0:00:02 > 0:00:05Cycling in Britain has never been more popular
0:00:05 > 0:00:08but no-one is completely safe.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Three months after his Olympic win,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16Bradley Wiggins was involved in a collision with a white van.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Another statistic from Britain's roads.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Now, thanks to the helmet camera...
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Whoa!
0:00:22 > 0:00:27..we can see the unfolding conflict from a whole new perspective.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34From accidents...
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Whoa!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38..to near death experiences...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44From everyday incidents that get out of hand...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..to taxi drivers who confront cyclists.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Don't touch my friggin' cab, right?!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Don't touch my cab for no reason!
0:00:51 > 0:00:52You, you, pull over!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Pull over!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57From police chasing down rogue road users...
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Get down on the floor! Get on the floor!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..to cyclists policing the streets themselves...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..as 34 million vehicles
0:01:08 > 0:01:13and 13 million bikes all try to share the same crowded space...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Argh!
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Get in the fast lane!
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The battle between two wheels and four...
0:01:21 > 0:01:22- Texting.- Oi!
0:01:22 > 0:01:23..has never been so intense.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25BRAKES SQUEAL
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I could have died that night, you know.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36It still haunts me.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41BRAKES SQUEAL
0:01:44 > 0:01:46You twat!
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The last three years has seen a million more cyclists
0:01:56 > 0:01:57take to Britain's roads.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03A growing number have taken to filming their daily commute.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Powering yourself under your own momentum is an amazing feeling.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I ride fast and I enjoy to ride fast.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16You look down at the speedometer and you can see
0:02:16 > 0:02:18you're doing 30 miles an hour -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21you're keeping up with the other traffic.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24It kind of feels like I'm saying "I deserve to be here,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27"I can go as fast as anyone else."
0:02:32 > 0:02:37And it feels great when you're cycling past traffic.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43Just seeing everyone stuck in their metal box just trying to get home
0:02:43 > 0:02:44and you can just cycle past.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Oi! What you doing?!
0:02:54 > 0:02:59The relationship between drivers and cyclists can be pretty difficult.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10I think some people's mindset is that they just hate cyclists.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13They sort of feel like they have to get in front of you
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and they'll do that by any means.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Hey, you wanker!
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I think it can be kind of described as like a war.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29What are you doing to me?!
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- BLEEP, BLEEP!- You prick!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35With the arrival of the helmet camera,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38cyclists have found a way to highlight what they see
0:03:38 > 0:03:40as the bad behaviour of motorists
0:03:42 > 0:03:44CAR SCREECHES You nutter!
0:03:46 > 0:03:48SHE SCREAMS
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Whoa!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Whoa, you prick!
0:03:58 > 0:03:59Jesus Christ!
0:04:04 > 0:04:07There is of course another side to the story.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I got my license in 1962
0:04:17 > 0:04:21so I've been driving a cab round our great city of London
0:04:21 > 0:04:23for 50 years, 5-0,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25half a century - get out of that!
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Well, there's an old cockney saying -
0:04:28 > 0:04:30you've got to have eyes up your wotsit.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33And that's very appropriate. when you're on the road in London.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36You've got to be "that side, that side, that side"
0:04:36 > 0:04:39in your rear-view mirror.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Coming home the other week there was this guy on the bike weaving in and out
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and I said to him "What, do you want to kill yourself?"
0:04:46 > 0:04:51And he came alongside this window and spat in my face.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53You know, charming(!)
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It's best not to get involved at all.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Just put your window up and lock the door.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Some people - they can not control themselves.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Whether it's cyclists, lorry drivers, car drivers, cab drivers.
0:05:06 > 0:05:13Once they blow their top they want to kill that effin 'B', you know.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14That's human nature.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20In a recent survey, nine out of ten cyclists claimed to have suffered
0:05:20 > 0:05:22some form of road rage.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25It was a really nice summer's afternoon.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Everyone was out on their bikes.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30A cyclist to the right, and I didn't think he was the best cyclist,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33but he pushed his way through past him.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37And there's some cyclists on his left who he passed extremely close.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39That space is centimetres, it's not even a foot.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It's just an insane space to leave someone.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45And of course he gets stuck in traffic
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and I'm easily able to get in front of him,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49so again he's coming up behind me.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53He just came past a little bit quick,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55it looks like he was in a bit of a rush.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59The lights ahead of us are already red so he's not going anywhere.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I'm thinking he may give me a close pass so I'm seeing him change lanes,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05which is especially required at this sort of speed
0:06:05 > 0:06:07where I'm doing about 25 miles an hour.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Straight away, he's pulling into my path.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13So I slap his vehicle, make him aware.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17He really didn't appreciate that.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19No, no, no!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21He turned in.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22It was either go into the curb,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26hit his taxi or fall into the road, or stop, so obviously, I stopped.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31And this is when you really don't know what's going to happen.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Mate...
0:06:32 > 0:06:35What did you do? What did you do?!
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I remember that day, I was on my way home.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I finished my shift and I was just on my way home.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43I was in no mega hurry.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49All of the sudden, this cyclist has come from the right-hand side
0:06:49 > 0:06:54so I literally drove around him and just carried on my way.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57As far I was concerned, I don't think I did anything wrong.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The cyclist now I'm about to pass on my left hand side,
0:07:00 > 0:07:01I AM a little bit close to him
0:07:01 > 0:07:04but I have passed him safely and there was no reaction from him.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07If you feel in danger, you throw your hands up or make some sort of gesture.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Nothing.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And then as I went on a little bit more
0:07:12 > 0:07:13I know there's a bus lane coming up.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16That's where I want to go - I want to go into a bus lane because hey,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20who's going to sit in traffic when you're allowed to go in a bus lane?
0:07:20 > 0:07:21So I started heading for the bus lane.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I'm travelling at speed and going a little bit faster than the bike is.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I have not crossed over the line yet.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28I'm still on the white line
0:07:28 > 0:07:33and as far as I'm concerned I still left a whole lane for him.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35He's got all this lane, all this space, you know.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38He could have just let me go and carried on
0:07:38 > 0:07:41but no, I think he wanted to antagonise something.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45THUDS
0:07:46 > 0:07:51And then I'm hearing bang, bang, bang. I'm thinking, "What the hell?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54"Why is this guy hitting my cab? I'm past him."
0:07:54 > 0:07:58But I haven't turned in sharp. My wheels are not even turned.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59If I wanted to take him out
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I would have just gone straight into the curb, wouldn't I?
0:08:02 > 0:08:03But I didn't.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06Mate...
