Dashcam footage of a near-miss between a cyclist and a learner driver has sparked anger online, with some viewers calling for rules to be introduced for specific road-users. The incident occurred during a driving lesson in Sidcup, at the junction of Hurst Road and Station Road, and was shared by an instructor from I Learner Driving School in East London.
Instructor intervenes to prevent collision
The footage shows the learner driver and instructor approaching the Station Road junction with a green traffic light. A cyclist using the pedestrian crossing then rode out of the pedestrianised area directly in front of the car. The instructor was forced to grab the steering wheel and press the brake to guide the car to the right, narrowly avoiding striking the cyclist.
The learner's immediate reaction was to exclaim "what the hell" before placing her hand on her chest. The instructor reassured her, saying "I've got you," and then asked the cyclist if he was okay. After the cyclist apologised, the instructor replied: "That's okay, it's alright. You alright?"
Debrief and online reaction
Following the incident, the learner admitted she thought she had hit the cyclist. The instructor reflected: "That was a close one. That was a very, very close one. I didn't see him look this way. It felt like he was concentrating more on what was on that side. I don't blame him at all. Like, as if... because that could have been quite scary for him. It was scary for us. But in driving, how quickly things can change."
The instructor posted the clip on TikTok, where it quickly gained thousands of views and hundreds of comments. Many commenters expressed anger at the cyclist, with one saying: "It's not ok you’d every right to give this cyclist a piece of your mind." Another wrote: "I don't care what anyone says cyclists need to take a test and have plates because these people are DANGEROUS!"
A third commenter stated: "Cyclist in the wrong here not the driver but she'd be punished it's ridiculous." A fourth added: "Why is the cyclist using a foot path in the first place not all cyclist have right of way the drivers lights are green where the cyclist isn’t."
Others praised the instructor for his calm response. One person said: "Love the reaction after. It's the way it's needs to be from everyone. we've all done wrong and been done wrong by on the roads." Another wrote: "You can. clearly tell he's a good instructor. He stays very calm and immediately works to deescalate the situation instead of arguing with the cyclist. Also makes sure his student is okay repeatedly."
A third commented: "Your calmness is key to this situation well done," while a fourth added: "Felt sorry for both parties, everyone got a bit of a shock hope everyone was alright!"
