A motorcylist has released footage of a terrifying near-miss in order to remind motorists of the dangers of overtaking on country roads.
Motorcycle safety expert Chris Harrison, 50, from Yate, was travelling between Olveston and Aust on his motorcycle on April 23 at around 4.30pm when he captured the video of the driver of a white Mercedes overtaking a cyclist at speed.
The footage shows the driver veering around the cyclist on what appears to be a blind bend, coming dangerously close to Chris, who is forced to shift towards the side of the road.
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Chris said: "It was a 60mph road - I was probably doing about 50 so had there been a collision there would have been quite a bit of speed behind it. The driver came from behind a blind bend, there was no chance of them seeing if there were any hazards out of sight.
"We were all really lucky to be honest - if I had been any other vehicle it could have been a completely different story, but the combination of bike, motorcycle, and car meant that we could just about fit on the road.
"There are plenty of vehicles, such as tractors, that drive on these roads and if it had been the case that they were there in this instance it would have resulted in a nasty incident. For the sake of maybe arriving at your destination maybe a couple of minutes sooner is it really worth it?
"If you're just willing to take things a little more slowly, it means that everyone can get home safely. "
The video posted to Chris' Twitter account has now been viewed more than 3,000 times, and Chris is keen for his message to reach the Mercedes driver in question.
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He said: "I posted it in the genuine hope that somebody might recognise the driver and just take a couple of minutes to have a chat with them about it - it's discussions like those that can make all the difference.
"I wasn't looking for a witch hunt or anything like that, I just wanted to show people the reality of what can happen when they overtake on an unsafe part of the road.
"Everybody makes mistakes whilst driving and there could be a million-and-one reasons why you'd be in a hurry, but just waiting that few seconds or so could make sure that everyone stays safe."