0:08:06 > 0:08:08What do you do? Would do you do?!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'If someone gets out of their car, you feel very intimidated.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13'You don't know what you're going to do.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Whether or not they're going to control themselves and just limit it
0:08:16 > 0:08:19to shouting and pointing or whether they are going to assault you.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Don't touch my cab, right?! Don't touch my friggin' cab!
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- Don't touch my cab for no reason. - Smile for the camera.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26I don't care about your camera!
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- I'm reporting you to the police. - Report all you want.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Don't you touch my cab. I was nowhere near you.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I went out there and I just had to say my mind, you know.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Just say my piece.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- If I could touch your cab, you were too close.- No!
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Do you not see sense in that?- No! No, no, no. Don't you touch my cab.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I've noticed if you touch someone's vehicle
0:08:44 > 0:08:46they get very possessive about that.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47- If I can touch your cab... - No!
0:08:47 > 0:08:48..you're too close.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And what, you're not close to me? Are you not close to me?!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- You're the one overtaking me! - So what?
0:08:53 > 0:08:54So what?!
0:08:54 > 0:08:59He couldn't understand that if I could touch his vehicle
0:08:59 > 0:09:01from my bicycle then he's too close.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03It's your responsibility to pass me safely.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04I passed you safely, you arsehole!
0:09:04 > 0:09:06You decide you want to go and hit my cab!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08"If you had passed me safely, I couldn't touch it.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10"If you wasn't close to me, I wouldn't touch you."
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I said to him, "I went past you,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14"I was clear of you."
0:09:14 > 0:09:16You know, this is what I'm trying to get over to him,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18but he's trying to get into an argument.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Your stupid little camera! I don't care.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21Did I overreact?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Maybe I did a little bit. Was I in a bad mood?
0:09:23 > 0:09:24No, I wasn't in a bad mood.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I was going about my business, I was going home.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- You touched me. That's assault! - No, I touched your camera!
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- You touched something of mine. - Oh, shut up!- That's assault.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37When you start hearing people saying "Anything on my person is assault."
0:09:37 > 0:09:39So how far do you want to go with that?
0:09:39 > 0:09:40He's got a strap on his helmet.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42If you touch that, it's assault.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Where'd you draw the line with that comment?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48From that point onwards, I was already walking to my cab anyway.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I just thought, "This is pathetic.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54"Why even bother to get out of the cab to have a go at this idiot?"
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Look at all these people! You are making a mug of yourself.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59I try not to get it into a shouting match
0:09:59 > 0:10:02cos it's not going to go anywhere and then here,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04looking back on this, I probably shouldn't have done this.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08A mug! Lets all applaud the mug. A round of applause, thank you.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11He starts all this clapping malarkey.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I thought, "What's all that about?"
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Childish.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Thank you!
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Just playing up for the crowd which, looking back,
0:10:19 > 0:10:20I wouldn't do again.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I don't think it makes the situation any better
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and I kind of feel embarrassed about it looking back at it.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29You don't own the road or the bus lane!
0:10:29 > 0:10:32You don't own anything, mate, but your cab.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36What an idiot, you know. "You've only got your cab."
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I haven't got just my cab. But my cab is an important part of my life.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41My cab is my livelihood.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I'm filming cos of people like you!
0:10:43 > 0:10:46You put other road users in danger.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47You try to knock me off.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50"You try to push me in the road, you're a danger to the public"
0:10:50 > 0:10:51and all this stuff.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Well, if I'm a danger to the public,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55how come I haven't killed anyone yet?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I've been driving 19 years and I've never knocked a cyclist off
0:10:58 > 0:11:02so am I doing something right or wrong?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I'm not looking for an apology from anyone.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I don't think it would be any different to what I would expect from anyone else.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14And that's probably why my opinion of slapping someone's vehicle
0:11:14 > 0:11:18is that you should do it in only the most serious of situations
0:11:18 > 0:11:23because it can make things a lot worse than they already were.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I will shout at somebody and I will have a go
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and I will voice my opinion, my annoyance,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30but no way am I going to start putting my job on the line
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and punching this guy - that's never going to happen.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34But I do say one thing, though.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39This guy will meet that kind of driver one day.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40He will meet that kind of driver
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and when he meets that kind of driver, possibly,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48I'm not wishing it upon him, this might be a different story.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49Want a fight?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Want a- BLEEP- fight?!
0:11:51 > 0:11:52No, I don't want to fight you.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- Don't- BLEEP- be so arrogant, then!
0:11:54 > 0:11:55- BLEEP- Off!
0:11:55 > 0:11:57CAR SCREECHES
0:11:59 > 0:12:02What?! Calm down, calm down.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- Calm- BLEEP- down?!- Yes, yes.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06That will do you!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- You- BLEEP- prick!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Calm down?- BLEEP!
0:12:12 > 0:12:14As our roads become busier every year,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the number of reported incidents between cyclists and motorists
0:12:17 > 0:12:18is on the rise.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21BLEEP!
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Well, I'm very sorry but...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26If it were down to me, mate, I'd drop you like a BLEEP...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- OK.- Do you understand that?!
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- I understand.- Yeah?!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- BLEEP. BLEEP.- Sorry, very sorry.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Dealing with any incident in our cities is becoming
0:12:39 > 0:12:40increasingly difficult.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49Congestion means average traffic speeds in the capital have dropped to 11 miles an hour.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The police have set up a new task force.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57To combat the traffic they are back in the saddle
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and this time they too have helmet cameras.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01It's...
0:13:01 > 0:13:02HE LAUGHS
0:13:02 > 0:13:04I was going to say a dream job!
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It's a good interesting job.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It is like being a bobby on a bike
0:13:11 > 0:13:13riding round London like the old days.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18You turn up in areas where things are happening in front of you
0:13:18 > 0:13:20and you can deal with them directly.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- Texting.- Oi!
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Pull over on the left down here, please.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Not sneaking up on people
0:13:26 > 0:13:28but you will just generally pull up alongside someone -
0:13:28 > 0:13:30there's someone on their mobile phone.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Just so that you're aware,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34everything we do is covered by video evidence.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36You can spot tax discs.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37We need to have a quick chat with you.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39If you can just pull in on the left.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- Why's that? - Because your tax is out of date.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44There's a lot going on but you've got to be focused.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46You don't know what you're going to come across.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49You, you! Pull over, pull over!
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Adrian spotted a motorcyclist going quite fast
0:13:52 > 0:13:55so I think he was going to have a quick word.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58He's asked him to stop
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and he's not going to stop so I'm going to try and stop him.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04POLICE RADIO
0:14:05 > 0:14:08No-one's reacting to me. I've got no blue lights or siren,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12so I've got to react to how people are using the road normally.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20The taxi has just pulled out in front of me
0:14:20 > 0:14:22so I have to get my senses together.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I've seen the bike go down this side street.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28There he goes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Baltic Street West. Back towards Old Street.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38'I can't see him ahead. He's going to be somewhere.'
