Latest news with #MichaelvanErp
Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Who was in the wrong? Vigilante's bike crash caught on video
A cycling vigilante potentially 'broke the law' when he pushed his bike into a car to try to prevent a crime, a lawyer has claimed. Michael van Erp, known as Cycling Mikey on social media, filmed himself pushing his e-bike into the path of a Fiat 500 as its driver ignored a road closure in west London. Neither the 53-year-old cyclist nor the motorist has been arrested, in part because no potential victim has lodged a formal complaint. In the clip, Van Erp can be seen targeting drivers who fail to obey no entry signs as they approach roadworks at a junction in Hammersmith. When a Fiat 500 driver ignores the signs, Van Erp challenges him and says: 'What is that sign back there? You have to go back now. Very naughty.' Shortly afterwards the same motorist decides to drive through the closed road as Van Erp pushes his 28-kilogram e-bike into the path of the vehicle. The bike collides with the car, sending his belongings flying across the road as the motorist drives off. Nick Freeman, a motoring lawyer known as Mr Loophole, has analysed the collision footage and claims that although the motorist had potentially broken three laws, the cyclist could also be considered by police for a charge of dangerous cycling. 'I think they are both culpable,' he said, explaining how he believes the motorist could be considered to have failed to stop following the collision and failed to report the accident.
The Age
18 hours ago
- The Age
Who was in the wrong? Vigilante's bike crash caught on video
A cycling vigilante potentially 'broke the law' when he pushed his bike into a car to try to prevent a crime, a lawyer has claimed. Michael van Erp, known as Cycling Mikey on social media, filmed himself pushing his e-bike into the path of a Fiat 500 as its driver ignored a road closure in west London. Neither the 53-year-old cyclist nor the motorist has been arrested, in part because no potential victim has lodged a formal complaint. In the clip, Van Erp can be seen targeting drivers who fail to obey no entry signs as they approach roadworks at a junction in Hammersmith. When a Fiat 500 driver ignores the signs, Van Erp challenges him and says: 'What is that sign back there? You have to go back now. Very naughty.' Shortly afterwards the same motorist decides to drive through the closed road as Van Erp pushes his 28-kilogram e-bike into the path of the vehicle. The bike collides with the car, sending his belongings flying across the road as the motorist drives off. Nick Freeman, a motoring lawyer known as Mr Loophole, has analysed the collision footage and claims that although the motorist had potentially broken three laws, the cyclist could also be considered by police for a charge of dangerous cycling. 'I think they are both culpable,' he said, explaining how he believes the motorist could be considered to have failed to stop following the collision and failed to report the accident.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Cycling vigilante who pushed bike in front of car ‘was breaking law'
A cycling vigilante potentially 'broke the law' when he pushed his bike into a car to try to prevent a crime, a lawyer has claimed. Michael van Erp, known as Cycling Mikey on social media, filmed himself pushing his e-bike into the path of a Fiat 500 as its driver ignored a road closure in west London. Neither the 53-year-old cyclist nor the motorist has been arrested, in part because no potential victim has lodged a formal complaint. In the clip, Mr van Erp can be seen targeting drivers who fail to obey no entry signs as they approach roadworks at a junction in Hammersmith. When a Fiat 500 driver ignores the signs, Mr van Erp challenges him and says: 'What is that sign back there? You have to go back now. Very naughty.' Shortly afterwards the same motorist decides to drive through the closed road as Mr van Erp pushes his 28kg e-bike into the path of the vehicle. The bike collides with the car, sending his belongings flying across the road as the motorist drives off. Nick Freeman, a motoring lawyer known as Mr Loophole, has analysed the collision footage and claims that although the motorist had potentially broken three laws, the cyclist could also be considered by police for a charge of dangerous cycling. 'I think they are both culpable,' he said, explaining how he believes the motorists could be considered to have failed to stop following the collision and failed to report the accident. He said the driver of the Fiat 500 could also be described as using his car as a weapon and so may have also committed a dangerous driving offence. He added that Mr van Erp's behaviour may also constitute a dangerous cycling offence even though he is not seated on his bike when it is pushed into the car. 'No legal status to police traffic' 'He is controlling the bike, so it is legally cycling. And, as a result he may be guilty of dangerous cycling,' he said. 'He could be seen as using his bike as a weapon as part of any dangerous driving charge because it falls below the standard of a competent and prudent cyclist. 