Close pass 9AM SL20 UKK volvo

Glasgow, United Kingdom

25 Apr, 2025 - 4 weeks ago - on Woodlands Road
🚨 Close Pass Incident – 25th April, 9am short cutting driver Woodlands Road, Thornliebank Glasgow

Vehicle: Grey Volvo ELECTRIC DIESEL Reg SL20 UKK (2020 VOLVO XC90 MOMENTUM B5 AWD AUTO)
Other drivers appear to over take following Scottish government guidance but not this driver.

This was not a momentary lapse—it was a failure to prioritise safety, constituting careless driving under the Road Traffic Act. A driver of a vehicle of that size, passing at that speed, should know better. He put me in immediate danger, without consequence.

⚖️ But here’s the reality in Scotland:
Despite having clear helmet cam footage and a factual account, this is unlikely to lead to prosecution under current Scots law. Why?

🔴 Corroboration requirement: A uniquely Scottish rule requires two independent sources of evidence for a conviction. A cyclist’s camera and their own statement? Not enough.

⚫ No presumption of fault or automatic offence for close passes – unlike in some European countries where proximity violations are punishable by law.

🔵 No video reporting system exists in Scotland for traffic offences, even though other UK regions are successfully using these tools to enforce safer driving.

🕯 Remembering Emma Burke Newman
In 2023, Emma Burke Newman, a 22-year-old architecture student, was killed in Glasgow after being encroached upon in a bike box by a tipper truck. Her death sparked outrage, calls for change, and public mourning. Yet here we are—still waiting for reform, still watching the same risks play out on our roads.

🚴‍♂️ What Needs to Change:
Legal reform of corroboration: High-quality video evidence must be admissible on its own for traffic offences.

Mandate a national video reporting portal: Like in England and Wales, so drivers can be held accountable for dangerous behaviour captured on film.

Make safe passing distances the law: 1.5m under 30mph, 2.0m at higher speeds—clear, enforceable, unavoidable.

Training for Police Scotland and prosecutors: So cases like this aren’t dismissed before they reach a courtroom.

Stronger penalties for careless driving: Especially for repeat offenders and heavy vehicle drivers.

✊ What Can You Do?
📩 Share your own Upride reports.
📝 Contact your MSP—demand legal reform.
📣 Keep Emma’s name alive.
🚴 Protect the next cyclist. Don’t wait until it's someone you know.

#ClosePass #CyclingSafety #EmmaBurkeNewman #Upride #JusticeForCyclists #SafePassingLaw #ChangeScotsLaw #PoliceScotland #ActiveTravel #VisionZero #ScotlandCanDoBetter