Robert Jackman

Drivers beware: the rise of the vigilante cyclist

  • From Spectator Life
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Do you ever break the law when driving? According to surveys, quite a few of us do – three in five drivers admit regularly speeding. And if that’s you, then be careful: Mike van Erp is out to get you. You may already know Mike. He’s the media-savvy cyclist (better known as Cycling Mikey) who has become a minor celebrity for his dashcam videos of rule-breaking drivers in London. Now his niche hobby is catching on.

‘There were almost 15,000 reports last year that led to the police taking action’

‘I don’t think I’m even in the top ten cyclists reporting bad drivers in London,’ Cycling Mikey tells me over the phone. ‘There were almost 15,000 reports last year that led to the police taking action. And I only submitted 383 reports in total.’ 

I first became aware of the phenomenon of lycra-clad informants some months ago when an acquaintance was fined for using her mobile phone at a red light.

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