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Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Ashley Pemberton & Hannah Mackenzie Wood

Motorist fined £400 as clip of car driving too close to cyclists sparks debate

This is the moment a driver passes too close to a group of cyclists - leading to them being hit with a £471 fine and five points on their licence for careless driving.

The motorist was landed with the penalties after driving 'too closely' to the cyclists at 'excessive speed'.

Police posted the footage on social media along with the warning: "If anyone thinks this is an acceptable manner of driving, let this be your warning."

In the clip, the driver of the Peugeot appears to swerve over the white dividing road marks as the cyclists, travelling in single file, pass a parked car on their side of the road.

However, the video has sparked a debate online, with some road users arguing that the motorist was not at fault in the situation, the Mirror reports.

A spokesman for Sheffield North West Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "The driver of this vehicle decided to pass a group of cyclists at excessive speed and far too closely.

"Fined £417 in total, licence endorsed with five points. If anyone thinks this is an acceptable manner of driving, let this be your warning.

"The driver was also issued a S59 warning as soon as we were notified of the offence.

Footage shows the moment a motorist drives too close to a group of passing cyclists. (Sheffield North West NPT)

"If he is seen to drive in a careless and antisocial manner in the year since it was issued his vehicle will be seized."

After a backlash from irate motorists claiming the parked car on the cyclist's side of road, the spokesman elaborated and said: "The driver didn't just endanger one cyclist, he was also too close to those following.

"He would have seen a group of bikes in a line, and chose to accelerate to a speed increasing the danger to all of them and swerve over the white lines towards them.

The driver was handed a £471 fine. (Sheffield North West NPT)

"If he had simply driven to the conditions at a less dangerous speed and stayed on his own side of the road he wouldn't have been prosecuted.

"If people do choose to endanger vulnerable road users by poor driving, they need to remember that any pedestrian, horse rider, cyclist or vehicle may be recording.

"We will be happy to make sure that there are consequences to endangering others."

The campaign group the Alliance of British Drivers retweeted the footage with the caption: "If you weren't already convinced that the police are out to get you..."

But cyclist Ian Carey hit back, saying: "An appropriate conviction. If the driver had slowed down and let the cyclists pass there would have been no issue.

"The delay to the driver would have been a few seconds."

Motorist Paul Miley pleaded guilty to driving without due care or attention. (Sheffield North West NPT)

The row comes after motorist Paul Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attention after a cyclist fell off her bike when he drove past her.

His motor didn't touch the female cyclist as he passed her in a country lane in his Land Rover Defender in Ashby St Ledger, Northants.

The clip has sparked a debate among road users. (Sheffield North West NPT)

But video footage from a helmet camera showing the woman toppling over into a ditch was submitted to Northamptonshire Police.

The force said it "proved beyond doubt" Miley had shown no consideration for other road users.

Miley pleaded guilty to driving without due care or attention when he appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court last month.

Earlier this year, a risk-based "hierarchy of road users" was introduced into the the new version of the Highway Code.

The pyramid is based on the idea that those who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to avoid hurting other, more vulnerable road users.

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