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Dorset Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a suspected road rage incident last Tuesday 22 November in which a motorist chased after a cyclist and used his car to knock him off his bike.
The incident happened in Poole at around 5.20pm with the cyclist sustaining injuries that are not believed to be serious, reports Dorset Live.
According to police, the cyclist was riding past a queue of vehicles stopped at traffic lights on Herbert Avenue when he noticed the driver of a dark blue hatchback illegally using a handheld mobile phone.
The cyclist, a man aged in his 50s, is then said to have tapped on the window to tell the driver to put the phone away, with the driver shouting at the bike rider in response and then following him once the lights changed.
After the cyclist, who was wearing a high-viz jacket and had flashing lights on his bike, turned into Northmere Road and then Sancreed Road, the motorist drove into his rear wheel, causing him to fall from his bike, then fled the scene.
PC Matthew Batter from Poole police said: “This was a very distressing incident for the cyclist involved and we are carrying out a number of enquiries into this matter.
“I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened or may have captured anything of relevance on dashcam footage to please get in touch.
“I would also urge the driver involved to please do the right thing and come forward so we can take your account.”
Anyone who has information is requested to contact Dorset Police on 101 quoting occurrence number 55220189695. Alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.
We’ve seen an increase in incidents in which drivers have used their vehicles to deliberately ram cyclists in recent weeks.
On Friday, we highlighted what police described as a “shocking incident” in London in which a driver rammed a cyclist and then drove off while holding the hood of the bike rider’s jacket, causing him to fall off his bike.
> Police search for driver who “rammed cyclist and dragged him along the road”
And earlier this month, footage went viral of an incident, also in London, in which an SUV driver deliberately drove at a cyclist before running over and destroying his bike.
>London cyclist rammed by 4×4 driver explains what led up to his bike being crushed
The subject of the dehumanisation of cyclists and how anti-cyclist rhetoric in the media can lead to drivers endangering people on bikes has been highlighted by British Cycling.
The issue was also discussed on the road.cc podcast earlier this week in our chat with north London cyclist Carla Francome, recently named as one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling 2022, who told us about the strategies she uses to remain calm in the face of abuse, whether on social media or while riding her bike.
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