Incident type: SUV

Hyundai Tucson 201-D-17365 overtakes at junction then 50metres later turns into driveway

VW estate overtake on bend – Nissan Juke 141-KE-702 overtakes and speeds through single lane bridge(Note:date and time on camera is incorrect.)

KIA Sportage 161-D-57026 overtake into blind bend

Overtake into blind bend on narrow road – Lexus 161-D-52902

High speed overtake by large Ford Ranger SUV 202-D-6041 on narrow road

Bike had just cleared the intersection, travelling almost in the gutter when car passed within about 25cm of my right elbow.

Unfortunately, the person in the car decided that he / she needed to pass me heading own hill into a blind curve with the potential with crossing traffic and/or oncoming traffic. Lovely, just lovely.

I was going south on St. Stephens Church Road in Crownsville, MD. As I started down the hill, approaching my right-hand turn onto John Hopkins, I took the lane as the road surface is horrible – lots of cracks, scaling and potholes. Additionally, you pick-up quite a bit of speed going down the hill and need to reposition to safely make the right hand turn. At the bottom of the hill is a blind turn/curve to the right as St. Stephens Church Road continues on. It’s not uncommon for oncoming traffic to turn left onto John’s Hopkins. So, the safest option is to take the lane – which is also completely legal in this situation.

Exceeding speed limit of 20mph, close pass with oncoming traffic.

This video shows the importance of calling out the rego number. I was able to prove close passing occurred by subtracting the width of the vehicle from the measured width of the lane and my bicycle. The driver was interviewed, then demerited and fined. The police commented that it looked deliberate, as he high-beamed me before the close shave.

The vehicle was distinctive and I recognised it as one who had done the same thing to me previously at this location. The lanes are narrow, drivers frequently throw open doors without looking as they get out to the grog shop, and while the bus drivers are very good with giving bike riders room, other drivers are not. Passing through here was a source of anxiety for about six months. Unfortunately it is not easily avoidable for my commute.

Initially police brushed it of as no hit, no foul … until I wrote an offical complaint that this was not the law. Having this driver eventually demerited and fined gave me confidence that he was unlikely to do it again, and I have never seen him since.

It turns out this self-appointed enforcer of rules that don’t exist is actually an orthopedic surgeon. He accused us of blowing through a give way sign coming into the roundabout. The sign is actually a roundabout sign, and vehicles entering the roundabout (Mr Surgeon) must give way to traffic already in the roundabout (us). This meant we had done nothing wrong.

The bluster and arrogance, and jibes about lycra were replaced with an apology when the police called him. Issued with a ~AUD350 fine and 2 demerit points on his licence.