A Ford Fiesta driver was captured on camera driving in a designated cycle lane in Bournemouth, Dorset, after appearing to mistake it for a road. The incident occurred as the driver pulled out of a junction on Wallisdown Road.
The footage shows the driver following a cyclist along the red-marked lane, which is separated from the main carriageway. The driver continued along the lane even when it diverged for a bus stop, and at one point mounted a pavement to avoid a collision with the cyclist.
Liberal Democrat councillor Adrian Chapmanlaw, who was cycling at the time, filmed the incident and confronted the driver. The driver, wearing a high-visibility vest and believed to be a delivery driver, rolled down his window and stated, "I saw you, I was setting up TomTom, I got lost." Chapmanlaw informed him, "You're not on the road! This is a cycle lane." The driver then turned across the cycle lane and rejoined the main road.
Chapmanlaw, known for recording drivers committing traffic violations with a helmet-mounted camera, shared the video on his social media page, Dorset Safer Roads. He expressed concern about the driver's competence, stating, "Motorists whinge about us not using the cycle lanes but it's not safe with drivers like this. If it had been term time there would have been kids going to school." He added, "I hope somebody that knows this guy, or the guy himself sees this video and thinks I need to get some more training as I'm obviously not safe."
The councillor suggested that improved driver training and more frequent theory test retakes are necessary due to drivers not being up-to-date with the Highway Code. The report also notes a previous incident where Chapmanlaw was suspended by his party for refusing to remove footage filmed outside a primary school, citing safeguarding concerns, which he refuted.