Video: Van driver nearly runs cyclist over during rush hour

The video shows the driver of an Aurora Lighting van using a cycling lane to avoid traffic

The video shows the driver of an Aurora Lighting van using a cycling lane to avoid traffic.

Video from a distressed cyclist shows the moment a large van nearly veered right into the side of him while attempting to avoid a traffic jam.

The video shows a cyclist, Paul Wilson, riding towards Edinburgh Centre on Queensferry Road on Monday morning past a long line of traffic. He was using a camera attached to his helmet.

As he passes an Aurora Lighting van, the driver suddenly decides to turn sharply left into the cycle lane.

Wilson can be heard screaming as he is forced to abruptly brake and allow the van to move ahead. The driver, seemingly unaware of the near accident, continues along the cycle path for a while before turning off the road.

Furthermore, as the Aurora van turns left, another large van appears right in the middle of the cycle path and once again Wilson has to hit his brakes to avoid another collision. Wilson's footage is a 35-second-long example of the dangers of cycling in a city.

Wilson tweeted Aurora Lighting, asking the company to “please ask your drivers to refrain from trying to kill me? Thanks.”

He managed to get a prompt response from the company.

Talking to The Independent via email, Wilson said that he began using a camera while he cycled after an incident two years ago.

"I was cycling home when a Stagecoach bus overtook me on a dangerous stretch of road. I was knocked off my bike and ended up in the road with two broken shoulders. The bus continued, and if the following car hadn't seen the incident and stopped to help,no-one would have been able to safely identify the type of bus," he wrote.

"When I was well enough to cycle again, I decided to start wearing a camera."

With the dangers of cycling in London reported regularly, Wilson said he thought cycling in Edinburgh was not as bad. "It's not perfect, but I feel that on average drivers are less aggressive than in London (and Glasgow). There are issues with bad road design, and patchy infrastructure," he said.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the response from Aurora Lighting, Wilson wrote, "Overall, I am. I can’t tell what is going to happen internally, but on the face of it seems the driver will be made aware of the seriousness of the mistake."