http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling

3 points on his license, £200 fine, £140 court costs and £15 victim surcharge

http://www.croydoncyclist.co.uk/rx11axp-result/

Assertive Bike Riding

I ride my bike safely.  That is safely for me.  In areas of busy traffic, this means I adopt the primary road position.  This has an impact on motorised vehicles, as it forces them to slow down, and then overtake on the opposing carriageway, as they would for any JCB or horse.  Adopting a primary road position, (midpoint of a road) enables me to see and been seen, better than the secondary position which is between 0.5 and 1.0m of the pavement.  I use cycle lanes where safe.  I don't use cycle lanes where it is not safe, for example when a cycle lane is crowded with pedestrians, and slower moving traffic.

This Saturday, a car driver, drove behind me for about 0.5 mile repeatedly sounding their horn.  I estimate that I was travelling at approximately 20 mph in the primary position.  I stopped in the road to have a brief discussion with them.  They appeared aggrieved that I was not using the cycle lane parallel to the roadway.  As explained above, I use cycle lanes when safe to do so.  It is not a legal requirement to use a cycle lane.  I considered that due to the significant number of pedestrians, young and old, enjoying the cycle/pedestrian highway (it runs parallel to the sea), that I would be a danger to these pedestrians travelling at the speed I was doing.  I also questioned if their actions demonstrated a "due consideration to other road users", of which I was one.

The passenger in the vehicle declared that I did not pay road tax.  She is wrong, maintenance of the roads is partly paid for by local taxes, which I of course pay.  (Road tax was abolished in 1937).  I do not pay a Vehicle Excise Duty on my bicycle.  I do pay a Vehicle Excise Duty on my own car.

I believe that the actions of the driver have not shown "due consideration to other road users" and have reported them to the local community police.  The police notified me that they could either offer the driver of the vehicle some "words of advice" or I could pursue the matter in a more formal manner, and the driver could be charged, with the potential of points on their licence.

This is not the first time this has happened; next time, I'll pull the mobile out and start filming.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cycletraining/article/ct20110110-cycletraining-Bitesize-Bikeability--Part-4--On-Road-Positioning-0