Please report dangerous drivers to the police - Roadsafe. Report to plod, not just whinge here.

things have deteriorated markedly in last week or so when schools went back. Idiot drivers are always going to present a problem but recently there are a lot more of them. i think we should close the schools to keep the roads safe ?

Not sure what the court appearance will entail yet.

You'll wait a bit (maybe half hour, depending) in the waiting room before they call you to the courtroom. If the defendant doesn't show then you don't need to testify. Giving testimony is basically answering questions and clarifying things with the magistrates, sometimes multiple times. Your video may or may not get shown in court depending on the prosecutor's tactics. You won't be able to view the proceedings before it's your turn to give testimony, afterwards you can sit and watch the rest. The prosecutor will brief you in the waiting room first. The toilet might have a coded lock. :)

Two court appearences so far, one of which I didn't need to give testimony. Positive outcomes.

Thanks for the info

I've noticed the same. So many clueless cunts in massive cars back on the roads. It was so nice during the school holidays. Nearly got flattened by a skip lorry yesterday as well. Was looking right at me and decided to pull out just as I was passing the junction anyway. Nice surge of adrenaline for the rest of the ride.

Does anyone know what the rule is on giving cyclists space on the left of the road, if any? Is there any contention at all as to who is in the wrong if you are 'undertaking' slower traffic and a car pulls into your path without checking blind spots?

Yeah I'm interested why you are being called.

Do you get paid? As you sort of are a professional witness.

Did you get a financial recompense?

• As a witness, yes. You can claim your transpo costs within reason etc.
  
• From my cycle insurance when I was the victim (for damaged hydro STIs), yes
  
• (Same case) From the guilty party when he 'left hooked' me with his huge car, he paid some (in addition to extra training + maybe some points?) but I don't really remember if I got any of it or not, was in 2019.
  

You’re called to court as you are the witness. The video evidence is simply that, evidence. You’re still required to testify, and if you don’t the likelihood of the case falling through is very high. Be prepared for them to give you fuck all information about how long you need to be there for - I was given a time to arrive at court and sat around like a lemon for 2.5 hours until I finally got dragged in.

Court was a pointless experience. The magistrates seemed more interested in why I wasn’t using the (shit and unsafe) shared use path to my left than they were in why cunty mcfuckchops decided to cut me up at a narrow corner. He did get done for jumping the red light, but he’d already taken the guilty plea for that offence.

Yeah I'm interested why you are being called.

I can only assume they are banking on me not wanting to bother to go to court and the case failing. The evidence is pretty damning.

This is pretty much it - it's a common first step on the assumption that going to court will be too intimidating or too much of a hassle.

My experience was quite simple - turned up, given a form to fill in and called in, where I confirmed the footage was mine and the content of the footage. No questions were asked about my behaviour.

cycling mikey often does little videos outside court after he's been called to attend. might be useful to watch so you know what to expect etc. good luck !

The magistrates seemed more interested in why I wasn’t using the (shit and unsafe) shared use path to my left than they were in why cunty mcfuckchops decided to cut me up at a narrow corner

Yikes

I spent a good few years not really riding on the road but now do so much more regularly. Anecdotal feeling is that I'm generally getting passed wider by cars than I used to, though I'm probably riding more defensively that I used to.

Something I have seen an increase in is cars passing me with good space, but overtaking into oncoming traffic seemingly oblivious to it. Have had a few oncoming cars have to take evasive action into verges etc. Anyone else noticed this?

Does anyone know what the rule is on giving cyclists space on the left of the road, if any?

Drivers have to give cyclists at least 1.5 meters when passing

Is there any contention at all as to who is in the wrong if you are
'undertaking' slower traffic and a car pulls into your path without
checking blind spots?

'Undertaking' in any vehicle is fine and lawful in slow moving traffic. But with regards to cycling and motorcycling it's called filtering.
http://www.cyclelaw.co.uk/overtaking-and-filtering-whilst-cycling

Cheers - am aware of the 1.5m passing rule but I was in a situation where I was going alongside the (might have been slower moving, not 100% sure) taxi which then decided to pull up at the side of the road into my path, so don't think that rule necessarily applies in that situation.

Related question is whether there is any duty on the cyclist to report an accident where there has been damage to a car/injury to the cyclist? As far as I can tell the relevant hit and run rules only apply to drivers of cars (i.e. mechanically propelled vehicles) but thought it'd be good to know for sure.

(My filtering software said the cyclelaw link about has a virus fyi! This apparently talks about the same thing https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/how-to-overtake, though it has a blanket "don't overtake moving traffic on the left" which is not always practical, imo.)

Is the cyclist in this video https://youtu.be/bzCsJibJXq4?t=106
(@1.46) on here? It shows a c*** of a motorcyclist who, like a genius, films himself brushing past a cyclist (orange top), then running into him deliberately when called out at the lights and then assaulting him. This weapon needs removing from the road. This is their instagram apparently https://www.instagram.com/p/CHWCropFajG/

If this is you, please report the motorcyclist to the police if you haven't already done so.

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having never roadsafed anyone before, is this worthy of a report? it felt pretty bad at the time.
feels a bit snitchy though? 🤷‍♂️

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100% report. Nowhere near the necessary space given, vehicle coming in the opposite direction means there’s no way they could have safely afforded you the correct amount of space.

The more of these drivers that get cautioned/fined/get points then hopefully the roads will become slightly safer each time.

I report everything that is worthy and that pass looks mighty close.

fair enough. I guess you get used to this kind of driver behaviour, but if I was a less experienced rider I imagine I would have been shaken up by it.
do you worry that reporting people makes them even more aggressive towards people cycling though?

It is a risky game for them, particularly if they have had a few points slapped on them. Also makes them realise quite a few cyclists have cameras.

I also think that the majority of incidents are from people being witless / ignorant / incompetent rather than outright malicious. I think for a lot of people getting slapped with a fine for a close pass will open their eyes to the actual content of the Highway Code and they are likely adjust their behaviour as a result.

another one i wanted to query (captured on the same ride incidentally)
i was in a 'bike lane' which is just a painted line at the side of a road, and was passed pretty close and fast by this white van.
does this constitute a close pass though as i was in my lane and they were in theirs, or should they technically still give 1.5m?
i guess if it was a raised segregated bike path then no?

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does this constitute a close pass though as i was in my lane and they were in theirs,

Lanes is irrelevant. They should still give you 1.5 Metres.
Unfortunately most drivers seem to think that 'i was in my lane and they were in theirs' is the correct behaviour. I believe this is why Chris Boardman petitions against this type of lane.