Incident with cyclist, thoughts?
Discussion
So I had an incident with a cyclist last week which was by my wrong doing.
Sitting in a filter lane at traffic light waiting to turn right. Lights go green, proceed to enter middle of 4 way junction and begin to turn in.
The cyclist coming from straight ahead ( he was going straight on )
Should have spotted him coming earlier but didn't ( I know it's no excuse saying "I didn't see you)
Spotted as I was just turning in and braked to a halt. ( could only have been going 8 mph so stopped immediately).
Cyclist then braked hard and went over the handle bars ( this was in front of me, there was absolutely NO contact with the bike & car)
Poor cyclist was taken away in an ambulance.
Police involved & took all my details but not sure what will happen next.
Look out for cyclists!!! Especially at lights/Junctions!. Would have been so much worse if there was a collision!
Sitting in a filter lane at traffic light waiting to turn right. Lights go green, proceed to enter middle of 4 way junction and begin to turn in.
The cyclist coming from straight ahead ( he was going straight on )
Should have spotted him coming earlier but didn't ( I know it's no excuse saying "I didn't see you)
Spotted as I was just turning in and braked to a halt. ( could only have been going 8 mph so stopped immediately).
Cyclist then braked hard and went over the handle bars ( this was in front of me, there was absolutely NO contact with the bike & car)
Poor cyclist was taken away in an ambulance.
Police involved & took all my details but not sure what will happen next.
Look out for cyclists!!! Especially at lights/Junctions!. Would have been so much worse if there was a collision!
I've been the cyclist in this situation, walking wounded but the car didn't stop
I just wrote it off as my fault for grabbing too much front brake and left it at that, next time if grab less and if I stop, great if not I've then got a reason/person to claim against
Reckon he may have a claim against you depending on how much you had pulled into his path, causing an accident if not actually having one. Your insurance co, could fight it but presume there are other witnesses...May (depending on who it is) have a driver improvement course to do from the coppers in attendance if they deem you at fault too
I just wrote it off as my fault for grabbing too much front brake and left it at that, next time if grab less and if I stop, great if not I've then got a reason/person to claim against
Reckon he may have a claim against you depending on how much you had pulled into his path, causing an accident if not actually having one. Your insurance co, could fight it but presume there are other witnesses...May (depending on who it is) have a driver improvement course to do from the coppers in attendance if they deem you at fault too
Probably the same as if you'd hit a car - they'll either make a compo claim or they won't. I've gone over the bonnet of a car turning across my path and it wasn't pleasant. Fortunately I was on my MTB so actually did more damage to the car than the bike - caved in the front wing and bonnet, and the hydraulic disc brake scrubbed a fair bit of my speed off. I had cuts and some deep bruising, thought I'd broken a bone in my wrist, but an x-ray confirmed just a bad sprain. I was out of sports action for 4 weeks but was able to go to work.
The other persons first reaction was that I came out of nowhere (a dead straight 1 mile road), then I was going too fast then it dawned on her that it was 100% her fault and she burst into tears. She checked up on my wellbeing several times after the accident and was lovely. The fact is it was a genuine accident, she meant me no harm and recovered the situation by being a nice human being afterwards. I've had worse injuries MTB'ing so saw no need to take it any further. No doubt I could of claimed something as my whole body was black and blue for a month.
I'll be interested to hear from experts whether the cyclist can make a successful claim on the basis you didn't actually hit them. I'd have thought so, but am not any expert.
The other persons first reaction was that I came out of nowhere (a dead straight 1 mile road), then I was going too fast then it dawned on her that it was 100% her fault and she burst into tears. She checked up on my wellbeing several times after the accident and was lovely. The fact is it was a genuine accident, she meant me no harm and recovered the situation by being a nice human being afterwards. I've had worse injuries MTB'ing so saw no need to take it any further. No doubt I could of claimed something as my whole body was black and blue for a month.
I'll be interested to hear from experts whether the cyclist can make a successful claim on the basis you didn't actually hit them. I'd have thought so, but am not any expert.
