The driver of the car in the videos below has been convicted of a range of offences in court, and banned from driving for two years, after the footage was use in evidence against them. The cyclist who made the complaint has said the case ended up in court after the driver did not take up the first option of being sanctioned with penalty points.
This is a really valuable example of what cyclists can achieve - and the power we have - if these incidents are recorded and taken to the gardaí.
The incident occurred in Cork last year but has only just reached the courts, with the cyclist who was close-passed, at speed, taking to Twitter today to outline what happened and how the process with the Garda and the court had unfolded. They also said they were carrying their young child on the bike when this incident happened.
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The cyclist added the rear view footage was of most use in the case, as it offered the best vantage point of the approaching vehicle. The driver was undertaking other cars, using the bus lane to do so, when they found the cyclist in their path and took evasive action, to their right and back into the lane.
The footage shows that, as the cyclist crossed the road to get into the bike lane, they would have looked left and seen cars at a distance, approaching more slowly. However, the driver who was undertaking then came onto the scene at speed via the bus lane, creating a very dangerous situation.
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"Videos speak for what happened but doesn't convey the sheer speed involved or the closeness of the pass," the cyclist said. "Offences - undertaking in bus lane, speeding, close-pass and ran red light. Motorist received a conviction and a 2-year driving ban, a large fine and court costs against them.
"Long drawn-out and stressful process that could have been avoided if motorist had followed Garda instruction on what could happen - points, lesser charge etc. But they decided not to engage and felt the consequences of their decision in court."
The cyclist added the gardaí dealing with the case "were absolutely brilliant all the way through", though they had suffered many other serious incidents on the roads since then.
"Since this happened I have had numerous close passes. Since my kid started school about three weeks ago there's almost a daily or twice daily close pass on our bit of the route to school that is not greenway," the cyclist said, urging drivers to slow down and learn the correct passing distance.
/2 Videos speak for what happened but doesn't convey the sheer speed involved or the closeness of the pass. Offences - undertaking in bus lane, speeding, close-pass and ran red light. Motorist received a conviction & a 2 year driving ban, a large fine & court costs against them. pic.twitter.com/fl2vFfEDuz
— YᗩY ᖴOᖇ ᗷIᑕYᑕᒪEᔕ ? (@byjoeb) September 29, 2023