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Towards the city.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Sometimes it's about using your initiative.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48And sixth sense and a gut feeling.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Generally, your gut feeling's normally the right one
0:14:51 > 0:14:55because you think what would you do in that situation?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'Not always the case.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It's a loss, loss, Garrett Street.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Silver solo.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I can't see him, I'm not going to let that discourage me.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13'He can't be far.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Did you see a silver motorcycle come down here?- No.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17No, OK. Thank you.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black dot across the street.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26OK. Roscoe Street. Into Roscoe Street.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29He's down the end of that road trying to hide underneath a car.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Give it up, mate.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It's a bit of a threatening situation really.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I don't know who he is or why he's trying to hide.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Do not resist me!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40This is my safety now. This is me and him.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Get down on the floor.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Get on the floor!
0:15:43 > 0:15:47He might have a knife, a gun. He's a threat so I'm going to control him.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Get down on the floor now.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I don't want him on his knees. I want him on the floor.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Get on the floor. Leave it alone!
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I mean it. On the floor.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Down. Right on the floor.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It's always nice to catch the rabbit that is trying to get away
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and often it has a reward
0:16:06 > 0:16:09because most people who want to get away want to get away for a reason.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Put your hands behind your back.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14He, at the end of the day, has failed to stop
0:16:14 > 0:16:17but he's got drugs on him, he's got false identification,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19different ID documents,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22so he's clearly not supposed to be in this country.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26He was subsequently interviewed and charged,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30and he was convicted the next day at court and sent to prison.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Look at this wally here, look.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41I'm not saying all of them but many of them take diabolical liberties,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45jumping red lights and going up the wrong way up one-way streets.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Look, look. There's no bikes allowed down there, but look.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57With the more cyclists on the road, the increased risk of actually knocking one of them off.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01It's a matter of numbers. And they're all at different standards.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Some are quick, some are slow, some are wobbly.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06You see them up and down the pavements, going in between you
0:17:06 > 0:17:10and a bus which is just unbelievable and there's
0:17:10 > 0:17:12a two-foot gap between you and a bus
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and they come through the middle of it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17The cyclists are oblivious really, sometimes,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19to what's going on around them.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Like the one we're coming up to now. He's got headphones on.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I bet he doesn't even know I'm approaching him.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Just waddling along really. Absolutely crazy.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33He's never looked at me once. As if I'm not here.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34You know, I don't matter.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38"I'm riding my bike and everybody else better beware."
0:17:40 > 0:17:44There he goes. Now he's gone right the way across the front, see?
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Not even in the lane he started with. Gone across everybody.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And there's a cyclist going across a red light.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Now every other road user has to concentrate on him.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Puts everybody at danger. Everybody.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00They're in a world of their own.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04They're going from A to B, from home to work.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09Red light, look to the right, look to be left, over the main junction.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Beep, beep, beep, beep... "Get some of that."
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Right, we're watching you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15We're seeing if you're going to jump the lights.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Even money, he jumps the lights. Even money.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And...yes, I've won!
0:18:24 > 0:18:28And he's probably a lawyer, by the look of him.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32If I jump the lights or do a dodgy right or a left turn,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34the CCTV camera gets me
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and the following week, wallop, £60 fine, yeah?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I've never seen a cyclist get nicked.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46There seems to be a dearth of policemen
0:18:46 > 0:18:48where there's bikes concerned
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and they seem to come up in holes in the ground
0:18:51 > 0:18:53where a cab driver's are concerned.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58POLICEMAN: Hello. You all right?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00- Nice to see you've stopped. - Thank you.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05- It's nice to see. A lot of people don't on push bikes.- No, I know.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07It gives you a bad name for the guys to do stop.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10We see cyclists jumping red lights a lot.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12WHISTLE BLOWS Pull over, sir.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14We have people jump red lights in front of us.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Jumper there.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18WHISTLE BLOWS
0:19:18 > 0:19:22People jump red lights from standing next to us at a junction they go through.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23WHISTLE BLOWS
0:19:23 > 0:19:25SHOUTS: Stop!
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Thank you. I had to shout at you cos you've got earphones in.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33We can only deal with one person at a time. Why did you do that?
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Because, er, it was green for pedestrians.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- Right, are you a pedestrian though? - No.- What are you?- A cyclist.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42A cyclist, yeah.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45WHISTLE BLOWS Can you pull over, mate? Pull over.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Whether we give them a ticket or we speak to them
0:19:48 > 0:19:50is down to the circumstances involved.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Why did you go through the red light?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Well...You write everything, anything I say,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58but there was no-one there so...
0:19:58 > 0:20:02- What does a red light mean? - Yeah, it means we have to stop. - It means stop.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It's not the crime of the century but it could get you killed.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09BRAKES SCREECH
0:20:09 > 0:20:11INDISTINCT DISTANT SHOUTING
0:20:14 > 0:20:17In 2011, over 3,000 cyclists
0:20:17 > 0:20:20were seriously injured on our roads.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22CLATTERING, AGONISED GROANS
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Three quarters of these incidents occurred on or near a junction.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32BANG Oww!
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Not everyone gets to walk away.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47'Alex loved cycling. She'd cycled from when she was very young
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'and then when she was back home after university
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'and got a good job working for one of the City law firms
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'she went back to the bike and she used to'
0:20:57 > 0:21:01cycle to work every day and really enjoyed it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07'The firm that she went to work for was where she met her boyfriend'
0:21:07 > 0:21:13and so her life was just starting, she had a future to look forward to.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17And that was what was so tragic about when she was killed.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26'It was a summer day in June, it was a nice, warm day.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30'She was cycling to work and she was'
0:21:30 > 0:21:34first picked up on the CCTV image
0:21:34 > 0:21:37when a taxi stopped in front of her
0:21:37 > 0:21:43and she stopped behind the taxi to let the concrete mixer lorry go by.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So clearly she knew that he was there
0:21:45 > 0:21:47because she'd stopped to let him go by.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53And then she caught up with him at the traffic lights.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Er...
0:21:56 > 0:22:00She reached the traffic lights at the point at which they changed
0:22:00 > 0:22:02so carried on going,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and he turned.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13My boss came into my office and said,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15"I need to speak to you about something."
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And I immediately thought,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20"Have I done something wrong, what have I done?"
