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Near Miss of the Day 665: "Probably the closest I've come to being wiped out for a while”

Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's Leicestershire...

“It’s probably the closest I've come to being wiped out for a while,” says the cyclist who filmed this incident of a driver overtaking him at a pinch point then immediately turning left across the path.  

Kieron, the road.cc reader who filmed this one, said: “I was commuting to work on a fairly quiet road near my house, in Leicestershire, when I became aware of a car overtaking me on the right, as I approached a pinch point and a mini roundabout.

Blue Citeron.avi from Kieron Barrs on Vimeo.

“I prepared myself to let the car in before the pinch, but what I hadn't prepared for was the immediate left turn.

“It’s probably the closest I've come to being wiped out for a while.”  

He added: “Sadly, I didn't get a registration plate.”

Kieron also made a good point, and an important one at this time of year when the daylight hours are decreasing.

He said: “It also made my aware that my camera isn't the best in low light – happy for recommendations!”

Well, we have our regularly updated Buyers Guide here, and earlier this year we also looked at the pros and cons of budget devices here – if any readers have their own views, feel free to let us know in the comments below.

> 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.

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41 comments

Avatar
Shades | 2 years ago
2 likes

I've got something similar; first proper ride after having Covid so really did think I was on a losing streak!  Avon & Somerset police said they'd issued a warning letter/fixed penalty; no more info than that.

https://youtu.be/Fj3Zwyjc_NA

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Velo-drone | 3 years ago
0 likes

Wow, horrendous

Unfortunate that you didn't get reg, as I found Leicestershire police to be one of the best I've reported to. Texted to confirm investigation opened, sent letter to update on outcome and tone was really helpful - first time any police force actually said they hoped I was recovering from the incident. Sounds inconsequential, but really meant something to be - because it was one that had really shaken me (and in particular my 9 y.o. who I was cycling with). Really exemplary.

As for cameras, GoPro or Cycliq may perform better in dark. If the Cycliq works at all, that is - mine didn't.

But above all get a rear light camera - Teentok or Techalogic are good. Or Cycliq if you've got money to burn. Often gives much better view of reg (also most problems on the road tend to come from behind )

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IanMSpencer | 3 years ago
8 likes

Just a note. A malicious person could probably track you down if the start of that video is your house. I'd edit it down.

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AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
3 likes

Kieron, you might not need a better camera, just a more stable holder or clamp on the bars to absorb bumps better. Bit of inner tube on the inside of the clamp or lining the camera holder might be enough if you can still squeeze the camera on. 

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lllnorrislll replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
0 likes

Interesting suggestion there certainly seems to be a lot vibration and it does move on the handlebars. I don't like the idea of helmet or body mounts, so a different handlebar mount might be a cheaper fix.

Have also considered a light strip of handle bar tape, under the mount might also absorb some of the vibration.

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matt_cycles replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
2 likes

I also find O rings help as well. I was use these when fitting mounts etc to absorb vibrations. 

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Awavey replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
1 like

agreed it doesnt feel like the camera is producing that bad a quality of image in terms of lowlight, in that there are definitely much worse cameras out there, debateably better too, but its really the stability of the image thats letting it down, like its rattling around in what ever mount is attached to the bike, or the mount itself isnt that secure or stable.

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Sriracha replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
3 likes

Yup, I think this is more about the quality of the roads than of the camera. Absolutely shocking!

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HoarseMann replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
0 likes

Maybe try lower tyre pressures, should help dampen the vibrations. If that doesn't work, then you definately need a gravel bike  3

Appalling manoeuvre, you wonder if it was intentional as nobody ought to be that bad at driving.

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bikeman01 replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
0 likes

I thought he had wooden wheels

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
2 likes

About 1:40 in

Was this an old one or does the camera time need updating ?

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Rendel Harris replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

I'm guessing as it's set just after midnight New Year's Day it's reverted to default.

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lllnorrislll replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

I change the SD card and hadn't re-set the time which is saved as a file on the card.
Didn't realise until reviewing the footage.

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kamoshika replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

My camera resets the time and date every time you change the battery, and it's a faff to reset (connect phone to the camera via wi-fi and set from phone app). Intsead I've tried to get into the habit of holding my phone or watch in front of the camera the first time I start recording after changing the battery, so at least I can prove when the recording was made, and work out the offset from the camera to correct time.

