This close pass happened on St Georges Way in Leicester, UK in February 2024. There is no cycle lane here. The driver overtook me then cut in t me when they realised they were not going to be able to make it past the traffic lights ahead. I am a vulnerable road user relative to them. I don’t expect they would have overtaken a horse and rider in the same manner.
As a result of my complaint to the police, the driver was offered, and subsequently completed, a driver education course as an alternative to prosecution.
Rule 163 of the Highway Code: (abridged)
Give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215).
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
• you should wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horse drawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances
Rule H3 – Rule for drivers and motorcyclists:
You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles
going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing
direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another
motor vehicle. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane,
a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them.
Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider
or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve.
You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary.
This includes when cyclists are:
• approaching, passing or moving off from a junction
• moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic
• travelling around a roundabout
Leicester UK
St Georges Way
close pass
Careless and inconsiderate driving
cycling
cyclist
1.5m