0:22:21 > 0:22:26And I got into his office, and there were two policemen there.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31They told me that my daughter was dead.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32I couldn't believe it.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42She was my life for 26 years. You can't take it in.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Despite being only a small percentage of traffic,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52heavy goods vehicles are involved in nearly a fifth of cyclist deaths each year.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Riding my bike, I suppose I'm not a particularly spiritual person.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03But I suppose it's the closest thing I've got to a spiritual thing,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06which sounds really corny, but it really is.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07It takes you out of yourself.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14But there isn't a real... there is no cycling culture in Glasgow,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and I started asking other people why they didn't do it,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and people would say, "Well, it's just too dangerous."
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Whoa-oh!
0:23:26 > 0:23:28HE SCREAMS
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Shit!
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Oh!
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Jesus Christ!
0:23:39 > 0:23:41'Whoa-oh!'
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- DAVE SCREAMS - 'Shit!'
0:23:46 > 0:23:51The truck ain't seen him, and I'm glad the cyclist had the know-how
0:23:51 > 0:23:53to pull the brakes and stop, cos if he had have carried on,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55he'd have been underneath.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Fuckin' hell!
0:23:56 > 0:24:00It's terrifying to watch. Absolutely terrifying.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It was actually a really nice morning.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It was one of those beautiful mornings that cyclists love.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It was cold, but sunny.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17And as I approached the roundabout, I noticed that there was
0:24:17 > 0:24:20an HGV approaching one of the other entrances.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I tried to just catch the eye of the driver and I looked over,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and I was certain he looked at me and I'm sure we made eye contact.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And it certainly looked to me that HGV was slowing down,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33as you would expect coming up to the roundabout,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35cos by this time I was already entering the roundabout.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41It's at this point I realised, "Oh, my goodness, what's going on?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44"I need to stop, cos this guy is not going to stop."
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So I slammed my brakes on.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It actually had a little holder holding a traffic cone or something,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and I remember looking specifically at that.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I remember seeing how it kept getting closer and closer to me.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59That was the most shocking and scariest part of the whole thing,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03watching this thing get closer to me knowing I can't get out of its way.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I was very, very scared at that point, and I'm sure
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I let out a loud yelp at that point, because it truly was...
0:25:10 > 0:25:12I thought I was going to get dragged under.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18He doesn't seem to have reacted at all, so he must not have seen me,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22or - and I'm sure this isn't the case, or he just didn't care -
0:25:22 > 0:25:25but I'm sure it must have been that he didn't see me.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I thought he had, but obviously he hadn't.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33I just can't understand how that could have possibly happened.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Oh!
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Fuckin' hell!
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'The cars are going round about me. I'm wobbling all over the road a little bit here.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'Just through shock.'
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I knew how close I was
0:25:51 > 0:25:55to being wiped off the face of the earth that day.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11Losing anyone in a sudden death is dreadful,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13because you are totally unprepared for it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20And when it's... Not just when it's an only child,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I think when it's any child, your whole life feels as if it's gone,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28because the most important bit of it is gone.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31This was her bedroom originally,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35but added into it are things that had to come here from her flat,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38things that were in her desk at work,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41so it wasn't as untidy as this when she was here.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And I've lost count of the times I've come in here, thinking,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47"I should sort this out, I should tidy this up,"
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and then I just can't, so I leave it now.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55But there's lots of... lots of memories.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59"Words are so very inadequate for the feelings of loss, anger, pain,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02"emptiness and sorrow that we feel."
0:27:02 > 0:27:08That was a message left by two of the friends she worked with,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11stuck on the lamppost where she died.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And I can remember standing on that corner
0:27:14 > 0:27:19and not being able to understand why...
0:27:19 > 0:27:22why the driver hadn't seen her.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The lamppost has still got paint taken away from it
0:27:28 > 0:27:31where all the notices and cards and things were stuck.
0:27:31 > 0:27:38After Alex's death, Cynthia fought to discover what actually happened.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41This would eventually lead her to confront the bosses of the company
0:27:41 > 0:27:43that killed her daughter.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46What happened to my daughter was not an accident,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48it was a preventable tragedy,
0:27:48 > 0:27:53and my anger at what happened is what motivates me.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57I'm not willing to accept, "Oh, well, couldn't see her, that's it."
0:27:57 > 0:27:58No, that's not it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Many cyclists feel under threat...
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Fucking wanker!
0:28:05 > 0:28:07..even when they are in the cycle lane.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Come o-o-on! Come on!
0:28:11 > 0:28:15In response, some try to protect themselves
0:28:15 > 0:28:17by taking control of the road,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19even if it means annoying other road users.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'At points you need to be on the left-hand side of the road just to keep yourself safe.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Oi! Fucking hell!
0:28:28 > 0:28:32But at other points, you need to take a very central position.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34And I do that. I will command a road.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Some people see that as you antagonising other road users.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41CAR HORN BEEPS
0:28:41 > 0:28:45"You make them drive dangerously," is something I've heard before.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48No, I'm just keeping myself safe. There's no space for you to overtake,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51so I'm not going to give you the space to overtake.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52CAR HORN BLASTS AGGRESSIVELY
0:28:52 > 0:28:55L347... Yes!
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- What are you doing?- Have you got a fucking problem or what?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01I've got a video camera on my helmet.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I can't give two fucks what you've fucking got!
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Go over the other side of the fucking road!
0:29:05 > 0:29:06There's a driver in the middle of the road.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09You'll cause a fucking accident!
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Taking a strong position requires bravery and confidence.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15HORN BLASTS
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I suspect that the sort of person who gets antagonised by that is
0:29:18 > 0:29:21someone who just hates other people being in their way, full stop.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- Oi!- You cut me off!
0:29:23 > 0:29:25They'll right behind you revving their engine.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26HORN BEEPS
0:29:26 > 0:29:28They'll swerve towards you.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Fuck off!
0:29:30 > 0:29:34They're just trying to scare you, and you certainly do feel vulnerable.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Get in the fucking cycle lane, you twat!
0:29:38 > 0:29:42But with everyone perceiving that they have a right to be there,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46which everyone does, things can get a bit hot under the collar.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Everyone thinking that they know more and that they think that
0:29:50 > 0:29:52some people shouldn't be there, it causes conflict.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- Smile for the camera!- Eh? - Smile for the camera.- I'm smiling!
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- Move out of the lane, then, mate. - No.- Move out of the lane.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Learn the Highway Code. Learn the Highway Code.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05What, you're allowed to ride in any lane you want, in any position?
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- How fast was I going?- Makes no difference how fast you was going!
0:30:08 > 0:30:09It does!
