Driver strikes again!

[Beekeeping Biker]

Now I realise that it seems like the only time I post is when its something bad but there you go.. Sorry about that!

Following on from my last encounter with an ignorant thug - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=115085&p=1135114#p1135114

I had the misfortune of meeting the same idiot this morning on the same stretch of road but this time it ended in me being forced into the kerb and falling off my bike. He came straight at me, I had nowhere to go so I tried to mount the kerb and it all went a little wrong at that point and I ended up in a heap.

He then lent half out of his little van (door open) and began to swear and ridicule me. Which was nice of him. He then drove off.

Stupidly my go pro was not switched on, but through the power of social media I do now know who he is, who he works for, what he looks like, what his number plate is and even where he lives... trouble is, what do I do with that information. I am no vigilante..

I am at a real loss here. I don't want to be forced off my daily commute but equally I like being alive too.

[pwa]

You've got to report him. To the police and his employer. Your own evidence is unlikely to result in a prosecution because it's your word against his. You know that, of course. But if he is doing it to you he will be doing it to others, and if they report it too.... And get that Go Pro working. You have a battle on your hands but you are out there representing the rest of us.

[meic]

Same driver twice.
That raises it from road traffic event to harassment. Which means that the Police (probably) will not just sweep it under the table as usual. Even if all they do is warn him that a third time means trouble, it should prevent that third time happening.

[mjr]

You've got to report him. To the police and his employer. Your own evidence is unlikely to result in a prosecution because it's your word against his. You know that, of course. But if he is doing it to you he will be doing it to others, and if they report it too.... And get that Go Pro working. You have a battle on your hands but you are out there representing the rest of us.

^^ this. Everyone else likes being alive and that motorist sounds like a collision waiting to happen.

Without video, they'll most likely file the report against his registration in case they get more words against his.

Did you report the previous? Even if they didn't prosecute from it, they might have issued him a section whatever antisocial vehicle use ticket so if he reoffends, it's bye bye car

[Beekeeping Biker]

I did not report the first incident. I do have that one on video though, stored away safely on a hard drive, so its not as if it can be denied.

I will report to his employer today. I have no idea who in the police to send a copy of the same complaint to but it wouldn't hurt to send it to my local policing team I suppose; this the is T. Wells policing unit. https://www.police.uk/kent/247/

I just need to calm down a bit until I am capable of wording it in a way that shows that I am really concerned about the situation escalating, rather than looking for any kind of retribution.

It helps to think of happy commuting memories, such as my spring commute.

[mjr]

I think I would report it to the Kent Roads Policing Unit by calling 101 . Sadly Kent doesn't seem to have any dash cam reporting system like other forces.

[meic]

I just need to calm down a bit until I am capable of wording it in a way that shows that I am really concerned about the situation escalating, rather than looking for any kind of retribution.

I am not sure but my impression is that if you report it as harassment (and you have to be quite firm with the Police on this, that you think this driver is out to get you and you are in distress because you know he will try again.).
They will not actually take any legal action against him, they will just warn him that if anything else happens he will then be charged with harassment. Hopefully he will then keep his distance from you both figuratively and literally.

He will no doubt claim that he didnt think he was doing anything wrong. Hopefully the Police will advise him of a better standard of conduct in your vicinity.

[pwa]

I don't get much trouble with other road users, fortunately, but I have had a couple of incidents in the past and it leaves a bad taste. It makes your world feel like a hostile place. It can affect your sleep and your general outlook. Knowing that can help you deal with it. I feel that taking some action to remedy the situation will have the added benefit if helping you to recover your sense of wellbeing. What you most need, of course, is a few months with no further incidents.

[roubaixtuesday]

I'd recommend reporting to the police, just call 101. I recently did likewise after an unpleasant road rage incident and they did talk to the driver - which I would guess in most cases would be sufficient to avoid a repetition.

I'm not sure what you expect from an employer.

That's a great picture of your commute; take the advice of the late Bishop of Durham and don't let the b*****s grind you down!

[Beekeeping Biker]

Thank you very much yet again.

I have reported this to the police and received a call back from a local officer who is personally looking into this. A really nice guy by all accounts with a very calming disposition. I was very impressed with his attitude, approach, knowledge and understanding of these situations. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was a cyclist himself... He gave me his name, number and HQ location so I can contact him direct.

He basically told me what you guys have said in threads on here. He has the chaps info, will check if there are any other outstanding complaints and arrange a visit. He seemed fairly confident that a police visit should be sufficient to stop this in its tracks. He made it clear that at this time it is one documented encounter and one his word vs mine; so that's about as far as it will go at this stage. He will let me know when he has spoken with the driver of the vehicle out of courtesy.

He did point out that the best place for a go pro to be mounted is on the helmet, because it is both looking the same direction as you are, and on full display for others as a deterrent. Turning it on is also advisable!

He said if I capture any additional encounters with the same driver,I am to send the footage in to him directly and call the police straight away. If this continues after they have spoken with him then there is a lot more the police can do to keep me safe on the road.

That's about it...

[mjr]

He did point out that the best place for a go pro to be mounted is on the helmet, because it is both looking the same direction as you are, and on full display for others as a deterrent.

That advice is debatable because it also makes it less likely that the camera will keep running and pointing in a useful direction after a collision (to evidence a hit-and-run or whatever), but if you do put it on your helmet, I'd only use a helmet-manufacturer-approved camera mount. I wouldn't want my camera to be the last thing to go through my mind...

[hamster]

That advice is debatable because it also makes it less likely that the camera will keep running and pointing in a useful direction after a collision (to evidence a hit-and-run or whatever), but if you do put it on your helmet, I'd only use a helmet-manufacturer-approved camera mount. I wouldn't want my camera to be the last thing to go through my mind...

However it does provide conclusive evidence about where you were looking etc in the case of evidence - usually you will be concentrating on the problem, a bar mounted camera may not. In my case it was a car that turned left across me - the video showed me looking down at the car's front wheel - as lock was applied - in the wheel arch towards me. Furthermore, after an accident it recorded the offender abusing me, including his face which proved critical to identify the driver on the day (which was disputed). The bike was on the ground at the time of course.

There is no perfect camera position for all circumstances of course.

[mjr]

There is no perfect camera position for all circumstances of course.

Indeed - that's the very reason positioning advice is debatable.

[Grandad]

2 forward facing cameras?

[chris_suffolk]

Had a similar situation on my commute to work, only I was in a car and he still insisted on barging me off the road day after day. On police advice, i submitted dash cam footage, and they then had a word. He must have changed his route as I no longer see him now. For most, I suspect, the fact that they are being captured on cam will be enough to make them stop.