Near Misses Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

Bonus points/ free cake if they manage not to become road kill while navigating the Southern Cross junction.

Somebody proposed this training tactic to the former CEO of Dublin Bus on Twitter a few years back. He responded to say it would be too dangerous.

Held off posting this for a while because it was with the Gardai. However, it's been 6 months since I gave them the footage and a statement, and I've heard nothing back. Probably the closest I've ever come to being seriously injured on the bike.

The wide-angle lens on the camera doesn't do it justice, but the van swerves into my path to avoid colliding head-on with the truck. It was total insanity.

The worst part is that we're 30 seconds or less from a long, wide stretch of road; where passing is much safer. All this risk, all the lives put on the line (at least mine and his) for 30 seconds.

This is what the Gardai, the RSA, and all of the road safey bodies need to focus on. Not helmets, high-viz, or victim-blaming. We always hear of the tragedies, but these near-misses are happening too, and most aren't on video. Just becasue they "got away with it" and no one got hurt is not an excuse. We can't bring people back when they're gone, so sh*t like this needs to be made an example of. This needs to be stamped out the hard way.

And for the record, I had front and 2 back lights. I was in high-viz. I was wearing a helmet. All of which would have done the sweet sum of f*ck all had this gone slightly differently.

JFC, even if there had been no cyclist present, that was absolutely crazy driving. With the cyclist in the mix, it was just plain lethal, and deliberately so. Shame on AGS for not acting on this.

The oncoming truck is braking very very heavily, ABS fully engaged. I'd imagine he was empty or it would have been another story.

Just to clarify - I was told when I gave my statement that the van driver would get "3 points, maybe 5". So, my assumption is that points and a fine would be issued. A no point was dangerous driving, court, or anything of that vein mentioned. If the matter was issuing a FCPN, then that process should be over - unless the van driver challenged in court, which I would guess unlikely if they were presented with the video evidence.

I was also told that I would get a call to let me know how it panned out, and that would be in a few weeks. I didn't seek it (or feel entitled to it), but it was offered without prompt, so I would presume it's AGS policy/standard practice. That was over 6 months ago.

Thanks to everyone suggesting tweeting RSA, AGS, journos etc. Unfortunately, I'm not on Twitter/"X". If anyone on Twitter wishes to send on the streamable link with a link to my post, feel free.

On an near empty road you do 2 kmph over the limit, get your picture taken you get 3 points and a E160 fine.

Somebody getting “3 points, maybe 5” for that maneuver seems disproportionately low when its the exact type of behavior that puts people in coffins.

This is it exactly.

We have been hearing so much the past few weeks about cycling- and motor-related deaths. Everyone agrees that the tragedies are awful, but there's a "it'll never happen to me" cockiness to so many drivers. That's why it's so important that near-misses cannot, and should not, be tolerated lightly.

Drivers cannot be reckless and just get away with it, or get off lightly. That's the zero-consequence mindset which leads to deaths and injuries.

It needs to be the case that if drivers pull these stunts on the road, they know that any dashcam footage will land them in front of a judge and off the road.

GDPR is about processing data and stored data, it says nothing about a Garda telling you about something they had personal knowledge of, if they were the one to issue the points for example. There probably is a separate internal policy restricting what they can say though.