12:10pm on a bright Tuesday lunchtime. Heading south on the Pleck Road in Walsall, Crossing the Bridgman Street Junction by new hospital. I was positioned to go straight on at the oncoming green light and was doing about 20-25mph. I head an engine revving behind me, and a young Asian lady driving a silver Volkswagen Golf – Y239JSG – overtakes me suddenly on the right, and immediately cuts in front of me. I brake, sharply and prepare for the crunch. Luckily, she just misses my bars. I try to catch her up and stop her, but she just blanks me (I’m shouting at her to stop). She had a large, elderly female passenger and was wearing a grey headscarf.
I incorrectly state in the video title that the car is a Polo. It’s not, it’s a Golf.
This is certainly the worst incident I’ve experienced in 10 years, and I genuinely feared for my life. This lady is clearly dangerous to other road users and needs to understand the fear and terror she caused. The sound is edited. I actually shout ‘Idiot!’ several times, but oddly, don’t swear.
This is not a typical incident, please don’t let it put you off cycling.
12:10pm, Tuesday, 9th August 2011. Do you know this vehicle? They nearly knocked me over.
Edit: Added 9:49am 10th August 2011:
Thanks to the poster who asked this on twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/Elamass/status/101201319980830720
The camera is mounted on the head tube of the bike. It’s fully automatic, and if both my hands were not on the bars I would have died. It’s very reassuring to know that you question the cyclist’s behaviour, but not that of the driver.