Idiot driving but no collision=conviction.

[glenn forger]

Unusual:

A motorist has pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention after a cyclist filmed the moment he had to take evasive action when the driver pulled out of a side street in Swansea into his path.
http://road.cc/content/news/172088-...-captures-near-miss-film#sthash.r8LvuFHu.dpuf

One aspect of the case that many cyclists, particularly helmet or handlebar camera users, may find interesting is that a decision was taken to prosecute the motorist despite the fact there was no actual collision.

That's far from guaranteed in many cases in our experience, which may lead some to wonder if there is a kind of postcode lottery at work, depending on the approach taken by the police force and local prosecutors

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...caught-video/story-28248982-detail/story.html

 

[snorri]

which may lead some to wonder if there is a kind of postcode lottery at work

Was there ever any doubt?
Different priorities in different police force areas, and priorities changing by the minute depending on other pressures.

 

[simon.r]

Interesting. I'd be very tempted to get a camera if I thought prosecution for instances like that would be a regular occurrence.

 

[glenn forger]

I think some forces would not even have accepted the footage. Makes you wonder if a driver hits you near a police boundary it might be worth dragging your bleeding carcass over to a more stringent jurisdiction?

 

[Markymark]

My understanding is that helmet/dash cams are usually not permissible in court as they're not calibrated so speed and distance cannot be accurately ascertained form them making convictions difficult.

Maybe sometimes distance is not critical to a conviction and a cyclecam is sufficient.

 

[Globalti]

I expect the driver was so shocked at his own incompetence that he blurted an admission. Maybe he just made a mistake, we all do.

 

[Hip Priest]

I expect the driver was so shocked at his own incompetence that he blurted an admission. Maybe he just made a mistake, we all do.

He seems like a decent sort of fella from the article. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for him, given that most motorists who do this get away scot free.

 

[Neilsmith]

It is in Swansea I'm amazed the police didn't arrest and convict everyone

 

[glenn forger]

I can pretty much guarantee a five-pointer every other commute.

 

[Globalti]

That 2 o'clock angle is the most dangerous for cyclists because the A pillars of modern cars are so thick and the cyclist can easily be hidden. Throw in an elderly driver who is distracted by a floral display, then sees flashed headlights as an invitation to proceed and the cyclist is pretty low on his list of possible hazards to be processed, if he sees the cyclist at all.

I was always more wary as a motorcyclist when cars were at an angle. I would shoulder check, move sideways across the driver's field of vision to create movement and then cover brakes, horn and flasher. Sometimes I would hit and hold the main beam anyway and sometimes use the horn anyway, which is what it's for.