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anke | 3 years ago
2 likes

Question: With a bit of clever computer programming, it should be possible to extract the registration from the video. Does anyone know if such software exists? (I would assume police forces use such software all the time?)

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TriTaxMan replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
9 likes

Garage at Large wrote:

That was a beautiful blood-curdling scream by the way Kieron, thanks for sharing.

Oh on form again then Nige?  I mean you would never react to a driver putting your life at risk would you....

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Rendel Harris replied to TriTaxMan | 3 years ago
10 likes

TriTaxMan wrote:

Garage at Large wrote:

That was a beautiful blood-curdling scream by the way Kieron, thanks for sharing.

Oh on form again then Nige?  I mean you would never react to a driver putting your life at risk would you....

You have to understand that NG would courteously have noted the turning ahead and come to a complete stop and courteously waved the driver on past him and the driver would have given him a courteous smile and a wave and they would have both gone about their business with their days enhanced by their mutual courtesy. Or something.

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eburtthebike replied to Rendel Harris | 3 years ago
5 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

You have to understand that NG would courteously have noted the turning ahead and come to a complete stop and courteously waved the driver on past him and the driver would have given him a courteous smile and a wave and they would have both gone about their business with their days enhanced by their mutual courtesy. Or something.

I don't think you're spelling courteous right; some of the same letters and in a similar order, but much shorter.

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Secret_squirrel replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
4 likes

Depends how close that video is to the original.  You can't recover information that is not there but its surprising what you can get out by converting to B&W and fiddling with contrast for instance.

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anke replied to Secret_squirrel | 3 years ago
1 like

...you can't recover what's lost - but there's still a lot of information left in 30 individual frames of the same object...

(But don't expect to find a single letter from just one of the fames on their own.) 

 

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anke replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
4 likes

...not busy watching 24 (whatever that is), rather developing computer-tomographic algorithms...

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Hirsute replied to anke | 3 years ago
3 likes

24 was action/thriller series set over one day using 24 one hour epsiodes (40 mins on bbc). There was various tech involved to track down the terrorists.

I think NCIS would be a better example. I'm told they identified a killer from the reflection from the victim's eyeball !

 

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brooksby replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
3 likes

I think that was on CSI, hirsute.

(And the obvious historic reference to make is the photo analysis in the original Blade Runner, anyway).

 3

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

Haven't seen that for years (the film is almost 40 years old too !)

One for the hols.

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brooksby replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
2 likes

hirsute wrote:

Haven't seen that for years (the film is almost 40 years old too !)

One for the hols.

Worse than that - the future the film is set in has been and gone 

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
3 likes

I think it was CSI Miami where they got the killer from the reflection in the eye caught on a CCTV camera outside. I believed it could really be done,  but <puts on sunglasses> I Won't Be Fooled Again.......

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Rendel Harris replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
9 likes

Garage at Large wrote:

That was a beautiful blood-curdling scream by the way Kieron, thanks for sharing.

Is there anything on God's earth you can't be a rude dick about?

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lllnorrislll replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 3 years ago
13 likes

The microphone has a solid cover over it to prevent water ingress.
What I actually shouted was -
Nigel GaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRAAAGGE !!!

*Joke* 😘

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wtjs replied to anke | 3 years ago
3 likes

I would assume police forces use such software all the time?

I'm assuming this is ultra-irony. Lancashire can't even read HEVC videos: no matter how often you tell them that their flash Samsung force phones will play them, most of the time you just get a complaint that the video 'doesn't work'. The police generally don't even employ neurones, never mind super-ace next-gen AI technology at which you just bark 'sharpen' and 'zoom in'. When the main aims are a quiet and motorist-friendly life and not doing anything about anything, neither of these aids features in traffic police work

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Secret_squirrel replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
1 like

Video enhancement app - £3k a year.  If there are more than a few dozen copies in the UK I'll eat my hat.  Even half those copies would have been bought for Silent Witness or Line of Duty SFX crew.

https://www.motiondsp.com/software-and-subscription-pricing/

 

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