Close Call with VW golf driver SM59 ATY

Glasgow, United Kingdom

28 Sep, 2025 - 4 months ago - on Woodlands Road
A Sunday afternoon driver fails to check bothways at give way - continues into Junction driving onto the wrong side of oncoming road to avoid crash - did not stop.

Driver of 2009 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Reg SM59 ATY
Colour: Black
Fuel Type: Petrol
First Registered: 28/10/2009

This was not a momentary lapse—it was a failure to prioritise safety, constituting careless driving under the Road Traffic Act. Dangerous driver where road is marked 20mph.

⚖️ here’s the reality in Scotland:
Despite having clear bike cam footage and a factual account, this is unlikely to lead to prosecution under current Scots law. Why?

🔴 Corroboration requirement: A uniquely Scottish rule requires two independent sources of evidence for a conviction. A cyclist’s camera and their own statement? Not enough.

⚫ No presumption of fault or automatic offence for close passes – unlike in some European countries where proximity violations are punishable by law.

🔵 No video reporting system exists in Scotland for traffic offences, even though other UK regions are successfully using these tools to enforce safer driving.

🕯 Remembering Emma Burke Newman
In 2023, Emma Burke Newman, a 22-year-old architecture student, was killed in Glasgow after being encroached upon in a bike box by a tipper truck. Her death sparked outrage, calls for change, and public mourning. Yet here we are—still waiting for reform, still watching the same risks play out on our roads.

🚴‍♂️ What Needs to Change:
Legal reform of corroboration: High-quality video evidence must be admissible on its own for traffic offences.

Mandate a national video reporting portal: Like in England and Wales, so drivers can be held accountable for dangerous behaviour captured on film.

Make safe passing distances the law: 1.5m under 30mph, 2.0m at higher speeds—clear, enforceable, unavoidable.

Training for Police Scotland and prosecutors: So cases like this aren’t dismissed before they reach a courtroom.

Stronger penalties for careless driving: Especially for repeat offenders and heavy vehicle drivers.

✊ What Can You Do?
📩 Share your own Upride reports.
📝 Contact your MSP—demand legal reform.
📣 Keep Emma’s name alive.
🚴 Protect the next cyclist. Don’t wait until it's someone you know.

#ClosePass #CyclingSafety #EmmaBurkeNewman #Upride #JusticeForCyclists #SafePassingLaw #ChangeScotsLaw #PoliceScotland #ActiveTravel #VisionZero #ScotlandCanDoBetter.