The Metropolitan Police have taken prompt action against the driver seen in today's Near Miss of the Day footage emergency braking to avoid a collision with a father cycling with his son in a cargo bike, after the motorist "blindly" followed the driver in front at a turning.

road.cc reader Ashley tells us the Met has confirmed a Notice of Intended Prosecution has been sent to the driver in relation to this incident which happened at the weekend while he cycled with his son in a cargo bike southbound on CS7 along the A3 Clapham Road between Oval and Stockwell.

"As you can see in the footage I was riding along towards the traffic light junction with a green light for me to proceed," he recalled. "It was getting dark so most vehicles had their lights on. I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. The bike is massive and well-illuminated in all directions so there is zero excuse for not seeing it.

"There are two drivers waiting in the right hand turn section and the first car waits for the white car to pass before crossing the junction without any problem. For some reason the Mercedes driver decides to blindly follow the car in front and has to perform an emergency stop to avoid crashing into the side of my bike where my son was sitting.

"The driver stops around six inches from the side of my bike. Naturally I shouted at the driver, and I am surprised at myself for not swearing more or getting off my bike and really remonstrating with the driver but I had my son with me so didn't want to escalate things.

"The driver gave no sign of acknowledgment or apology for such appalling driving. I have reported to the Met Police and they confirmed they have sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution to the driver."

Ashley said this is the second "serious incident" of a near miss he has experienced on London's roads while cycling with his son, the first being the footage from November 2022 which went viral and became the topic of discussion on TV shows and in the national press.

London mayoral candidate Susan Hall and former chancellor Sajid Javid were two Conservative politicians who weighed in on the wide-reaching discussion about the video, Jeremy Vine covering it on his Channel 5 show and the footage being viewed millions of times on social media.

https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-888-306405

On 26/01/2024 11:40 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> The Metropolitan Police have taken prompt action against the driver seen in today's Near Miss of the Day footage emergency braking to avoid a collision with a father cycling with his son in a cargo bike, after the motorist "blindly" followed the driver in front at a turning.
>
> road.cc reader Ashley tells us the Met has confirmed a Notice of Intended Prosecution has been sent to the driver in relation to this incident which happened at the weekend while he cycled with his son in a cargo bike southbound on CS7 along the A3 Clapham Road between Oval and Stockwell.
>
> "As you can see in the footage I was riding along towards the traffic light junction with a green light for me to proceed," he recalled. "It was getting dark so most vehicles had their lights on. I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. The bike is massive and well-illuminated in all directions so there is zero excuse for not seeing it.
>
> "There are two drivers waiting in the right hand turn section and the first car waits for the white car to pass before crossing the junction without any problem. For some reason the Mercedes driver decides to blindly follow the car in front and has to perform an emergency stop to avoid crashing into the side of my bike where my son was sitting.
>
> "The driver stops around six inches from the side of my bike. Naturally I shouted at the driver, and I am surprised at myself for not swearing more or getting off my bike and really remonstrating with the driver but I had my son with me so didn't want to escalate things.
>
> "The driver gave no sign of acknowledgment or apology for such appalling driving. I have reported to the Met Police and they confirmed they have sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution to the driver."
>
> Ashley said this is the second "serious incident" of a near miss he has experienced on London's roads while cycling with his son, the first being the footage from November 2022 which went viral and became the topic of discussion on TV shows and in the national press.
>
> London mayoral candidate Susan Hall and former chancellor Sajid Javid were two Conservative politicians who weighed in on the wide-reaching discussion about the video, Jeremy Vine covering it on his Channel 5 show and the footage being viewed millions of times on social media.
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-888-306405

Would it have been better if he'd hit the chav-cycle?

Stopping in time sounds good to me.

It's similar when being overtaken: So often it is the second, third or fourth driver in line who executes the most dangerous maneouvre, assuming that everything's fine just because those in front of them have done it, or thinking that it's "unfair" that others might get passed but that they'd have to wait a few more seconds.

Avatar
Car Delenda Est replied to AidanR | 15 hours ago
6 likes

I think there's an aspect of joining the collective car conga that makes people think they're absolved of any individual responsibility

QUOTE: I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. ENDS

Oi - that was my idea 20 years ago to have a flashing blue light on my rear seat post.
Glad you find it useful!

