reporting slow close passes?

[confusedcyclist]

I recently got my hands on an action camera (Gitup Git2, I can highly recommend it).



You may wish to skip to 3:20.

I caught my first close pass on it this morning, I was travelling 3-5 mph, and the motorist that passed me was also proceeding slowly so I was never in significant peril, nevertheless the taxi driver didn't give me any consideration when he decided to squeeze through the smallest possible gap, despite me having primary position. It happened as I approached the yellow thatched junction and red lights, the blue minibus has stopped ahead of the junction to allow oncoming traffic to cross, I wasn't travelling any faster because I couldn't see traffic crossing the junction and the light ahead was red, yet the taxi decides it's ok to basically squeeze me out of the way as I proceed towards the lights.

Looking back at it in the cold light of day, we were both moving at a glacial pace and I wasn't harmed, but if the taxi driver believes it acceptable to pass this close, maybe he might do it at greater speed? I feel it needs reporting but concerned because blood wasn't spilled it's not worth the hassle. If I was going to, how do I go about reporting the driver to the police? Considering the speeds we were travelling, I'm concerned it might be viewed like a non-event, but it really was inconsiderate driving, and had I been travelling faster, it could have ended differently.

Also, any thoughts on whether it's worth contacting the council as this is a licensed hackney cab. The relevant authority might be interested in the quality of their drivers? Thoughts?

Sorry, I appreciate in the grand scheme of dangerous and reckless driving, sadly this isn't a big deal, but would appreciate the thoughts and experiences of others.

 

[S-Express]

There really is no safety issue there at all. If that had happened to me, it wouldn't even have registered....

 

[confusedcyclist]

Yes the term close pass conjures images of reckless motorists, weaving in and out of the path a cyclist just before a pinch point whilst driving at 40mph, I've experienced those shocking events myself, yet to get one on cam.

Maybe it's the camera angle and point of view from the handle bars, but you wouldn't have registerd being effectively bullied out of the way, with mere millimeters to spare? Even at this pace, the driver is still a toss pot. Point taken though, I won't waste the time of the police with this.

 

[ianrauk]

You bought yourself a camera. You found a reason to justify it. So report it.

 

[davidphilips]

Dont worry about that driver he was not to bad.
You can be sure that if you keep the Gitup Git2 you will have many really bad drivers to report, hopefully make the road a bit safer for everyone.

 

[mjr]

If I was going to, how do I go about reporting the driver to the police?

Go to police website for the area where it happened (W Yorks?). Go to "contact us" (ironic here, as you're actually reporting a near-contact). Use the dashboard camera reporting form if they have one. If they don't, you can try using the general contact form but they probably won't care.

Also, any thoughts on whether it's worth contacting the council as this is a licensed hackney cab. The relevant authority might be interested in the quality of their drivers? Thoughts?

Possibly but they'll usually tell you to report the traffic offence to the police before they'll even consider it.

There really is no safety issue there at all. If that had happened to me, it wouldn't even have registered....

Such is the sorry state of driving on our roads that even cyclists are willing to defend close passes.

 

[S-Express]

Such is the sorry state of driving on our roads that even cyclists are willing to defend close passes.

Not defending anything - there's literally nothing there that needs defending. But if you want to assume the role of 'victim' then carry on..

 

[mjr]

Not defending anything - there's literally nothing there that needs defending. But if you want to assume the role of 'victim' then carry on..

Are you seeing what I'm seeing? A white taxi that overtakes through a junction, on the "don't overtake" zig-zags approaching a pelican crossing, without changing out of an occupied lane, on a yellow box? There's so much wrong that it's only difficult to know which is the worse offence!

Edit: probably the zig-zag overtake. If someone had been a bit slow walking across there, I doubt the taxi driver would have seen them past the corner of the blue van they were squeezing past.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Yes, you now have me wondering if S-Express has actually watched a different clip.

I have contacted 101, as the W Yorkshire website is a bit of a maze, and an officer will be calling me back. Hopefully I can send the video over and they will have a word with the driver.

 

[KnackeredBike]

The advantage of a camera is that you can watch back and see if you could have done anything to improve your riding as well as simply recording misdemeanors.

For me, that lane is a width where you can either take secondary between parked cars if at slow speed you are happy to let vehicles pass you, or take a proper primary and prevent this. IMO by tucking back in a bit after the grey car you created ambiguity.

That's not to defend the taxi driver, maybe he would have overtaken regardless. It's just to recognise that the purpose of primary is that it makes clear that it is not okay to overtake, and if you move away from primary in between parked vehicles some drivers will assume it is to allow overtakes.

 

[Drago]

That's a road junction, with potential for prats entering dangerously from the left. Therefore, id have been much farther out to improve my sightlines, make me more visible, and give me extra space/time to react if some chump does enter dodgily from the left. In turn this would have prevented Mr Taxi from overtaking.

That's not to say that it wasn't a dodgy overtake.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I was bang on centre of the lane at the junction, but I take your point about making it look like I might be moving back in after the parked car. It's only after the daisy in the taxi pushes in that I actually move beyond the centre of the lane to avoid a certain collision. Remember, you can't see what I can with peripheral vision. While I did nudge slightly in after my pass of the parked car, I held the central position as I was aware of the taxi behind me. I didn't expect the driver to force his way past in the manner he did. The taxi driver took advantage of my cautious approach to the lights, normally I'd be giving it a bit more welly at this junction and he wouldn't have had the chance to pass, but as the blue mini bus was obscuring my view of the road on the right, I thought it better to be cautious.

 

[mjr]

... take a proper primary and prevent this. IMO by tucking back in a bit after the grey car you created ambiguity.

That's not to defend the taxi driver, maybe he would have overtaken regardless. ...

And if so, then you may end up as a bonnet ornament. It's rare but sadly does happen and it's a brave person who is willing to hold primary while cycling in front of an aggressively-driven taxi.

I agree with what I think @Drago put - it might not have been exactly how I would have ridden, as far as I can tell from the single viewpoint, but the taxi driver was far more dangerously crap than anything the cyclist may have done. I really don't understand all the cyclist-blaming that goes on on this forum. Is it because some early camera users were nobbers who seemed to encourage road rage for more entertaining video?

 

[KnackeredBike]

@mjr I'm not blaming the OP at all, just saying that having a video can help you identify any ways, especially road positioning, you could have prevented/deterred it. Sorry to say I don't cede primary between parked cars now unless there is a very long gap which eliminates most stupid overtakes.

For me as soon as you move significantly to the left in your lane you are putting the idea in a drivers mind that you are facilitating a pass.

FWIW I find it easier to maintain primary/strong secondary on dual carriageways because drivers can zip merge to pass you, like when joining here on my commute home.