D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
Is it just the camera angle or did the driver put his headlights on prior to the overtake, if so it was clearly a conscious effort to warn the oncoming driver to move over?
To everyone that's ever had a close pass .... enjoy
- Thread starter tom73
- Start date
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DaveReading
Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
- Location
- Reading, obvs
Yrs, the driver is probably thinking "if only I'd passed closer to the cyclist, I wouldn't have had to cross the solid white, and wouldn't have got a ticket".
Origamist
Legendary Member
I commented on the road.cc article also. But did the policeman really say "though he was a goner" to the cyclist? To me it's pretty obvious the reason for pulling him was the solid white line and oncoming traffic overtake.
Guess we just have to trust that
The overtake forced the oncoming Audi driver to take evasive action - you can see he moves closer to the nearside of the lane. If he hadn't changed course, there would have been far greater likelihood of a collision. At the time, the police officer could have reasonably thought the cyclist was in serious peril.
Watching the clip again, the driver is clearly at the lower end of the driving spectrum. Overtaking on a unbroken white central line, in the face of oncoming traffic, flashing his beams in an "I'm coming through, move over' kind of way, passing the cyclist closer than was necessary, with no rearward observation ("hiya, it's the police behind you") and overtaking at speed on the approach to an area where your likely to encounter tractors turning.
RoadRider400
Some bloke that likes cycling alone
Didnt you know. You can do any maneuvre you like as long as you turn your lights on first.
winjim
Smash the cistern
White lines mean put your white lights on. Yellow lines mean put your yellow lights on, one side for single, both sides for double.
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
A close pass is a matter of opinion so is arguable. Crossing the white line is a matter of fact and unarguable.
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
You are allowed to cross the white line, but not in this instance
Johnno260
Veteran
- Location
- East Sussex
Either way a dumb piece of driving that was punished.
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
The crossing of the white line is only unarguable if the speed of the cyclist has been established as 10mph or less.
The cyclist states, “the driver was receiving an on the spot ticket for careless driving”, after speaking to the officer who issued it. Since an FPN for crossing a solid white line is a separate offence and has its own penalty code, I suspect it was for the close pass and/or causing the oncoming driver to take avoiding action while putting the cyclist in jeopardy.
Either way, the driver got what he deserved.
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
Crossing the white line is unarguable if the speed is 10mph or more. But you're probably right about the careless driving as the polis would probably have to watch the video first to get clear evidence that the cyclist was exceeding 10mph.
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
Sorry, brainfade while typing. Thanks for correcting.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Depending on circumstances this might not be good thing if it encourages even closer passes rather than people being over the line a bit. I know which I'd prefer
Bazzer
Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
- Location
- On the edge of reality
IME the evidence would be the speed of the police car, which would determine the approximate speed of the cyclist.
Leaving to one side the close pass, I understand that where an offence such as this, which has speed as one of its components, only a calibrated speed recording device can be used. Either the police car would have a separate device, or their car's speedometer would be calibrated. This is based upon feedback from Cheshire Police.
There is a road on my commute where, on the sections of unbroken white line, if there is/are a car/s behind me, 90% of the time the driver will overtake. Cheshire Police will only prosecute on video evidence where there has also been a close pass.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
That car looks like its rigged as an IRV, so would have a calibrated speedo.
Wookee
Well-Known Member
- Location
- East Herts
You wouldn't need the calibrated speedo as such, it was a close pass on the cyclist and causing the oncoming vehicle to alter it's path as well as the solid white line is a without due care all day long. In England they would have been offered a course if a first offence. Even with a calibrated speedo they would still have to have the speed verified by a trained officer with a speed gun. WDC makes the most sense.
