BBC video of cyclists with helmet cam

Handsome90

I saw this video in BBC today of an Essex cyclists who got a helmet cam and his now recording his journey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19710937

Can't believe the Essex Police said that they didn't see any offence being committed!

What do you guys think?

mqandy

The left hook would have got some very loud swearing from myself, and would probably be 'driving without due care', but nobody is going to prosecute that without an accident in this country...

Nothing on that video that I don't see most weeks on my commute. Try searching SMIDSY on YouTube...!

Sgt_Pepper_2

What offences can you see?

londonTiger

there are no real actionable offences, there are some that will get you a fail on your driving test but ulrimately nothing illegal. a bit of a damp cloth to be honest, there are far worse helmet cam incidences. There was one guy who got shaved really close by a white van on a left turn, and he banged on the vans side as it got close. the van driver got out and punched him

Weird_Nev

Go out looking for trouble and you'll find it.
Feel and ride like a victim and you'll become one.
Ride with your wits about you and you'll anticipate and avoid it.

I've ridden for a decade, 10 miles a day in London now. I've fallen off twice, once due to sheet ice, and once due to forgetting I was clipped to my bike and doing the comedy slo mo fall sideways.

You can get all angry and irate that some half asleep person has left hooked you, or you can position yourself to anticipate and negate the conflict in the first place. That Zafira was obvious. Stronger road positioning and eye contact as it approached could have held it back, or slowing more and earlier could have given it more room to complete it's left turn. Many of those passes didn't look particularly close to me. More an effect of the camera. Again, he's right in the gutter for a lot of it. Hold your road position and you force other vehicles to acknowledge you and make an overtake into a positive manoeuvre rather than just cruising on past you like you're not there.

thelawnet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMphhd8QCwA

Handsome90

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

What offences can you see?

In my view the coach drove too close to the cyclist while overtaking him. Personally, I would classify that as driving without due care and attention. However, I'm not an expert in Road Traffic Act.

benjus

The guy texting while stopped at traffic lights is clearly committing an offence, although not against the cyclist.

Agree with previous posters that some of the overtaking is far too close, although I wouldn't expect the police to do anything about it.

Norman_Castle

The zafira should have waited. It wouldn't have done that to a car. Thick driver only thinking three feet ahead and disregarding cyclists.

Arfa__

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

What offences can you see?

Driving without due care and attention.
Dangerous driving.

...and if we wait long enough we can probably add to that list:
Death by driving.

Fluentcode

All I can see in the video is a cyclist with a chip on his shoulder that is aimed squarely at the motorist.

It's great that he has the time and motivation to buy a camera, fix it to his bike and complain about motorists on the A133 driving too close to him. But he cannot take the time to cycle on the far less used, more peaceful and quicker route from Clacton to Colchester by bike using the back roads.

The A133 is also a great bit of road. It is a very wide stretch of road for a single carriage way. The white line you can see him riding alongside is not 'in the gutter', it is in fact almost 3 feet from the verge.

I agree with the Essex Police evaluation.