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Move out the way. How many lanes do you want on your fucking bike?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14You don't pay, do you? No tax!
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Read this! Read this, you asshole!
0:30:16 > 0:30:20And if I can try and improve one driver,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24and get them to see they can drive a little bit safer,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27then I think that's a good achievement.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29POLICE WHISTLE BLASTS
0:30:29 > 0:30:33The fallout between cyclists and motorists is a constant problem
0:30:33 > 0:30:36for the Met's Cycle Task Force.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40'Situation I've got here is a cyclist who's jumped a red light, stopped.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:43All right, mate? What's all that about?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46'So, just have a chat with these guys sitting at the lights.'
0:30:54 > 0:30:58There's a taxi that's been giving a cyclist or some cyclists grief.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- If you let me deal with him, guys, OK?- I'm just telling you, that's definitely the guy.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06It generally arises where someone is in a place where they shouldn't be.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08See that guy there? That's the one who nearly ran into me.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10OK, listen, listen. Hold on.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15Or someone's done something that wasn't necessarily bad or dangerous.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21We're not arguing, yeah? Buddy, wait there, let me speak to him, yeah?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24There's enough to upset someone. It encroaches on their personal space.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- What's happened, sir?- Just driving along the bus lane, he's come up
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- and he's whacked the cab. - Whacked the cab?- Yeah.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- In what sense?- You almost run me over. I knocked on your door!
0:31:32 > 0:31:35I am talking to him, OK? I'll talk to you in a moment.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I was nowhere near him.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Sometimes people do exaggerate on things that have happened,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44so I just need to put it into context and get their adrenaline levels down.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Is there any marks on my car?
0:31:46 > 0:31:49I can't see any, sir, no. Whereabouts did he whack it?
0:31:49 > 0:31:54It's on the side somewhere. I don't know. I got out...
0:31:54 > 0:31:56I went like that!
0:31:56 > 0:31:57You went like...?!
0:31:57 > 0:32:00They're not interested in what I've got to say at all,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03so let's just let them vent a bit of their frustrations.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05I was literally in the cycle lane.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07He flies past me literally about an inch away.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11I just knocked on his door as if to say, "What are you playing at?"
0:32:11 > 0:32:14He started beeping his horn, having a go at other cyclists,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16got out as if he was coming to try and, I don't know what
0:32:16 > 0:32:18he was trying to do - have a go at me or something.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20And then I jump these lights here
0:32:20 > 0:32:22because he's probably going to chase after me again.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23I wasn't going to chase.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26What I wanted to do was see if you'd done any damage...
0:32:26 > 0:32:28I was knocking because you were about an inch away from me.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Have a look there. Let me finish talking to him.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I can step in between them quite easily here.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35They're not going to start fighting.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36Carry on talking to me.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40I didn't. I went like that because you were about an inch away from me.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Don't be silly.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46A lot of the time, it's separating them and getting them on their way to defuse it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Have you got a bell or whistle or anything like that?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- A whistle?- If you blow a whistle, people know you're there.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59No-one has ever told me to wear a whistle.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00Driver, thanks very much.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02You know what they're like.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I know exactly what you're talking about
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and I know exactly what the situation is like on the road.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09But I don't want to stand here arguing with people.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11You take care. See you later.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14An example of how people's emotions take over
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and something small becomes a mountain out of a molehill really.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Oi!
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Amazing.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32What a fine body of man!
0:33:32 > 0:33:35The term MAMIL is being used these days
0:33:35 > 0:33:38as an acronym for middle-aged men in Lycra.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Men from their 40s onwards who have discovered the joy of cycling
0:33:42 > 0:33:43and the joy of Lycra.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49We were training for a charity bike ride.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Put your lights on! Oi, lights!
0:33:54 > 0:33:58The idea was to cycle from London to Dover and then back the next day.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- Well done, everybody.- Yeah, not bad.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- What time is it?- 2:15 AM.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10We'd got up on the Sunday morning. We'd had a good, hearty breakfast
0:34:10 > 0:34:13and we'd decided to head back to London on our bikes.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Going up the A2, I think it was, the traffic was dreadful,
0:34:20 > 0:34:25horrible, so we peeled off through the countryside and we had taken a wrong turn, had missed a turn
0:34:25 > 0:34:27and we were trying to get back to London.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28We ended up going through Bexley.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34We had Dartford in our sites. We knew we were getting into London.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37We were in pretty good spirits.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40We were looking forward to finishing the ride with a beer,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42getting on the train and getting home.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Just as we were getting into Bexleyheath,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54there were some road calming, I guess you'd call them islands,
0:34:54 > 0:34:55in the middle of the road.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I heard a screech of a tire behind me
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and my immediate reaction was, "OK, I know what's happened.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04"Somebody has tried to overtake one of the guys
0:35:04 > 0:35:06"going into the traffic island."
0:35:06 > 0:35:10The guy who was in front of me on the bike had nowhere to go,
0:35:10 > 0:35:14so he basically shoved this guy onto the pavement, on his bike,
0:35:14 > 0:35:15then stopped the car.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20The guy who'd I suppose caused the incident had slapped
0:35:20 > 0:35:23the side of the car as he was just about to be knocked off.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26So the driver got out and had a few words with a cyclist who was
0:35:26 > 0:35:29now trying to make his way up the pavement to get out of the way.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32But he got back in the car accelerated hard enough
0:35:32 > 0:35:34I think for the wheels to screech a bit.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38As they came past me, they clipped my right hand with the wing mirror.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39By this stage,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42I'd decided it would be a good idea to turn on my helmet camera.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Oi!
0:35:55 > 0:35:59So he stopped the car and is getting out and coming towards me.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01And I'm thinking, "What's going to happen now?"
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Wallop!
0:36:07 > 0:36:11You can see from the expression on his face, he is consumed by rage.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13He's completely out of control.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16What worried me on the ground was they were going to start
0:36:16 > 0:36:20kicking me because I was a soft target lying there.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24But then he got back in the car and drove off.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27I'm left sitting on the ground, thinking,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30"That was rather a surprise for a nice day.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32"And won't my wife be cross?!"
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Over in a flash.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Quite stunning, really.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Totally outrageous. Totally out of order.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It makes you realise how vulnerable you are,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50if you've got a bicycle between your legs.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52The guy was just knocked straight to the ground
0:36:52 > 0:36:54because you don't have the balance.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59You know the driver is an idiot for the start off,
0:36:59 > 0:37:00by the manoeuvre he's done.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03What makes you think he's going to be any less of an idiot once
0:37:03 > 0:37:05you've slapped his car?
0:37:06 > 0:37:10I mean, that's just common assault. That's ridiculous.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16What kind of cycling would make somebody do that?
