Cycling club riders 'inches from a fatality' in horrendous close pass

Riders at the Warwick Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club said they found themselves "inches from a fatality" over the weekend, when a driver towing a horse box passed them with very little room for error.

A spokesperson from the cycling club shared a video of the close pass from its official Twitter handle, commenting "one of the worse [sic] close passes I've ever seen on today's club ride."

Tagging the West Midlands Police Road Harm Reduction Team, they added "this is unbelievable. Literally inches from a fatality."

The Warwick club was featured within the Cycling Weekly print magazine as part of our 'Ride With' series.

It offers three rides each Sunday, with trained leaders as well as back markers to ensure the safety and enjoyment of its participants.

The club says it has the driver's numberplate recorded and has reported the incident, tagging the Warwick Police's Twitter handle, and commenting that the force is "on the case."

Replying to concern from the cycling community, a spokesperson said "the rider was pretty shock [sic] up to be honest as it was so so close."

Surveys have shown that close passes are one of the biggest factors putting would-be cyclists off getting on their bike.

A YouGov pole showed 56 per cent of respondents listing them as a deterrent.

The only more off-putting factor was sharing the road with lorries, with 57 per cent of those surveyed picking them out as a source of discomfort.

Recent statistics show that 101 cyclists died in road traffic collisions in 2017 - prompting a review of road safety.

As part of this, the government has announced plans to review guidance around how road users should behave around cyclists.

This includes an update to the Highway Code to detail the dangers of close passing.

In a bid to draw attention to the way a close pass can affect cyclists, the the National charity Cycling UK has successfully raised funds to supply police forces with virtual reality headsets, which play footage designed to train drivers.

Cycling UK's next step is to see the VR units supplied to driving schools, to further the reach of the educational film.