LUCKY ESCAPE
Cyclist narrowly avoids being hit by passing van – but viewers are divided on who’s in the wrong
THIS is the shocking moment a cyclist narrowly avoided being hit by a passing van - but viewers are divided over who's in the wrong.
Front and rear GoPro footage from the cyclist's helmet shows the white Citroen van racing past at a traffic island choke-point - missing him by inches.
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The near-miss allegedly happened on a busy 20mph suburban road, which the cyclist claims they were riding through at 21mph - giving the van no reason to overtake.
Posting the video to Twitter, the cyclist said: "Driver close passed me when I was doing more than the 20mph speed limit.
"When I caught up, they suggested I had to get out of their way.
"The Met Police sent them on a driving course."
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As the van passes, the cyclist can be heard saying "F***ing hell - Jesus Christ" before laughing in disbelief.
He later said to himself: "I was doing 21mph in a 20mph area - why were you overtaking me right there?"
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A heated argument ensued when the cyclist caught up with the van at the traffic lights down the road.
The cyclist said: "F***ing hell man, what was all that about?
"You overtook right before the traffic island and swerved into me - forcing me to move out of the way to avoid a collision.
"I was doing 21mph in a 20mph zone, you shouldn't have been overtaking anyway.
"You're going to try and say that I need to get the f*** out of your way - and you're wrong."
The driver said: "You're technically still in my way. You know what would have made it a bit easier?"
He then drove off, leaving the bike behind.
The cyclist said: "Have a great day!"
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
Who was in the wrong?
Drivers are allowed to overtake cyclists that are on the road but must give them plenty of space, as outlined in The Highway Code.
Under rule 163, it says: "As a guide, leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds."
However, if motorists are caught driving too close to cyclists as they overtake them, they run the risk of being fined under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 - for careless driving.
The penalty for careless driving is a fixed penalty of six penalty points and a £100 fine.
If the case is brought before the court, careless driving can see you receive anywhere from 3-9 penalty points, a fine of between 50 per cent-15 per cent of your weekly income, or even a discretionary disqualification from driving.
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In some cases the offer of a driver improvement course may be made instead of a fixed penalty or court prosecution.
In the last couple years, a number of police forces have undertaken operations and initiatives to educate drivers on the need for at least a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between cyclist and vehicles.
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