'He can't say: 'The car shouldn't be there so I'm entitled to do it.' He will say he has used his bike to stop an offence. But, in so doing he has risked injury to himself and the driver, who had a child in the car. 'He would argue that he has a legitimate cause. But, he has no legal status to police traffic and may be causing an obstruction in a highway. 'Cycling Mikey may not realise that by pushing the bike he is in fact cycling because he is in control of it, in the same way you're legally driving if you're sitting in a car and it's freewheeling while the engine is off.' Although police are investigating the incident, it is understood they require a complaint to be made by someone who considers themselves a victim before they can consider taking matters further. Mr van Erp, who denies throwing the bike but did want to block the motorist, has posted on social media that he had not reported the incident, adding that he 'couldn't... brake a 28kg e-bike once I realised the driver wasn't stopping'. He said he believes the motorist's vehicle sustained a scratch in the collision, something he claims stemmed from the driver using his vehicle as a weapon. Mr Freeman added: 'The police have a legal obligation to pursue any offences here.' A Met Police spokesman said: 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media which appears to show an incident on Paddenswick Road, Hammersmith on Sunday, Aug 10. No arrests have been made at this stage. 'We urge victims of crime to contact the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.' Mr van Erp, who has more than 35,000 followers on his X account, regularly films drivers he claims are breaking road rules, such as using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel. He says since 2019 he has reported 2,280 drivers, who have received a total of £165,700 in fines and 2,649 penalty points.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Who is social media vigilante Cycling Mikey?
A cycling activist has stated that he was unable to prevent his electric bike from swerving into the path of a car that was passing a no-entry sign. A motorist struck Michael van Erp's bike on Sunday while he was pushing it onto a west London road, according to a video he uploaded to his Cycling Mikey YouTube account. Mr van Erp said on social media site X on Tuesday that he 'couldn't… brake a 28kg e-bike once I realised the driver wasn't stopping.' In the YouTube video, the 52-year-old activist first prevents the vehicle from passing under a no-entry sign that was put up at a junction due to road construction. The male driver makes a gesture to Mr van Erp, then shifts into reverse to let cars going in the other direction pass, then resumes driving. Once again, the cyclist tries to block him, but the driver hits his bike and leaves. Although Mr van Erp's possessions were strewn all over the road, it seems he was unharmed and his bike was spared significant harm. According to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson, 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media which appears to show an incident on Paddenswick Road, Hammersmith on Sunday August 10. No arrests have been made at this stage. 'We urge victims of crime to contact the police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.' But who exactly is Michael van Erp, better known as Cycling Mikey? Who is Cycling Mikey? Cycling Mikey, whose real name is Michael van Erp, is a Dutch-born road safety campaigner and YouTube content creator based in London. Cycling Mikey, whose Youtube account has over 119,000 followers, frequently records drivers he says are violating traffic laws, such using a mobile phone while driving. He then reports these incidents to the police and shares compelling footage on YouTube. Since 2019, he claims to have reported 2,280 drivers, who have been hit with 2,649 penalty points and fines totalling £165,700. He says that his actions have resulted in the disqualification of 35 individuals from driving. His footage has captured public figures like Guy Ritchie and Chris Eubank committing infractions—but who he is remains unknown to him during filming. His personal drive stems from a tragic past: his father was killed by a drunk driver when he was 19. Often dubbed a 'vigilante cyclist' a label he disputes—he insists he is simply collecting evidence for the justice system. He regularly positions himself at hotspots like 'Gandalf Corner' near Regent's Park to catch offenders. While some hail him as a deterrent to dangerous driving, others criticise his confrontational methods However, even Cycling Mickey makes mistakes. His own camera captured him running a red light in April 2024; he publicly acknowledged the incident and stated that he was prepared to accept any repercussions. Has he really been banned from reporting to the police? According to social media speculations, the Met Police have 'ghosted' or blocked him, which means that his submissions might now be disregarded or denied. However, the Met has neither confirmed nor denied any such action, and the assertion is not supported by any official statement. In fact, Cycling Mikey himself discussed his encounters with the police during an interview on Fubar Radio. According to him, even though he mostly uses the reporting system online and rarely speaks with officers in person, he feels that the police are "on his side, generally" and generally support the need for traffic enforcement.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Vigilante cyclist who pushed his bike into a car he was trying to stop at ‘no entry' sign makes bizarre excuse