Not quite the same but my old man entered a mini roundabout and had a moped rider come screaming in from the right a split second later. She grabbed the front brake and went down but didn't hit his car. She was limping about saying her ankle hurt. Her boyfriend was following behind and apparently talked her into having a bad ankle from the fall - you know the sort, grab you neck, where there's blame...
The rider said 'sorry, my back brake doesn't work, I shouldn't have been going so fast, that's why my boyfriend is following as we're taking it to the garage to be fixed'. Someone called the Police who took statements and appeared to leave it at that. 6 months later the old man is in court for driving with undue care - he lost. He even had a letter from the garage saying they'd received the bike for a brake repair as the rear wasn't working - he had a fuel account at the same garage she'd taken it to.
This was back in the 80's so not sure if things have changed. I'd imagine a cyclist is less likely to pursue and insurance claim unless he's genuinely injured or has damaged kit as he won't have his own insurance to deal with it for him. The Police might pursue something though.
The rider said 'sorry, my back brake doesn't work, I shouldn't have been going so fast, that's why my boyfriend is following as we're taking it to the garage to be fixed'. Someone called the Police who took statements and appeared to leave it at that. 6 months later the old man is in court for driving with undue care - he lost. He even had a letter from the garage saying they'd received the bike for a brake repair as the rear wasn't working - he had a fuel account at the same garage she'd taken it to.
This was back in the 80's so not sure if things have changed. I'd imagine a cyclist is less likely to pursue and insurance claim unless he's genuinely injured or has damaged kit as he won't have his own insurance to deal with it for him. The Police might pursue something though.
Back in 1995 I was cycling around a busy roundabout, and was caused to fall off the bike by a driver pulling out in front of me. As I was turning and braking my front wheel slid away, and I tumbled.....I did not get hit by the car....I managed to roll to a stop before I hit her....if I had not stopped I think I would have gone into the side of her door
The accident caused me to loose my job owing to my injuries, I got a wee bit of money out of it, and the repairs to my bike. s
t happens, I was bitter and twisted for about 2 years over this incident, but it could have been worse.
It is always well and good third parties saying what the cyclist should have done, and what you should have done, but they were not there. Luckily he will be OK soon, but, that's what we have insurance for. Personally I wouldn't worry too much about it, but, learn from it!
on my accident...maybe I should have taken the bend slower....I thought she had seen me....she was looking in my direction before she moved out in front of me.....on your "incident"....maybe he should have looked across and started slowing?......
For all road users....green lights mean "Proceed if safe and clear!".....it takes two to Tango.....bet you will be looking a little more carefully from now on.....hope your cyclist makes a full recovery....it's pants not being able to play sport any more.....then then I am 21 years older now...and knackered any way....good luck !
The accident caused me to loose my job owing to my injuries, I got a wee bit of money out of it, and the repairs to my bike. s
t happens, I was bitter and twisted for about 2 years over this incident, but it could have been worse.It is always well and good third parties saying what the cyclist should have done, and what you should have done, but they were not there. Luckily he will be OK soon, but, that's what we have insurance for. Personally I wouldn't worry too much about it, but, learn from it!
on my accident...maybe I should have taken the bend slower....I thought she had seen me....she was looking in my direction before she moved out in front of me.....on your "incident"....maybe he should have looked across and started slowing?......
For all road users....green lights mean "Proceed if safe and clear!".....it takes two to Tango.....bet you will be looking a little more carefully from now on.....hope your cyclist makes a full recovery....it's pants not being able to play sport any more.....then then I am 21 years older now...and knackered any way....good luck !
Renaultsport.200 said:
In the rish hand lane before the lights to turn right. Should have given way after passing lights to turn right.
I don't want to go jumping to any conclusions about a cyclist running a red light, but if you had a green filter light to turn right the traffic coming towards you should have been held at a red light. That's why the filter light for those turning right is there. It gives those turning right a chance to go at the beginning or end of a traffic light sequence with the oncoming traffic held at a red light. Did any witnesses give you or the cyclist or the police an account of what they saw?
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