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news
Near Miss of the Day 652: Driver overtaking group ride almost causes head-on crash (includes swearing)
A Volkswagen Passat driver overtaking club cyclists on a group ride last month almost caused a head-on crash with another vehicle, with the motorist having to slam their brakes on so hard that you can hear the tyres squeal and see smoke billowing around the tyres.
Footage of the incident was filmed on the morning of Saturday 23 October by road.cc user Sevenfold, during a Wylde Green Wheelers group ride heading towards Nether Whitacre in North Warwickshire.
He said: “The white pick-up performed a perfect overtake having sat patiently behind us for a couple of minutes, then the driver of the blue VW Passat decided to overtake as well …
“Reported via Operation Snap with the result being that the driver has been sent a warning letter by Warwickshire Police.,” he added. “The vehicle is also untaxed so this has been handed over to DVLA to follow up.”
Although there’s no forward-facing footage, it’s apparent from how hard the driver had to brake that they had not ensured “the road is sufficiently clear ahead,” as required by Highway Code Rule 162.
Moreover, Rule 163 tells motorists to “Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so,” and to give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.”
It’s possible that some non-cyclists viewing the video might question why the cyclists are riding two abreast and not in single file.
Despite a widespread misconception among many motorists that riding two abreast is illegal, it is expressly permitted by the Highway Code, and it is also often safer for groups of riders two cycle side-by-side rather than in single file.
Besides reducing the time it takes a driver to overtake the group, riding two abreast can also discourage dangerous manoeuvres – here, for example, had the cyclists been in single file, it’s not hard to imagine the Passat driver trying to squeeze through a non-existent gap between the riders and the oncoming vehicle.
> 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.
Latest Comments
- hawkinspeter 3 hours 13 min ago
Interesting theory - how many points does it take for them to drive carefully?
- eburtthebike 3 hours 36 min ago
At the end of the consultation in May 2025, a decision will be taken.........
- Grahamd 4 hours 39 sec ago
The absurdity of it deepens when you realise that those points were acquired by the age of 26.
- David9694 5 hours 35 min ago
BAM!
- IanGlasgow 6 hours 10 min ago
"Polartec Power Shield RPM fabric – which has a 10,000mm hydro head to keep wet weather out, and an industry-leading breathability spec of 30,000g...
- mdavidford 7 hours 14 min ago
Oxfordshire councils are quite capable of letting you down too!...
- levestane 7 hours 28 min ago
'each spoke' (single) and 'leaf spring' (made of many leaves) seems contradictory.
- PenLaw 8 hours 20 min ago
I guess Morrissey could claim it.
- wtjs 8 hours 46 min ago
I do see a lot of delivery riders (on illegal e-motorbikes) with their faces covered...
- David9694 9 hours 26 min ago
Stuff like this seems more relevant than ever after the Trump victory. sorry not a funny
Add new comment
185 comments
Stop making up facts - troll, where is the evidence?
Yes, it does 2 hours ago that your comment appeared.- look at the evidence.
So what would you have this group of cyclists do? Single out? Then what would have happened when the driver decided to overtake into a blind bend?
What would happen if the driver decided not to overtake on a blind bend?
If a group of cyclists rides round a blind bend there is a good chance they will be hit from behind by a vehicle - it has happened, motorists going round a blind bend don't expect to see a group of cyclists in front of them.
I know they have to drive slowly around blind bends so they can stop in the distance they can see, but in the real world, they don't, it's more likely to be performance adrenaline driving.
But in this example, the driver can clearly see these cyclists, and chooses to overtake into a blind bend. So how would singling out have changed the situation?
how fast are they going that the did not see the cylists before the cyclists went round the bend? Never mind that they should at all times be able to stop in the space they can see to be clear.
Cool story Bro.
2008 called, it wants its very dated meme back.
Sorry, not aimed at you. An obscure reference to an exchange I had yesterday.
With someone else .
I'll get me coat
Yadda, Yadda, ' I'm a keen cyclist'. It's not a narrow road, it's fine, the only problem is idiot drivers, who fail to pass safely, and need to hand in their driving licences.
That road really isn't narrow - unlike the minds of an increasing proportion of the population.
The only selfish and dangerous (as well as stupid) behaviour was exhibited by the driver
At least the Womble didn't cut in too fast on the pack. I had an off years ago where the driver did just that (cut in fast rather than have a head on) but I was cycling alone the presence of a group maybe saved them 🤔
You can bet that the driver would blame 'bloody cyclists' getting in their way.....Absolutely shocking driving!
Should be forced to re-test after a 6/12 month ban......
Just another thought. The car is a modern Passat and will have ABS as standard, so how come the wheels have locked up hard enough to cause them to smoke?
Certainly demonstrates the crap driving
Anti-lock is a bit of a misnomer - they do lock, just as soon as they do they release, then lock, then release. This allows the wheel to still turn therefore maintaining directional control whilst reducing skid. But it doesn't completely prevent it.
So the rubber still burns, just not as much.
Having driven one of those for a number of years it's almost impossible to lock the brakes in dry weather at low speeds. He was overtaking in a 30mph so to me the tyre smoke either means he's speeding, or the ABS is faulty (which might also explain why the car now has no MOT).
Oh, what a surprise, from the recent MOT history:
YC61XVZ
Nice bit of detective work! chapeau
Had to lol at the MOT history, having owned one of these nails it's full of the usual faults - ABS, electronic handbrake (why god, why?), and airbags. Plus the usual tyre failures indicative of maintaining it on the cheap.
My old scenic had an electronic brake which never let me down - only thing was to unwind the caliper every couple of MOTs. It also had WING MIRRORS. I have a Touran now, which is pretty good, but the EHB is, shall we say, temperamental - new car <15k miles - and it is something of an uncertainty whether it engages when the engine is switched off. I only know cos Mrs Badger doesn't leave it in gear, so a couple of times it has begun to move, luckily when we were still sitting in it.
I do take pleasure in the fact that I can now definitely say "and that's why I leave it in gear".....
Nope - The Renault Scenic definitely has DOOR MIRRORS.
ODD HOW THEY DON'T MOVE WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ-Lh4yJ8u4
AUDOOR CONTRAIRE....PS congratulations on being the recipient of my 3000th post on this esteemed organ.
1st prize is a voucher for a spleenectomy, redeemable at any hospital
That's not bad, but personally I'm more impressed that swldxer has managed to post DOOR MIRRORS the best part of 176 times.
Life goals MD, life goals...
hm
It's almost like you knew this before you posted... Well played. (Though I'm now waiting for some excuse like "they're A-pillar mirrors")
A "warning letter" for dangerous driving on a car that's already untaxed. The police are a complete joke - why can't they speak to the driver or better still prosecute?
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