When you watch this short clip a couple of times it looks very close indeed; especially considering the car's speed and very wet road conditions.
Here’s a clip, below, of a close pass in Wexford posted by the Stayin’ Alive at 1.5 campaign.
It’s recorded on a rear bike-mounted camera and while it’s often difficult to tell just how close vehicles get to riders from this angle, we think this looks like a very close one.
Just before the car passes the rider, its outside wheels haven’t moved over the broken white line and doesn’t appear to move very much, if at all, as the pass takes place.
It means rider and car are crammed into the carriageway; in the wet and as the car passes at speed.
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The campaign posted this message with the clip:
Regularly we are sent in clips here of frighteningly close overtaking manoeuvres. This is an incident sent in to us from Sunday on the R733 near New Ross, Co Wexford.
I'm not sure that some drivers who don't cycle realise exactly how scary this is.
There is certainly a minority of drivers out there who view overtaking in this manner as a viable alternative to overtaking safely and this behaviour simply needs to stop.
Cycling needs to be for the unbrave too. Drivers need to be taught:
- 1.5 metres matters.
- Distance makes the difference.
- Stay wider of the rider.
Hope this doesn't discourage this cyclist. I know from personal experience that it can unnerve you somewhat.
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Regularily we are sent in clips here of frighteningly close overtaking manoeuvres. This is an incident sent in to us from Sunday on the R733 near New Ross, Co. Wexford. I'm not sure that some drivers who don't cycle realise exactly how scary this is. There is certainly a minority of drivers out there who view overtaking in this manner as a viable alternative to overtaking safely and this behaviour simply needs to stop. Cycling needs to be for the unbrave too...Drivers need to be taught1 point 5 metres matters!Distance makes the Difference!Stay Wider of the Rider!Hope this doesn't discourage this cyclist. I know from personal experience that it can unnerve you somewhat.
Posted by Stayin' Alive at 1.5 on Monday, 18 January 2016
The ‘Stayin’ Alive at 1.5’ campaign was established to lobby the authorities to bring in new laws requiring motorists to give cyclists 1.5 metres of space when passing them.
It's running an online petition urging the Government to introduce new laws requiring motorists to pass cyclists at at least 1.5 metres.
Headed by Wexford-based cyclist Phil Skelton, the campaign was prompted by the deaths of two cyclists in separate road collisions in the county in a 12-month period to February 2013.
“I first took up cycling seriously around four years ago," said Skelton, a member of Slaney CC.
"I became acutely aware of its inherent dangers from listening to other cyclists and also from personal experience of being grazed by a driver’s wing mirror whilst being overtaken.
“This unnerved me massively, realising the fine line between wobbling in to the nearby ditch and a potentially more severe outcome.”
Why not sign it online right now? Click here and sign it quick.
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