That "Near miss with a Caravan" thread

[750turbo]

Not sure if it was in here, or The Lounge, but...

http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/people/human-in...

Driver has got the bullet.

(Mods - Please bin this thread is someone can update the original.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Family-run Forest of Dean Caravans has been criticised after a video was posted on YouTube of one of its vehicles narrowly missing a cyclist.

The driver has since been fired from the company after decisive action was taken by the company.

The video was posted on Thursday (6 March) and has received over 30,000 views. The footage was taken from the helmet camera of a cyclist, named by the Gloucester Citizen newspaper as Jon.

The film shows Jon on the A59 at Samlesbury, Lancashire at 7.10am on Wednesday (5 March) being passed by other cars.

A horn is then heard before a flatbed truck, carrying one and towing a second Bailey Unicorn caravan, passes dangerously close to the cyclist.

The truck was identified by its Forest of Dean Caravans logo and the dealership has since apologised to the cyclist.

Police in Lancashire and Gloucestershire have been notified and an investigation is ongoing. Forest of Dean Caravans are conducting their own investigation and will release a statement soon.

Mark Turley, Transport Manager for Forest of Dean Caravans, told Caravan Times:

"The driver is no longer an employee of ours after talking to him. It was a stupid piece of driving and we've been let down by one of our employees.

"We're unhappy with what happened and shocked with what [the driver] did.

"It's never happened before and we've been transporting caravans for over forty years," he added.

"We've dealt with it, and hopefully now we can move on."

[surveyor]

Pays to reason if you are driving stupidly don't drive a branded vehicle...

[LeoZwalf]

Just looking at the still from the video on the linked page is enough to tighten one's ring. I'm always baffled when I see crap driving but especially so when the vehicle has company name, phone number, website, email address and so on plastered all over it.

[MagneticMeerkat]

I've seen the video and was left questioning whether the cyclist was a greengrocer.

[vikingaero]

surveyor said:

Pays to reason if you are driving stupidly don't drive a branded vehicle...

Especially if you don't want a call from me at 3am or to subscribe your email address to gay porn - no matter how good your filters some porn will get through.

[andy43]

I reckon he was close to the kerb and leaning on the horn because of the black estate car that had just squeezed an overtake in before the road went down to single lanes. Had his eyes on the mirror and the approaching estate car and probably didn't see the cyclist.

[Sensibleboy]

That car hadn't been overtaking. Lets not make excuses for him. The road is a single carriageway all the way back for half a mile.

Will the driver also get prosecuted for having no rear number plate?

[StottyZr]

andy43 said:

I reckon he was close to the kerb and leaning on the horn because of the black estate car that had just squeezed an overtake in before the road went down to single lanes. Had his eyes on the mirror and the approaching estate car and probably didn't see the cyclist.

The estate car appeared to be traveling slower than the lorry so I doubt it had just overtaken it. If he had just overtaken the caravan towing lorry he was a good few seconds clear before the horn was sounded.

To me, it looked like he picked a fight with the cyclist but I'm not too sure why. He maybe thought the cyclist was riding too far into the road? Very odd.

He was ridiculously close though, very dangerous and I'd expect the driver to be charged with dangerous driving.

[V8RX7]

surveyor said:

Pays to reason if you are driving stupidly don't drive a branded vehicle...

You'd think so.

I recently reported an Ambulance !

He wasn't on an emergency run etc and away from the lights refused to merge in turn, sat approx a foot from the car in front and forced the car in front of me into oncoming traffic.

I enquired whether this was their idea of a work creation scheme.

[smiles1]

Putting aside the irresponsible actions of the driver, there looks to be a shared pedestrian/cycle lane separate to the carriageway which surely the cyclist should have been using? You can see the blue sign denoting the lane at the start of the video.

[Sensibleboy]

smiles1 said:

Putting aside the irresponsible actions of the driver, there looks to be a shared pedestrian/cycle lane separate to the carriageway which surely the cyclist should have been using? You can see the blue sign denoting the lane at the start of the video.

Plenty of room for everybody on that road. There is a cycle lane painted the whole length of that road just before this incident took place.

[jimbop1]

smiles1 said:

Putting aside the irresponsible actions of the driver, there looks to be a shared pedestrian/cycle lane separate to the carriageway which surely the cyclist should have been using? You can see the blue sign denoting the lane at the start of the video.

You'd think that's what any normal person would do, wouldn't you. Cyclisties like to make statements though.. Even if that statement puts them in danger or disrupts other road users. In fact the more disruption caused the better.

[R36vw]

Many have stated the cycle lane...the cyclist stated it was unsuitable...and is entitled to use the road. I'm an avid petrol head but to frighten the sh!te out of him like that could easily caused him to crash into the kerb...many cyclists have died from being carved up and killed by following car or just impact of kerb/road. A sacking is probably the best thing that could have happened .....rather than in court for manslaughter.

[Darkslider]

jimbop1 said:

You'd think that's what any normal person would do, wouldn't you. Cyclisties like to make statements though.. Even if that statement puts them in danger or disrupts other road users. In fact the more disruption caused the better.

Without wanting to start another car driver vs cyclist thread, there are plenty of good reasons for not using a cycle path even if it's right next to the road. I do a bit of both so am probably more qualified to comment than yourself (working on the assumption you've never/rarely ride a bicycle on the road, sincerely no offence intended)

Not sure on this particular case but cycle lanes round here can often be strewn with hedge clippings or broken glass that seems to take months to be sorted out. Even when they're in good order sometimes they're so appallingly designed with lane changes, give ways and minor road crossings everywhere that cycling on the road can literally halve your journey time in some cases. You probably won't appreciate the effort involved in getting a bike up to speed purely with what energy you've got left in your legs, it's thoroughly hard work stopping every 30 seconds at a side road and then having to work all over again to get back up to speed when you could be cycling a few feet to your right and have a cleaner and (normally) safer run through.

Not to mention the stone cold fact that bicycles are still legally entitled to use the road wherever they please, as annoying as it might seem they're still within their rights!

[7mike]

Anyone else kept the vid running until the 3rd clip; Parbold Hill?

[CrutyRammers]

jimbop1 said:

smiles1 said:

Putting aside the irresponsible actions of the driver, there looks to be a shared pedestrian/cycle lane separate to the carriageway which surely the cyclist should have been using? You can see the blue sign denoting the lane at the start of the video.

You'd think that's what any normal person would do, wouldn't you. Cyclisties like to make statements though.. Even if that statement puts them in danger or disrupts other road users. In fact the more disruption caused the better.

• slow clap*

[thetrash]

CrutyRammers said:

jimbop1 said:

smiles1 said:

Putting aside the irresponsible actions of the driver, there looks to be a shared pedestrian/cycle lane separate to the carriageway which surely the cyclist should have been using? You can see the blue sign denoting the lane at the start of the video.

You'd think that's what any normal person would do, wouldn't you. Cyclisties like to make statements though.. Even if that statement puts them in danger or disrupts other road users. In fact the more disruption caused the better.

• slow clap*

I'll join in with the slow applause.....

[jimbop1]

CrutyRammers said:

• slow clap*

Did I say something that isn't true?

[hornetrider]

I was half expecting something reasonably lame but that was terrifying.

[Mave]

jimbop1 said:

Did I say something that isn't true?

Yes, as usual.