A CYCLIST had a lucky escape when he was knocked off his bike by a car on a rural road.

Now father-of-two Phillip Law is urging drivers to exercise more caution when passing cyclists.

Phillip was thrown into a ditch when he was hit by a Vauxhall Insignia on Sunday, March 8.

Riding on the shoulder of the A4361 between Berwick Bassett and Winterbourne Monkton, the Liden cyclist was struck to his side. He was taken to Great Western Hospital for treatment.

Phillip said he had been cycling towards Melksham to visit his in-laws when he was hurled into the ditch. The car’s wing mirror was snapped off in the incident.

“A minibus went past me giving a wide berth, which I appreciated given most cars on that road go haring past,” he said.

“Seconds later I heard a massive bang and an unbelieveable amount of pain on my right side, and in agony I ended up on the grass verge.

“The car had hit me with so much force that it took the wing mirror clean off. They took me to A&E because they thought I might have a fractured pelvis but luckily I just had some nasty bruising.

"The police have said that it is not in the public interest to proceed with any charges because it was an accident.”

Phillip said it was not the first incident involving cars passing too close, and pleaded for drivers to respect more vulnerable road users.

“That tin box they are in can kill in a split second, and driving is a privilege, not a right,” he said.

“There are always some idiot cyclists as well, but we are more vulnerable on the roads.

“The car did stop, and the driver was very shocked and shaken by the whole incident. From what the police have told me she misjudged how much room she had to go past.

“Drivers do need to be more aware that there are vulnerable road users out there. So many of them do not give a second thought about whizzing past a cyclist.

“Every time I go out on a cycle ride there is always a situation where a motorist has gone past and not given a blind bit of notice.

“Car drivers cut it so fine, and it will result in someone being killed.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said they were called to the incident at around 11.48am.

“The car involved was a white Vauxhall Insignia. The driver was not injured,” he said.

“The cyclist, a 41-year-old man from Swindon, suffered a hip injury. He was taken to the Great Western Hospital by ambulance. His injury was not thought to be serious.”

Anyone with any information should call police on 101. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.