0:37:16 > 0:37:17Get out of the car, have a word,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20maybe wave your arms around and do some shouting.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22That's fine. That happens all the time on bikes.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24What doesn't happen is people actually starting
0:37:24 > 0:37:26to beat you in the head.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32- Simon, do you want the police? Do you want the police? Yeah.- Yes, please.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34They do want the police to attend, yeah.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38They've asked for the police to attend but no-one has called as yet.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39Over.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42When the police turned up, the memory card was handed over,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46thinking there must be some fantastic evidence and detail there.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51When the police traced the car,
0:37:51 > 0:37:55it turned out the owner was not any of the people in the footage.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57The investigation stalled.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02At the point they decided they weren't going to pursue it
0:38:02 > 0:38:05any more, I offered to assist them with their enquiries
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and told them I was going to put the clip on YouTube.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10That's when it got interesting.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Simon and Cormac aren't the only cyclists now taking matters
0:38:16 > 0:38:18into their own hands.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Some, like the self-named Traffic Droid have taken a more
0:38:22 > 0:38:25radical approach and have begun to use their helmet cameras
0:38:25 > 0:38:27to police the situation themselves.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33I see myself as a kind of guardian angel.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Other people see me as a vigilante.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I find that strange because I don't go out at night looking for
0:38:38 > 0:38:41everybody committing traffic crimes,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44like Batman or Superman or whatever it is!
0:38:44 > 0:38:48It's only when things happen within my vicinity, next to me,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50that I take action.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59So I use the camera to trap bad drivers, name and shame them,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02put them online and it'll act as a deterrent.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08One of the most popular things I see happening every single day
0:39:08 > 0:39:12is the mobile phone. I call that hot potato mobiles.
0:39:14 > 0:39:19Because I catch them and then they drop the mobiles because it's hot.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It's a hot potato mobile.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23On your mobile?
0:39:24 > 0:39:27But there's a new category, iPads.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30People are actually surfing the net while they're driving.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33That's a mobile device.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37That's crazy. And I decided I would create what you might call
0:39:37 > 0:39:39a calling card.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40HORN BLARES
0:39:40 > 0:39:45What's the matter with you? What's the matter with you?
0:39:45 > 0:39:48What is the matter with you?
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The calling card has a head shot of my helmet.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Check it out in 48 hours.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55It also has my YouTube address.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59They can look at themselves online so they can correct their ways.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Here, I'm driving to work normally, a good day, a normal day.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09My positioning on the road is correct.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16And out of the blue, this man overtakes and a truck cuts me in.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21That freaks me out!
0:40:21 > 0:40:25That really made me angry, in fact I said,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28"Oh, my God, this guy could have killed me this morning."
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Oh!
0:40:35 > 0:40:37They've got no right to overtake him like that
0:40:37 > 0:40:41but he's put himself in a position and he's chasing again.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Traffic Droid was born the moment I was knocked down,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54coming up to three years now.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55I was going down this T-junction.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Then suddenly the car coming ahead of me just turned right to me.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02No warning whatsoever and I went flying.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04That's when I realised I was human.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07You know, I'm a human like anybody else.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10And... started...
0:41:10 > 0:41:11Sorry.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I'm sorry. The moment is still fresh.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26I could have died that night, you know.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29It still haunts me.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34And I thought about people who are disabled at that point.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37We've got to do something about this. It's madness.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Today, that annoys me.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44That really annoys me stop simple things, simple traffic rules.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48That's why I decided I've got to do something about this, using
0:41:48 > 0:41:54media of YouTube, to get the message across because it has to be stopped.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56There are so many people who get hurt.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59People get killed, people get maimed. It has to stop.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01That's why I created Traffic Droid.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05That's why Traffic Droid came when I recovered.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Ohhh!
0:42:14 > 0:42:17You almost took me out over there!
0:42:17 > 0:42:19You almost knocked me down!
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Check yourself out in 48 hours, please.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27You know, I'm hoping here that he was going to give me an apology,
0:42:27 > 0:42:31but he had a demonic look on his face and it was that moment I decided,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34"You are not going... You are not getting away with it."
0:42:37 > 0:42:38Usually I keep my cool...
0:42:40 > 0:42:44..but I just couldn't believe people can behave like this.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47You don't realise how close that was!
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I'm telling you I'm going to report this to the police.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52I have it on camera and I have your number.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56I'm very, very angry at this point. Very, very angry.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Hey, you will hear from the police, I'm telling you.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04I have video evidence, forwards and backwards, of your driving skills.
0:43:04 > 0:43:05Your bosses will hear about it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08You hear me? Your bosses will hear about it.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10'Even though, occasionally,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12'you will turn around and give a driver a dirty look,'
0:43:12 > 0:43:15actually stopping and banging on somebody's window -
0:43:15 > 0:43:18what do you think will happen next? How do you think it will end?
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Do you think the driver will get out and say,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realise I cut you up.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24"Here, shake my hand."
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Come out! What are you going to do?
0:43:30 > 0:43:33- Get yer fucking hands off me motor, you- BLEEP!
0:43:33 > 0:43:35- That's assault.- Fuck off! - That's assault.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38'That is assault. That is assault.'
0:43:38 > 0:43:40- Do you want to park?- No. - Do you want to park?
0:43:40 > 0:43:43- Go on, then, you fucking- BLEEP!
0:43:43 > 0:43:46- There's no need to swear at me. - Fuck off or I will run you over!
0:43:46 > 0:43:50You will run me over? Everybody heard that. You idiot!
0:43:50 > 0:43:54I still have this thought in my head, "Don't hit back."
0:43:54 > 0:43:56You will hear from the police.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00I'm so glad I have this restraint. It could have been very ugly.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02You will hear from the cops!
0:44:02 > 0:44:05'I could have taken this guy out,'
0:44:05 > 0:44:08but, hey, it's not my style. I don't fight.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Traffic Droid sent his footage to the police.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16No further action was taken.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20But the clip became part of the war between cyclists and motorists,
0:44:20 > 0:44:23which is increasingly being played out online.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Posting clips online has varying effects.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29People can get a little bit annoyed.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33You have to be thick-skinned and just ignore some things,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36block people's comments because what you want to try and keep in there
0:44:36 > 0:44:38is how can they look at their mistake,
0:44:38 > 0:44:42and try and change what they did, so that next time they're better.
0:44:42 > 0:44:43A lot of people said,
0:44:43 > 0:44:47"Oh, you should have thrown that cab driver through the windscreen
0:44:47 > 0:44:49"Oh, good on you, Gaz, for applauding."