A VIGILANTE cyclist who filmed himself pushing his bike into a car to stop it driving down a 'no entry' road has given a bizarre excuse. Footage posted by Michael van Erp, known as Cycling Mikey, shows him getting into a heated exchange with the motorist on Sunday. 5 Mikey's bike was smashed out of the way Credit: Cycling Mikey 5 The motorist ignores the flimsy roadblock and accelerates along the road anyway Credit: Instagram / CyclingMikey 5 Despite being confronted by the vigilante, the driver keeps trying to sneak down Credit: Cycling Mikey The video, posted on his Youtube channel, shows the 52-year-old initially blocking the Fiat 500 from driving down the road. Due to roadworks, the road appears to be reduced to a one way street, with traffic cones and signs telling drivers not to enter it. Despite being confronted by the vigilante, the driver keeps trying to sneak down Paddenswick Road in Hammersmith, west London. It is at this point the brazen vigilante cyclist tries to block the driver's path by throwing his bike in his path. The motorist ignores the flimsy roadblock and accelerates along the road anyway, smashing into the bicycle in the process. Responding to critics of his extreme actions today, Cycling Mikey gave a bizarre excuse for not stopping his bike. Writing on X, he claimed that he 'couldn't… brake a 28kg e-bike once I realised the driver wasn't stopping'. Footage of the confrontation between the road safety warrior and the driver was filmed by Mikey and a bystander. The Dutch vigilante is then left to pick up his possessions from the tarmac after unsuccessfully stopping the motorist. Prior to the smash, Mikey can be heard in the clip saying: "What is that sign back there? You have to go back now, very naughty.' Shouting at another driver who attempts to drive through the one-way street, he says: "No f*** off, go back. "What do you think you're doing? Go back." Moment dog walker 'pushes cyclist into canal' - but claims HE'S in the right The Met confirmed they were aware of the footage and urged Cycling Mikey to speak with officers. A spokesperson for the force said: 'We are aware of footage circulating on social media which appears to show an incident on Paddenswick Road, Hammersmith on Sunday August 10. 'No arrests have been made at this stage. 'We urge victims of crime to contact the police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.' Cycling Mikey has made a name for himself by filming motorists breaking the rules of the road and reporting them. On his social media, he claims to have reported more than 2,000 drivers in the space of six years. Since 2019, he says motorists have paid a total of £165,700 in fines and received 2,649 penalty points due to his actions. He also claims 35 people have been disqualified from driving. Using a phone when driving The law is clear on when you can use a hand-held device behind the wheel. It is only legal if you are safely parked. You can use hands-free mobile devices while driving your car as long as you do not hold them at any time during usage. It is perfectly acceptable for passengers to use their mobile phone in the car, as long as they do not pass it to the driver or require the driver to touch the phone at any point. Penalties for being on your phone while driving: If caught a driver is caught on their mobile while behind the wheel of a vehicle they will receive a fine of £200 and 6 penalty points. Last year, footage showed him cruising along the road before he caught a woman red-handed using her phone behind the wheel. She can be seen winding the window down as Mikey explains what she's done wrong. The woman then says how she's a doctor and explains it's a very "difficult job". Mikey then appears to consider letting the woman off the hook before he asks her if she already has points. But then when she admits she does he replies: "I'm starting to think you're someone not learning from the points system." In 2020, he videoed Guy Ritchie texting while behind the wheel of his Range Rover The exchange led to the film director being banned from driving for six months, as he already had nine speeding points. He also caught Chris Eubank on the phone in 2021, with the former world champion boxer telling him: 'Go away. Off you go, off you go.' Eubank was handed three penalty points and fined £280 in costs because he jumped a red light having driven away from van Erp. As well as his YouTube site, van Erp also uploads footage to a police website which is set up for citizen reporting. 5 Cycling Mikey has made a name for himself catching drivers breaking the rules Credit: Cycling Mikey