On 26/01/2024 06:33 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> It's similar when being overtaken: So often it is the second, third or fourth driver in line who executes the most dangerous maneouvre, assuming that everything's fine just because those in front of them have done it, or thinking that it's "unfair" that others might get passed but that they'd have to wait a few more seconds.

Tarot cards?

Or crystal Ball?

What IS your favoured method of trying to read the minds of others? And
why, even though you are well aware that you CANNOT do that, do you
persist in kidding yourself that you can?

>
> Avatar
> Car Delenda Est replied to AidanR | 15 hours ago
> 6 likes

> I think there's an aspect of joining the collective car conga that makes people think they're absolved of any individual responsibility

Are you sure?

Are you sure that you think, that is?

On Friday, January 26, 2024 at 6:37:28 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. ENDS
>
> Oi - that was my idea 20 years ago to have a flashing blue light on my rear seat post.
> Glad you find it useful!

"Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.
Silly Bournes.

On 27/01/2024 04:32 am, Simon Mason wrote:

speaking to himself. said:

> On Friday, January 26, 2024 at 6:37:28 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:

>> QUOTE: I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. ENDS
>> Oi - that was my idea 20 years ago to have a flashing blue light on my rear seat post.
>> Glad you find it useful!

> "Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.

Do you LOOK like a police car?

Perhaps it was those silly X-Ray specs you once pictured yourself modelling?

Back to the thread topic.

Are the police really going to "take action" against a driver who took
evasive action and avoided a road accident?

On Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 4:32:22 AM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Friday, January 26, 2024 at 6:37:28 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> > QUOTE: I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. ENDS
> >
> > Oi - that was my idea 20 years ago to have a flashing blue light on my rear seat post.
> > Glad you find it useful!
> "Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.
> Silly Bournes.

Has "she" never seen blue lights on the underside of chavmobiles?
They were all the rage 20 years ago.

On 27/01/2024 04:39 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

Spoke to himself, saying:

> On Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 4:32:22 AM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:

Spoke to himself, saying:

>> On Friday, January 26, 2024 at 6:37:28 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:

>>> QUOTE: I had two bright front lights as well as flashing blue lights on my wheel spokes. ENDS

>>> Oi - that was my idea 20 years ago to have a flashing blue light on my rear seat post.
>>> Glad you find it useful!

>> "Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.
>> Silly Bournes.

> Has "she" never seen blue lights on the underside of chavmobiles?
> They were all the rage 20 years ago.

Oh, right.

So you had had them installed under your limited-vision Saab?

Got it.

I expect you thought it a better use of your money than maintaining the
safety features of the car would have been.

> > "Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.
> > Silly Bournes.
> Has "she" never seen blue lights on the underside of chavmobiles?
> They were all the rage 20 years ago.

Seems I am out of touch with the current chav driving scene.

QUOTE: LEDGlow’s Blue Slimline LED Car Underbody Lighting Kit features ultra thin LED lighting tubes that add vibrant and spotless illumination to the underside of virtually any car. Easily activate solid blue illumination using the Power Switch and transform the look of your vehicle when you’re driving at night. With the thinner profile, LEDGlow Slimline lighting tubes are lighter, more subtle, and easier to install. But they still deliver the same ultra bright LED accent lighting.

These blue underglow lights for cars come equipped with 300 wide angle SMD LEDs housed in (2) 46” and (2) 36” high impact, water resistant acrylic tubes. Each tube has a diameter of 5/8” and is easily powered by daisy chaining one tube to the next via modular connectors. The connectors are attached to 3' wires that are on both ends of every underglow tube. The extended wire length provides added flexibility during installation. Operating these blue under car lighting kits is a breeze with a simple flick of the On/Off Power Switch. The switch has (2) 3’ leads to connect the tubes: 1 male and 1 female for daisy chain connections. It also has a 5 Amp Inline Fuse with 4.5’ of power and ground wire.

