What do you think of this?

[benb]

This is currently unlisted, and I wanted the opinions of the community before making it public.

I was filtering through into the right hand turn lane, when my wife behind shouted that a vehicle was coming the wrong side of the traffic island, so I slowed right down. If I hadn't had that warning I could well have been in the lane that the minibus was tring to get into.

I know it's frustrating at this junction where people in front of you are in the left lane and you want to be in the right, but this was stupid and dangerous. The fact that it's a professional driver, only makes it worse. Not the image that the company would wish to project I would have thought: http://www.roadrunne...thcommunity.php

Thoughts?

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrNWqTx5NiA[/media]

 

[akb]

That looks like a bit of dangerous driving to me. A pointless move which may have shaved seconds off of the Roadrunners drive!
Lucky you had your wife behind who noticed the van, you may be posting right about now from A&E.

I'd report it to the company first and then see how it pans out from there.

 

[akb]

Just followed the link; im a bit concerned that there is a mass of children on the homepage; I wouldnt want my kids travelling with such a dangerous driver.

 

[benb]

I might keep it unlisted, drop the company an email, and see what happens.
Or should I make it public immediately?

 

[siadwell]

If he passed to the right of a keep left bollard, that's completely illegal and he should be done for careless driving and/or failure to obey a traffic sign.

If this is in Surrey, you could report it to Drive SMART at http://www.drivesmartsurrey.org.uk/contact.asp.

 

[akb]

Or should I make it public immediately?

I'd hold fire. Speak to the company first and see what their response is. Offer them the video as evidence.
If they shrug it off then go public and report it. As has been said above, careless driving occured; dangerous for other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, in what seemed like a busy built up area.

 

[benb]

How's this:

Good afternoon

I want to bring to your attention a dangerous manoeuvre by one of your drivers that I witnessed this morning.
The location was the crossroads in Epsom town centre, where the High Street, Upper High Street, East Street and Church Street all meet, here:
http://g.co/maps/f283m

Traffic was queuing along the road from Church Street towards the crossroads. Your driver jumped the queue of traffic at some speed, going the wrong side of the traffic island by the Upper High Street turning, in order to position itself in the right hand one of the East Street lanes going straight on.

The vehicle in question was your "Accessible Transport" minibus, registration SM53 YPX.

Your drivers are the public face of your company, and this fell well below the standard of driving that I would expect from any road user, let alone a professional driver.

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[jonny jeez]

How's this:

Good afternoon

I want to bring to your attention a dangerous manoeuvre by one of your drivers that I witnessed this morning.
The location was the crossroads in Epsom town centre, where the High Street, Upper High Street, East Street and Church Street all meet, here:
http://g.co/maps/f283m

Traffic was queuing along the road from Church Street towards the crossroads. Your driver jumped the queue of traffic at some speed, going the wrong side of the traffic island by the Upper High Street turning, in order to position itself in the right hand one of the East Street lanes going straight on.

The vehicle in question was your "Accessible Transport" minibus, registration SM53 YPX.

Your drivers are the public face of your company, and this fell well below the standard of driving that I would expect from any road user, let alone a professional driver.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Send that across, keep it private unless they choose to ignore you ....which I suspect they wont as they will be very conscious of their public safety impression/persona.

As there was no "Indecent"...by that I mean no reason for you to withhold any evidence, I would also send them the vid up front to help them understand

 

[Tynan]

surely mention as well that he did so into the path of another vehicle too

not just a harmless shortcut

 

[benb]

Send that across, keep it private unless they choose to ignore you ....which I suspect they wont as they will be very conscious of their public safety impression/persona.

As there was no "Indecent"...by that I mean no reason for you to withhold any evidence, I would also send them the vid up front to help them understand

Maybe you're right. I thought I might hold the video back to see what they said first. Not sure now.

 

[Jezston]

I've read of a lot of incidents on here where the poster has held back on the video, the driver has told a different series of events, then the poster has sent them the video showing not only their side of the story being true, but also the driver as being a liar.

I think I'd only do the above if the driver had done something deliberately malicious towards me.

I think it's hard to describe what happened with just that map link and a description. I think I might just send the video.

 

[benb]

OK, I'm convinced, I'll include a link to the video after the description, and have changed my email slightly:

Good afternoon

I want to bring to your attention a dangerous manoeuvre by one of your drivers that I witnessed this morning.
The location was the crossroads in Epsom town centre, where the High Street, Upper High Street, East Street and Church Street all meet, here:
http://g.co/maps/f283m

Traffic was queuing along the road from Church Street towards the crossroads. I was on my bicycle, moving into the right hand lane to turn up Upper High Street.

Your driver jumped the queue of traffic at some speed, going the wrong side of the traffic island by the Upper High Street turning, in order to position itself in the right hand one of the East Street lanes going straight on. This caused me to have to abort my manoeuvre to avoid a collision.

Here is a video showing the incident more clearly than I can describe:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrNWqTx5NiA

(note this video is currently not public; it is only visible with the specific link above)

The vehicle in question was your "Accessible Transport" minibus, registration SM53 YPX.

Your drivers are the public face of your company, and this fell well below the standard of driving that I would expect from any road user, let alone a professional driver.

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[benb]

Thanks. Sent.
I'll let you know what the outcome is.

 

[Thomk]

It's not clear from the clip whether the driver jumped the bollard or, for example, pulled out from a parked position on the right hand side of the road and joined your carriageway for the first time after the bollard.

 

[lit]

It's not clear from the clip whether the driver jumped the bollard or, for example, pulled out from a parked position on the right hand side of the road and joined your carriageway for the first time after the bollard.

You'd like to think so but sadly I know the road he came down from and it's very narrow and I've never seen a vehicle parked there (mainly the double yellow lines - I think) but it wouldn't suprise me if someone did).

He will possibly have passed a few cars before deciding he fancied the wrong side of the road to get to the front of the queue first.