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Dangerous Overtaking - Shay Lane (Near Manchester Airport)

Near Miss of the Day 233: Overtaking driver gives cyclist more room than oncoming car

Our regular feature highlighting close passes caught on camera from around the country – today it’s South Manchester
by Alex Bowden
Thu, Jan 03, 2019 11:39
10

Today’s near miss is an unusually considerate but equally thoughtless overtake that was carried out near Manchester Airport yesterday.

Bob said that the overtaking motorist gave him plenty of room, but, “the driver coming the other way must have been having kittens.

“The rubbish bins stopping him moving further to the left. I hit the brakes as soon as I realised he was going to overtake.”

> 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

Near Miss of the Day
Manchester
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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10 comments

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Rik Mayals unde... | 5 years ago
2 likes

Did anyone her Jeremy Vine today on the story about NICE and the roads? He had a very articulate man who rang up and said all cyclists are to blame. He said that cyclists ride on pavements, go through red lights, don't wear helmets, don't wear high viz, and make it dangerous for him when he overtakes as he is overtaking into oncoming traffic...... Jeremy did ask him why he was overtaking when it was clear there was traffic approaching, but he didn't get a sensible answer. IT'S ALL THE BLOODY CYCLISTS FAULT!!!!

Avatar
LastBoyScout | 5 years ago
0 likes

I've had a number of these passes where the vehicle overtaking me has given me plenty of room, (great) but then nearly had a head-on crash with something coming the other way. It's bonkers.

Avatar
Zebulebu | 5 years ago
0 likes

At least if they hit each other they're more likely to survive. Hit you and its generally game over.

You can't fix stupid. People need to realise the 'must get in front' attitude is what needs to change. There's a road I ride regularly between Bolton and the M65 over the West Pennine moors. Used to be NSL, but the boy Racers and insane motorcyclists regularly killed themselves and others so was reduced to a 50 with average speed cameras. As is often the case, they've now fucked off to pastures new, but the imbeciles who can't understand the concept of an 'average' speed limit must go through a fortune in fines cos I regularly get overtaken at 65/70 on that stretch - only for the muppet to end up sat in front of me going through the village of Belmont at 30, then zoom away again at rocket speed once the 30 restriction is over

Avatar
Dingaling replied to Zebulebu | 5 years ago
5 likes

Zebulebu wrote:

At least if they hit each other they're more likely to survive. Hit you and its generally game over. You can't fix stupid. People need to realise the 'must get in front' attitude is what needs to change. There's a road I ride regularly between Bolton and the M65 over the West Pennine moors. Used to be NSL, but the boy Racers and insane motorcyclists regularly killed themselves and others so was reduced to a 50 with average speed cameras. As is often the case, they've now fucked off to pastures new, but the imbeciles who can't understand the concept of an 'average' speed limit must go through a fortune in fines cos I regularly get overtaken at 65/70 on that stretch - only for the muppet to end up sat in front of me going through the village of Belmont at 30, then zoom away again at rocket speed once the 30 restriction is over

Just wanted to say how you made me laugh with "motorcyclists regularly killed themselves".

And I thought they only needed to do it once.

Avatar
Rik Mayals unde... replied to Zebulebu | 5 years ago
2 likes

Zebulebu wrote:

At least if they hit each other they're more likely to survive. Hit you and its generally game over. You can't fix stupid. People need to realise the 'must get in front' attitude is what needs to change. There's a road I ride regularly between Bolton and the M65 over the West Pennine moors. Used to be NSL, but the boy Racers and insane motorcyclists regularly killed themselves and others so was reduced to a 50 with average speed cameras. As is often the case, they've now fucked off to pastures new, but the imbeciles who can't understand the concept of an 'average' speed limit must go through a fortune in fines cos I regularly get overtaken at 65/70 on that stretch - only for the muppet to end up sat in front of me going through the village of Belmont at 30, then zoom away again at rocket speed once the 30 restriction is over

I work with a guy who is a motorcyclist, and he moans about the new average speed cameras over Belmont, he thinks they have ruined what was a playground for him on his ultra powerful bike. Me, I just think it's a bit safer now for cyclists. But I still get idiots overtaking me on the solid white lines into oncoming traffic. They simply cannot wait a few seconds to pass. 

Avatar
Zebulebu replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 5 years ago
1 like
biker phil wrote:

Zebulebu wrote:

At least if they hit each other they're more likely to survive. Hit you and its generally game over. You can't fix stupid. People need to realise the 'must get in front' attitude is what needs to change. There's a road I ride regularly between Bolton and the M65 over the West Pennine moors. Used to be NSL, but the boy Racers and insane motorcyclists regularly killed themselves and others so was reduced to a 50 with average speed cameras. As is often the case, they've now fucked off to pastures new, but the imbeciles who can't understand the concept of an 'average' speed limit must go through a fortune in fines cos I regularly get overtaken at 65/70 on that stretch - only for the muppet to end up sat in front of me going through the village of Belmont at 30, then zoom away again at rocket speed once the 30 restriction is over

I work with a guy who is a motorcyclist, and he moans about the new average speed cameras over Belmont, he thinks they have ruined what was a playground for him on his ultra powerful bike. Me, I just think it's a bit safer now for cyclists. But I still get idiots overtaking me on the solid white lines into oncoming traffic. They simply cannot wait a few seconds to pass. 

These are just the ones from a quick 30 second Google search
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-12743482

https://www.chorley-guardian.co.uk/news/4-dead-in-two-days-1-2013877

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/six-die-in-horrific-pile-ups-1-55881

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-38583298

Last one was absolutely disgusting - and was the final straw that led to introducing the average speed cameras

Avatar
Shades | 5 years ago
1 like

Midford Hill nr Bath - must get in front!!  Nice hill (gradient and view) spoilt by that sort of behavour descending and close passes going uphill.  It was commuting so 'peak muppet driving' time.

Avatar
Grahamd replied to Shades | 5 years ago
2 likes

Shades wrote:

Midford Hill nr Bath - must get in front!!  Nice hill (gradient and view) spoilt by that sort of behavour descending and close passes going uphill.  It was commuting so 'peak muppet driving' time.

Think Kermit would probably drive better.

 

Avatar
S13SFC | 5 years ago
0 likes

This is something I'm seeing more and more of.

Cars/vans/wagons give you plenty of space but are overtaking so poorly.

Had one today with a UPS van overtaking me, crossing solid lines and making an oncoming BMW brake hard.

Avatar
Kapelmuur | 5 years ago
1 like

Shay Lane is not one of the better roads around here, too many taxis and cars in a hurry to get to Manchester Airport.

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