0:44:49 > 0:44:52I just don't get involved in that cesspit, if you like.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55I think I decided almost right from the start that I wanted to
0:44:55 > 0:44:57post it online and get people talking about them.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03What was a complete revelation to me was how people reacted.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Once or twice a week, I would say,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I'd have people who would say they would love to see me
0:45:08 > 0:45:11being squashed under a lorry or HGV's wheels,
0:45:11 > 0:45:13or if they ever find me, they'll run me over.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15I take it with a huge pinch of salt now,
0:45:15 > 0:45:19but if I can find who they are, I'll point out to their employers, maybe,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21what they're doing and what their opinions are.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Cynthia also took matters into her own hands
0:45:30 > 0:45:34after her daughter was killed by a left-turning cement lorry.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37She spent the months that followed
0:45:37 > 0:45:40searching for the truth of what actually happened.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44I hired a traffic investigator
0:45:44 > 0:45:48and paid him to go through all the evidence.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51I did spend a lot of time watching lorries,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54watching how they manoeuvred on the road.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57I spent a lot of time thinking about it.
0:45:57 > 0:46:03I was absolutely driven by the desire to try and make sense of something
0:46:03 > 0:46:05because it was just all so bizarre.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12There's a cyclist coming up the inside now,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15so I've got to watch him all the way through.
0:46:15 > 0:46:16Another one hopped up the kerb.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18He's a coming-by-train man, him,
0:46:18 > 0:46:22and then gets his little bike off the train and rides to the office.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Trucks turning left - a very difficult manoeuvre.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27He has to make, basically, a 90-degree turn.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30There's a time in that turn when everything on the left
0:46:30 > 0:46:34has disappeared because his mirrors can't cover out enough.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36As I turn left, which I'm going to do now,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38the corner becomes a pinch point.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41If you was a cyclist there, you become closed in that gap,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44and if there's a set of railings on the side,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47or there's nowhere for you to jump up on the kerb...
0:46:47 > 0:46:50He hasn't even noticed there's a lorry turning left!
0:46:50 > 0:46:54..then you're under the lorry, really -
0:46:54 > 0:46:56potentially fatal accident.
0:47:00 > 0:47:01After reviewing the case,
0:47:01 > 0:47:06the coroner concluded that Cynthia's daughter's death was accidental.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11I just felt that I was somehow to blame for the way that
0:47:11 > 0:47:15my daughter had been treated and I really was suicidal.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20I decided that I was going to fight my daughter's corner.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22She was dead but I wasn't.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25I was still here and I'm still her mother,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28and I was determined to fight her battles.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33And I really began to be clear that
0:47:33 > 0:47:37focusing on one case, one incident, one person,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41was not the answer, because there were just so many others.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44I thought if I want something to be done,
0:47:44 > 0:47:49I need to put myself in a position of being able to make a demand,
0:47:49 > 0:47:53and that was when I decided to buy shares in the company
0:47:53 > 0:47:58that ran the lorry fleet - it was RMC then, Cemex now -
0:47:58 > 0:48:02in order to give myself the right to go to their annual general meeting,
0:48:02 > 0:48:07where I would have the opportunity to question the directors.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09I'd never done anything like that in my life before.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12I was terrified, absolutely terrified.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17MAN SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY
0:48:19 > 0:48:25Cyclists' helmet camera footage is beginning to make a difference.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28This clip led to a prosecution for careless driving.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Who the fuck are you?
0:48:34 > 0:48:36You bastard!
0:48:38 > 0:48:41And the posting of the Bexley punch clip online
0:48:41 > 0:48:44would make a massive impact on that case.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Within a matter of weeks, there were a quarter of a million hits on it.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51It just went viral, absolutely viral.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53There were some amazing comments as well.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55You know, some people were saying,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58"A lawyer and a cyclist in one go - result!"
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Interestingly, the guy who had attacked Simon
0:49:02 > 0:49:05found himself being recognised in the street.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07I believe, shortly after that,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10he decided his best course of action would be
0:49:10 > 0:49:12to hand himself in to the local police.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16They charged him and he was subsequently convicted
0:49:16 > 0:49:21of common assault and fined a total of about £600, I believe.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23I think the outcome for him,
0:49:23 > 0:49:27by being identified very publicly to his community through YouTube,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29was a lot more severe than if
0:49:29 > 0:49:33the police had actually caught him at the scene of the crime.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Now, you could say, is that justified,
0:49:35 > 0:49:40in the case of somebody who gets out of a car and punches somebody?
0:49:40 > 0:49:43"Do you think they deserve a little bit of public humiliation?"
0:49:43 > 0:49:45I'll leave that up to you.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52'The AGM was in a very grand hotel in West End.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56'Lots of very affluent company kind of people,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00'which was really intimidating and I just I thought,'
0:50:00 > 0:50:02"I must be crazy!"
0:50:02 > 0:50:03I was shaking.
0:50:03 > 0:50:08But someone that I went with said that she would help me
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and so, at the critical moment,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13the friend who was with me pushed me up
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and the microphone was handed to me and I thought,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19"I can't stop now. I've got to see this through."
0:50:19 > 0:50:21READING OF STATEMENTS OVERLAP
0:50:21 > 0:50:24"My daughter was killed while she was cycling to work
0:50:24 > 0:50:27"by a ready mix cement mixer lorry, making a left turn...
0:50:27 > 0:50:30"The first point I wish to make concerns driver training
0:50:30 > 0:50:32"and I have been in contact with...
0:50:32 > 0:50:35"My second point concerns vehicle design...
0:50:35 > 0:50:38"If there is anything at all you can do about any
0:50:38 > 0:50:43"of the points I have raised, please do it in memory of my daughter."
0:50:45 > 0:50:48There was complete silence at the end of it,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51and then I went diving for the ladies' loo,
0:50:51 > 0:50:55and one of the other shareholders followed me in, and said,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58"You sent shivers running down my spine," and so I thought,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01"Well, somebody's heard something, then."
0:51:03 > 0:51:06In the week after she stood up at their AGM,
0:51:06 > 0:51:11Cynthia was asked by the company to help improve their safety record,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14a record that had seen them kill or seriously injure
0:51:14 > 0:51:16one cyclist on average every year.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20We started off with a driver training video.
