So, I finally cracked yesterday. I ride to work once/twice a week, same road, same-ish time. EVERY DAY the same van driver passes me within centimetres, at what seems to me about 80mph. Even when there is nothing coming, he won’t deviate from his path to give a cyclist room, or lower his speed.

I am starting to worry that somebody will get killed. I don’t sit that far out or kerb-hug, and try not to swerve out for potholes. But one day somebody will, and he clearly does this every day, to every cyclist. Its about the math in the end.

The Policeman asked an interesting question – “do you know the driver ?”

Well duh of course not, but now I am thinking….

They are going to have a word with him. I guess I will find out next time I ride in how he responds to this. It may have been nice knowing some of you.

It’s good that they are going to have a word with him.
Presumably if he does do it to every cyclist, he’ll not know which one ‘dobbed him in’

You need a camera on the front and back of your bike then upload the vid when you get a superman dive onto tarmac 🙂

I reckon Garmin’s new bike radar info here will give you about 2 seconds warning of his next approach….just enough time to make leap for the verge 🙂

Joking aside – Good luck mate

When I spoke to a Bikeability instructor about repeat bad driving on certain roads on my commute he said “find another route”

Seems obvious really! If this guy drives like this repeatedly and you think it might be deliberate then being spoken to by the Police is, IMO unlikely to produce a “really sorry, I’ll stop doing it”. Irrespective of whether the driver may or may not know it’s you, they’re clearly unfit to be driving, so why not just remove yourself from the scene and remove the risk from your ride?

I’ve lost patience with arsehole drivers.

Currently on 3 reported to police as attempted murder each time and one formal complaint to Arriva buses.

Even if they just have a word it’s better than nothing.

I suppose it really depends if his number plate ends in an odd or even number.

There isn’t really a feasible alternative route, sadly. Big hills, not a lot of roads. And that doesn’t help all the other people cycling on that road.

And I don’t agree with blaming the victim…

Riding in to work this morning when a driver sat in a queue holding up other traffic shouted “Arsehole” at me. Quite why I’d want to know his name I’ve no idea.

Currently on 3 reported to police as attempted murder each time and one formal complaint to Arriva buses.

Get a grip! I take it you have video evidence of these ‘attempted murders’?

I am also now understanding why the Policeman looked relieved when I said yes to the question “so you just want us to have a word with him ?”

You did the right thing. Maybe if there’s anyone else you know who rides the same route that could corroborate your observations the police could do more? (unlikely I know)

If you don’t know him and there’s other cyclists there’s hopefully no way he’ll know it’s you.

Trimix – Member

You need a camera on the front and back of your bike

+1

As a van driver, i see drivers of vans who think theyre driving fiat 500 and give cyclists hardly any space, they seem to think they must never go over the dashed white lines to overtake.

By reporting a driver his name and regt will go on a data badse and sooner rather than latter his number and name will keep cropping up, or he will injure someone.

A mirror is part of the answer. Then you see him coming. Ride 1M out from the kerb and by moving in just before he passes you turn his few CMs overtake into the best part of 1M.

Being 1M out also lets you swerve towards the kerb to avoid any potholes seen late.

Even video evidence doesn’t mean successful prosecutions.

http://www.magnatom.net/2015/06/more-court-case-woes.html

Not so much needing to get a grip, just after 20 years of this I’m a bit sick of it.

The most recent one a bus driver drove so close behind me then overtook me so close I had to hop onto the pavement to avoid him. He deliberately drove the bus too close to me. My irritation is more with the police insisting on corroborating stories – I bet they wouldn’t say this to a lady who reported a rape…

GB

I bet they wouldn’t say this to a lady who reported a rape…

Actually …..

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13137612.Rape_accuser__my_case_shows_why_need_for_corroboration_should_be_scrapped/

Brake fluid, squeezy bottle mounted where the mirror clamp is. Job done