Maximize the impact of your car undercarriage lights with accessories that enhance the underglow kit. These accessories can be installed at any time if you want to add them now or at a later date. An LED Grille Light is available which illuminates your car’s front grille. It will reflect the same solid blue illumination as the car underglow kit. The Control Box & Wireless Remote upgrade the base kit’s power switch with features including lighting effects to build custom LED patterns. You can also add 3’ Wire Extensions that deliver even more flexibility during installation. ENDS

https://www.ledunderbody.com/product_images/uploaded_images/21-blue-slimline-ub-car-features-banner-desktop.jpg

On 27/01/2024 07:19 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
>
>>> "Judith" was apoplectic with rage as she insisted that I was trying to impersonate a police car.
>>> Silly Bournes.
>> Has "she" never seen blue lights on the underside of chavmobiles?
>> They were all the rage 20 years ago.
>
> Seems I am out of touch with the current chav driving scene.

Well...yes... I expect you are.

After all, it all costs money, and we know you hate spending money on
your car, even to the extent of driving considerable distances without
the car having working windscreen wipers.

> QUOTE: LEDGlow’s Blue Slimline LED Car Underbody Lighting Kit features ultra thin LED lighting tubes that add vibrant and spotless illumination to the underside of virtually any car. Easily activate solid blue illumination using the Power Switch and transform the look of your vehicle when you’re driving at night. With the thinner profile, LEDGlow Slimline lighting tubes are lighter, more subtle, and easier to install. But they still deliver the same ultra bright LED accent lighting.
>
> These blue underglow lights for cars come equipped with 300 wide angle SMD LEDs housed in (2) 46” and (2) 36” high impact, water resistant acrylic tubes. Each tube has a diameter of 5/8” and is easily powered by daisy chaining one tube to the next via modular connectors. The connectors are attached to 3' wires that are on both ends of every underglow tube. The extended wire length provides added flexibility during installation. Operating these blue under car lighting kits is a breeze with a simple flick of the On/Off Power Switch. The switch has (2) 3’ leads to connect the tubes: 1 male and 1 female for daisy chain connections. It also has a 5 Amp Inline Fuse with 4.5’ of power and ground wire.
>
> Maximize the impact of your car undercarriage lights with accessories that enhance the underglow kit. These accessories can be installed at any time if you want to add them now or at a later date. An LED Grille Light is available which illuminates your car’s front grille. It will reflect the same solid blue illumination as the car underglow kit. The Control Box & Wireless Remote upgrade the base kit’s power switch with features including lighting effects to build custom LED patterns. You can also add 3’ Wire Extensions that deliver even more flexibility during installation. ENDS
>
> https://www.ledunderbody.com/product_images/uploaded_images/21-blue-slimline-ub-car-features-banner-desktop.jpg

One dreads to think of the cost.

Of course, MOST of us prefer to spend money keeping our vehicles in a
properly and lawfully roadworthy condition and are even prepared to pay
for essential repairs immediately.

Not you, though, eh?

Dogless | 23 hours ago
8 likes

The original video mentioned at the bottom of the article made me change how I cycle with my kids. I now keep one alongside and one on the tandem so we basically take the lane and force drivers to stop if there's no room and it's our RoW. Hate that it has to become combative but without doing this drivers still close pass/left hook/drive straight at us despite the kids being 5 and 9.

https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-888-306405#comments

On 27/01/2024 09:07 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> Dogless | 23 hours ago
> 8 likes
>
> The original video mentioned at the bottom of the article made me change how I cycle with my kids. I now keep one alongside and one on the tandem so we basically take the lane and force drivers to stop if there's no room and it's our RoW. Hate that it has to become combative but without doing this drivers still close pass/left hook/drive straight at us despite the kids being 5 and 9.
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/near-miss-day-888-306405#comments

All of the combat is entirely the fault of chav-cyclists and their
chav-like supporters.

It never used to be like that, back in the days of cycle-clips and
bike-bells.

QUOTE: The bike is massive and well-illuminated in all directions so there is zero excuse for not seeing it.ENDS

I'm sure if you paid Mr Arsehole loads of money, he will say that the Sun was in all their eyes.
The fact that it was dark might not occur to the bench if you're lucky.
Worth a try, eh?