Cyclist narrowly escapes being mown down by out-of-control 4x4

A cyclist had a lucky escape after just avoiding being run down by an out-of-control 4x4. The driver reportedly lost control on a bend and only the awareness of the cyclist ensured he could dodge out of the way of the swerving vehicle.

Still images of the incident show the 4x4 coming round the corner on the wrong side of the road before narrowly missing the cyclist and colliding with foliage at the side of the road.

The cyclist swerves onto the other side of the road in order to avoid the collision. The incident occurred in Ilminster, Somerset, In October last year but details have only just been released.

The Roads Policing and Road Safety Teams of Avon and Somerset Police tweeted about the incident on social media. The post read: "Without Due Care (10/2023) Ilminster. Driver lost control just before bend narrowly missing oncoming cyclist who veered out of the way & then stopped just before hitting the informant. In court (04/2024) where driver pleaded guilty by post: 6 Points £480 Fine £85 Costs £192 VS."

In the comments, a person claiming to be the cyclist in the images said: "Dear @ASPRoadSafety. Not sure due care was appropriate for that incident which could have ended so differently. Love from the cyclist in the pictures."

They were one of several people claiming that driving without due care was an insufficient charge. According to the police website: "The offence of driving without due care and attention (careless driving) is committed when your driving falls below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful driver and includes driving without reasonable consideration for other road users."

Examples given include driving too close to or turning into the path of another vehicle, unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane, or dazzling other drivers with un-dipped headlights.

Dangerous driving is 'when driving falls far below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful driver, and includes behaviour that could potentially endanger yourself or other drivers'.

Examples of dangerous driving are speeding, racing, or driving aggressively, ignoring traffic lights, road signs or warnings from passengers, and overtaking dangerously.