Motorist is fined for careless driving for causing cyclist to fall from bike despite not even touching her

Footage showing a cyclist falling off her bike after a car drove past her on a country lane has divided opinion as to who was in the wrong after the motorist was fined.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Paul Nigel Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attention - despite not touching the rider as he passed her in a village.

Video from a helmet camera shows the woman toppling over into a ditch after Miley drove past her in his Land Rover Defender in Ashby St Ledger, Northants.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The footage was then submitted to Northamptonshire Police who said it "proved beyond doubt" Miley had shown no consideration for other road users.But web users were quick to leap to the driver's defence pointing out he'd left room to pass and the woman seemed to have got her feet caught in the pedals.

Paul Nigel Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attentionPaul Nigel Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attention
Paul Nigel Miley, 52, was slapped with a £1,008 fine for driving without due care or attention

One person commented: "Can’t see what he did wrong.

"Looks like she just fell over cos her feet were attached to her pedals. Maybe she just needs to learn how to get off her bike!"

Another added "What a waste of everyone's time" while another put: "Where’s the offence? Honestly struggling to see what he could have done differently."

Read More
These are the 9 vehicles stopped by Lancashire Road Police in and around Preston...
Footage showing a cyclist falling off her bikeFootage showing a cyclist falling off her bike
Footage showing a cyclist falling off her bike

One wrote: "I think he could have slowed a little bit more but I wouldn’t have blamed him for her falling off! This world has gone mad! That poor driver!"

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another said: "Honestly. If someone had been on foot, stepped to the side and fallen in a ditch, it most certainly wouldn’t have been the drivers fault. He left plenty of room."

One woman said: "Laughable she was on the bike when the Land Rover went past - drama queens. Shouldn’t be in control of a bike if you can’t stay on it."

Others disagreed and sided with the cyclists, with one web user commenting: "A bit of consideration and appreciation of the vulnerability of cyclists would obviously have been better than driving close and fast.

"The woman could have fallen to the right and into the path of oncoming traffic on a different day."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another put: "Agree he should of slowed down or stopped, however no contact and as others say she only appeared to come off as others stopped and she couldn’t remove her feet from the foot holders on the pedals."

Miley, of Ashby St Ledger, was fined, received five points on his driving licence and was ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £101 victim surcharge.

He had pleaded guilty to driving without due care or attention when he appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court last Friday (18/3).

Following the case, the force took to social media to share footage of what they described as the "reckless overtaking manoeuvre" on June 11 last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It shows the group of three riders going along the single track lane before Miley drives by as one cyclist shouts "slow down you ****".

After the car has passed the camera pans back to the middle rider, who can then be seen falling off her bike, while the other woman continues to shout expletives.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke, of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team, said: “Miley initially pleaded not guilty to the offence, claiming he had driven extremely slowly past the group and was unable to move further across.

“The video evidence clearly showed that Miley had no consideration for the cyclists on that day, and when he appeared at Magistrates’ Court, he changed his plea to guilty.

“His driving fell below the standard of a competent and careful driver, which could have very easily ended in tragic consequences, and I’m pleased the courts have dealt with the driver positively.

“Drivers should always try to give cyclists and other vulnerable road users at least 1.5m of space and pass slowly. In this instance, on this road, that would not be possible.

“On this occasion, the correct thing to do would have been to come to a stop to allow the cyclists to pass safely.

"It takes a couple of seconds and then everyone can continue their journey in safety."