0:51:20 > 0:51:26We started putting signs on the back, extra indicators, extra mirrors,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and it was round about that time
0:51:28 > 0:51:31that proximity sensors began to become available.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35If I turn left like I am now,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38it will pick up cyclists coming up on my left-hand side
0:51:38 > 0:51:39and make me look in the mirror,
0:51:39 > 0:51:43make me double-check that there's no problems down there.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46I'm sure it's saved lives, absolutely positive it has saved lives.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50Before all this stuff was done, the technology was fitted,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Cemex did say that they had
0:51:52 > 0:51:56a fatality or a serious injury, or something every year,
0:51:56 > 0:51:57At least one.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59Now they don't.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Their lorries have stopped killing people
0:52:01 > 0:52:04and that's a good enough recommendation for me,
0:52:04 > 0:52:09but I now want other firms to do the same, so I can't stop yet.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15BEEPS HORN
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Fucking hell! What the fuck's up?!
0:52:18 > 0:52:20It's a cycle fucking path!
0:52:22 > 0:52:25As more and more cyclists film their every move,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28we're getting a more detailed picture of life on Britain's roads.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32- WOMAN:- Oh, my God!
0:52:32 > 0:52:33HORN BLARES
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- MAN:- Jesus Christ!
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Nah, he's OK.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43He almost died.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49It's clear that everyone must take responsibility
0:52:49 > 0:52:52if we are all to share such a crowded space.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55CYCLIST YELLS
0:52:56 > 0:52:57Fucking hell!
0:52:57 > 0:52:59CYCLIST GROANS
0:52:59 > 0:53:00- WOMAN:- Why?!
0:53:00 > 0:53:02All right, sit down, sit down.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05You shouldn't have done that. You know this is a pathway.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07RESIGNEDLY: This is a cycle pathway.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11Ooh!
0:53:11 > 0:53:12Oh, dear!
0:53:14 > 0:53:18I'm sorry. This is one DUMB cyclist.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22Definitely the cyclist's fault. He should have given warning.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25But this is what happens on pavements every day.
0:53:25 > 0:53:26Every day of the week.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30TRAFFIC DROID: I've got him on camera.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I'll catch him up and tell him what he's done.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35'I deal with cyclists as well,'
0:53:35 > 0:53:37so I'll be seen as a traitor.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Hold it!
0:53:41 > 0:53:44You jumped the lights over there. You don't do that again.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47'I bet he felt very embarrassed after that,'
0:53:47 > 0:53:50but we're all road users, and some cyclists really annoy me.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56Not all cyclists jump red lights but, for some, it's a way of life.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Oh, my gosh!
0:54:00 > 0:54:03What ABSOLUTE lunatics!
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Races across cities, like this one in London,
0:54:07 > 0:54:12are being organised by couriers to showcase their skills and speed.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15I can understand the excitement they're after but, that said,
0:54:15 > 0:54:18I'd probably feel like, "Oh, my God, I nearly died!
0:54:18 > 0:54:19"I need to stop."
0:54:23 > 0:54:24HORN BLARES
0:54:26 > 0:54:29I wouldn't describe these as cyclists at all.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I'd just describe them as...
0:54:31 > 0:54:34They're criminals, really. What they're doing IS criminal.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It's putting people's lives at risk.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42Absolutely suicidal.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47It's totally irresponsible. Completely irresponsible.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50If a motorcyclist was riding like that, you'd want him strung up.
0:54:52 > 0:54:57If they had a number plate, they wouldn't be doing that, would they?
0:54:57 > 0:54:58HORNS BLARE
0:55:01 > 0:55:02- MAN:- Wanker!
0:55:02 > 0:55:06Whilst I might admire the skill that these guys have -
0:55:06 > 0:55:08they've got to have a certain amount of skill
0:55:08 > 0:55:10to be able to do that and still be alive -
0:55:10 > 0:55:12they're endangering themselves,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15and I would feel so sorry for the poor soul
0:55:15 > 0:55:18who maybe knocked one of these guys down,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21cos they will have to deal with the guilt that they would have
0:55:21 > 0:55:23from, you know, killing somebody.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31They are doing more damage to other cyclists on the road
0:55:31 > 0:55:33than they can possibly imagine.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38I'm afraid my instant reaction to this is -
0:55:38 > 0:55:40sometimes, getting out of your car
0:55:40 > 0:55:42and punching cyclists in the head who do this
0:55:42 > 0:55:44might be a good idea after all.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50ALF: Not a copper in sight, look.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55It gets my back up when I think cyclists are riding like that
0:55:55 > 0:55:59and getting away with it, and other poor souls lose their lives
0:55:59 > 0:56:04with some stupid act by some stupid car driver, you know.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Another cyclist coming up here.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12Look at that - a kid sitting on the handlebars of a Boris bike!
0:56:12 > 0:56:18How can I, as a driver, defend against something like that?
0:56:18 > 0:56:22One wobble, one slip, they fall off - under my wheels.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Nothing I can do about it.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27And I'd be left devastated afterwards.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30My family and myself would probably go through
0:56:30 > 0:56:33untold court appearances and stress,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36all because somebody didn't take the responsibility
0:56:36 > 0:56:38to use the bikes properly.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44There are idiot drivers, there are idiot cyclists,
0:56:44 > 0:56:48and they should all be punished to the full weight of the law.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52It certainly is a competitive space when, actually,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54it needs to be a co-operative space.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57We all have responsibilities here.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01I think if people were a bit nicer towards each other,
0:57:01 > 0:57:03then the problem would be better,
0:57:03 > 0:57:05but let's not expect too much of human nature.
0:57:07 > 0:57:12Last year, 107 cyclists died on the roads in Britain.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Many of these deaths are now marked with a symbolic ghost bike.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24Sadly, last August...
0:57:25 > 0:57:28..on a lovely, hot Saturday afternoon...
0:57:29 > 0:57:33..our lovely eldest grandson was knocked off his bike
0:57:33 > 0:57:35and, nine times out of ten,
0:57:35 > 0:57:39he would have broken his shoulder or hurt his arm, or hurt his leg,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41but this tenth time out of ten,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43it's killed him stone dead.
0:57:45 > 0:57:46Terrible. Terrible.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52I was always highly critical
0:57:52 > 0:57:56about the behaviour of many cyclists in London,
0:57:56 > 0:57:59but then since we lost Sam,
0:57:59 > 0:58:04it's almost like the boot's been put on the other foot, so to speak.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08You're leaning towards the cyclists,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10there's sympathy towards the cyclists,
0:58:10 > 0:58:12from what you've suffered, yeah?
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Cyclists are not only to blame.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17They're probably two-thirds to blame,
0:58:17 > 0:58:18the government's to blame
0:58:18 > 0:58:21and the mad car drivers are to blame as well,
0:58:21 > 0:58:26cos the answer is don't drive a bloody car and don't drive a bike.
0:58:26 > 0:58:27End of.
0:58:53 > 0:58:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd