wondering, the way the tractor driver carries straight on, whether he even noticed John in the first place.
Asked if he'd reported it to the police, John said he had "given up reporting."
That's a sentiment that we know is shared by many cyclists around the country who have flagged up instances of shocking driving to the police, often with video evidence, only to be told that no action will be taken against the driver.
Tri-Force Roads Policing, which brings together traffic officers from Avon & Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, launched its first close pass operation last month targeting motorists who give cyclists insufficient room, with officers using a mat provided by the charity Cycling UK to show how much space should be given.
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 contact us via the road.cc Facebook page.
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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17 comments
Worst culprits for speeding through my rural village... tractors.
Council intend to install 'speed cushions' which will make the square root of feck all's difference to them in particular!
#sigh
So there's a passing point and this dangerous selfish bastard ignores it and just ploughs on hrough. Definitely deliberate.
TBH I'd still be in the 'middle of the road', if twats want to play chicken that's fine with me, 30 years worth and I've found that holding your line in a firm primary does actually work.
I have a KOM thanks to a tractor and slurry container giving me a 'tow', it was absolutely honking of shite.
The KOM is named 'Dung Draft'.
There are loads of tractors around my way and generally are of decent attitude towards cyclists, I've never had to play chicken with any, they almost always pull over in a head on situation such as that on the video
...it's about 80/20 % big wheelers vs small wheelers...the small wheelers I can outrun, the big wheelers are a bit bouncy and have to be treated with caution, especially if fitted with baling attachments...
Wouldn't wan't to encounter one of those at 50 kph on a blind bend head on.
Someone has to give way somewhere.
Having said that the "old boy" who drives this tractor hates cyclists using this road (its actually a byway closed to cars) & has on at least 2 occasions blocked the road with his tractor & argued that you can't cycle here, (not on my land).
Interestingly I've seen the tractor parked up about 3 miles away at a farm with a cafe which welcomes cyclists, Jennies Kitchen, Ashton Keynes!
"We can't help wondering, the way the tractor driver carries straight on, whether he even noticed John in the first place."
This ^
Possibly looking at the horses to his left and not even noticing the cyclist.
In my (rural) area I have to say that the tractor drivers are pretty courteous and I can't recall any scary moments. Had 3 with silage trailers on pass me yesterday on my commute; all held back 'til safe to pass and gave me plenty of room.
[I know, I know. Being passed by tractors, just how slowly do I ride...]
Could be a student driving?
Also, there's no shame in being overtaken by modern tractors that are capable of >30mph, even when they're towing. Can be good for drafting behind, if you're careful.
Got passed by one last year about 400 metres from the end of my ride, competetiveness kicked in and I rode a further 4 miles just to overtake him and return home, yes I am booked in to see a shrink.
Good Strava thinking is to let a tractor overtake and draft. Got to get those times!
My experience from a seven-year stint in the Cotswolds is you might want to check what's in the trailer the tractor may be towing before doing that.
It can be like the rural equivalent of drafting a bin wagon, but the stench is much, much worse
As a Wiltshire boy now living in London, give me a ride behind the warmly comforting smell of inherently organic cow shit over the noxious stench of human refuse any day. Although perhaps that's my countryside nostalgia kicking in...
Getting buzzed by a tractor is awful.
The rear wheel width compared to the cab is massively different, then if they have a trailor on the back they become even wider still, it's a wonder there aren't more incidents.
The only plus is you can hear a tractor coming up behind you a mile away.
plenty of "got a job to do attitude" - worst I've had was a tractor and trailor that close passed me going uphill turned around somewhere and then because had to pass parked cars on his side of the road just gunned it straight at me so only option was to bail out and not onto a flat verge - only way for change will be a subsidy for sensible agricultural vehicle driving - roads would be full of wide passing tractors slowing down everyone that needs to drive to an emergency pub meal
Given how few times, relatively, I've been passed by tractors, the incidence of almost collisions is rather high. They are agricultural vehicles, so do the drivers have to pass a test for use on the road? They do seem to have rather a lot of the "get orf my land" mentality.
Probably he doesn't pay road tax:
Vehicles used just for agriculture, horticulture and forestry
This includes tractors, agricultural engines and light agricultural vehicles used off-road. It also includes ‘limited use’ vehicles used for short journeys (not more than 1.5 kilometres) on the public road between land that’s occupied by the same person.
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax
I'm guessing they stretch the law here given how long some of their journeys seem to be.
Undoubtedly. Here's a rather self-incriminating quote on a farming forum (I know - too much time on my hands, boring flat Tour day)
They do indeed although the rules are rather different. The examiner doesn't ride in the cab, she watches from the roadside as the driver goes through a number of manoeuvres and tackles a number of junctions. And candidates can be as young as 16, although most wait until their 17th birthday and take the car test, which gives them both groups on their licence.