Hi Folks,
A car crashed into me today (both me and bike on floor, but escaped any real damage) when it turned left into me without signalling and I (travelling at 20mph) hit its passenger door, came off and narrowly avoided going under its wheels.
Since I was OK, I didn't see the need of reporting the driver (who did stop and come to see if I was OK) to the police. However, now I wished I had - it was careless/dangerous driving and it's a statistic that should be recorded and the driver penalised for their error.
What do you people do when you have accidents?
Nat.
I was cut up by a car, should I report it?
-
keepontriking
- Posts: 472
- Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 9:40pm
- Location: Hampshire
- Contact:
I would definitely report it.
...and don't get fobbed off, demand an incident number.
Not least because when he gets home and sees a scratch, dent, footprint, bird droppings on his door - he may report you for causing the damage.
Given the apathy of authorities towards any potentially lethal driving, it is unlikely any action would be taken against him but it is possible he might receive a knock on the door from a local bobby which might make him think twice before trying the same idiocy again.
Glad you weren't hurt.
...and don't get fobbed off, demand an incident number.
Not least because when he gets home and sees a scratch, dent, footprint, bird droppings on his door - he may report you for causing the damage.
Given the apathy of authorities towards any potentially lethal driving, it is unlikely any action would be taken against him but it is possible he might receive a knock on the door from a local bobby which might make him think twice before trying the same idiocy again.
Glad you weren't hurt.
when I've come off and it's been the other person's fault and there has been no damage AND that person has been genuinely repentent then I haven't reported it. In both cases the person looked to be more distressed by what they ahd done than I was so I reckonned that they'd learned their lesson and that reporting it wouldn't achieve much.
If, however, there was damage or injury (and thus insurance claims might be on the cards), of the other person had tried to make stupid excuses or just drive of then I'd report it.
If, however, there was damage or injury (and thus insurance claims might be on the cards), of the other person had tried to make stupid excuses or just drive of then I'd report it.
Thanks for sympathy.
Ironically, it was only a few weeks ago that I witnessed a similar accident and saw just _how close_ the cyclist arm was to being run over by the rear wheel a they crashed to the floor.
This morning, the only thing going through my mind was keeping arms and legs tucked-in and trying to roll quickly away from the car. Since I achieved that, I felt strangely pleased with my in-accident 'agility' and neglected to exchange details.
I'll report the accident anyway and see how my first brush with Cambridgeshire's police goes down
Nat.
Ironically, it was only a few weeks ago that I witnessed a similar accident and saw just _how close_ the cyclist arm was to being run over by the rear wheel a they crashed to the floor.
This morning, the only thing going through my mind was keeping arms and legs tucked-in and trying to roll quickly away from the car. Since I achieved that, I felt strangely pleased with my in-accident 'agility' and neglected to exchange details.
I'll report the accident anyway and see how my first brush with Cambridgeshire's police goes down
Nat.
-
lauriematt
- Posts: 963
- Joined: 24 Apr 2008, 10:26pm
- Location: shropshire
natmat wrote:Thanks for sympathy.
Ironically, it was only a few weeks ago that I witnessed a similar accident and saw just _how close_ the cyclist arm was to being run over by the rear wheel a they crashed to the floor.
This morning, the only thing going through my mind was keeping arms and legs tucked-in and trying to roll quickly away from the car. Since I achieved that, I felt strangely pleased with my in-accident 'agility' and neglected to exchange details.
I'll report the accident anyway and see how my first brush with Cambridgeshire's police goes down
Nat.
let us know how the police deal with it...i always bite the bullet but ive never had a serious accident like this. the worst i had was someone smashed my handlebar with their mirror goin round a roundbout
WHAT DOESNT KILL YOU .... CAN ONLY MAKE YOU STRONGER
Report it. As KOT the driver may counter claim against you. You may have been in a certain amount of shock and the relief of surviving the incident makes you want to leave the scene asap. You know whether you were coming up his inside or he'd already overtaken you (there's a difference imo, though he should have indicated either way).
Personally I'm against ambulance chasing litigation but this sounds like stupidity on the drivers part.
Personally I'm against ambulance chasing litigation but this sounds like stupidity on the drivers part.
-
mhara
Vital that all incidents are reported, whether close shave due to aggression/intimidation or actual collision.
Only those incidents that get reported to the police get 'counted' for statistical use by Cycle England.
I had a piece of intimidatory driving aimed at me on the way back from sainsbury's this morning.
Even though I was well clear of any turning space he might have needed as he turned out of the side road he still drove so that his left hand front bumper came within a few inches of my back wheel and then hung back just behind me as we carried down the hill.
Unsure of what else he had in mind I pulled over and stopped, waving him by.
Took his registration number and have rung it in.
Yes, I was told they would pass it to the local officer but there was probably little they could do without an independent witness, but at least it's now in the stats.
Don't get mad, get even.
Only those incidents that get reported to the police get 'counted' for statistical use by Cycle England.
I had a piece of intimidatory driving aimed at me on the way back from sainsbury's this morning.
Even though I was well clear of any turning space he might have needed as he turned out of the side road he still drove so that his left hand front bumper came within a few inches of my back wheel and then hung back just behind me as we carried down the hill.
Unsure of what else he had in mind I pulled over and stopped, waving him by.
Took his registration number and have rung it in.
Yes, I was told they would pass it to the local officer but there was probably little they could do without an independent witness, but at least it's now in the stats.
Don't get mad, get even.
Natmat, yes, of course. And, get your bike checked properly too. I got knocked off years ago (many years ago!) and didn't/couldn't ride for about eighteen months afterwards.
When I did start again, I discovered that my beloved Galaxy which had seemed fine,was actually damaged.The head tube and seat tube were now very slightly out if line and as a result, the bike shimmied above about twelve miles an hour and therefore was effectively ruined.
Hopefully yours is nothing as bad as that but please check it anyway.
Mhara,best of luck. (No, I'm not being sarcastic either).
When I did start again, I discovered that my beloved Galaxy which had seemed fine,was actually damaged.The head tube and seat tube were now very slightly out if line and as a result, the bike shimmied above about twelve miles an hour and therefore was effectively ruined.
Hopefully yours is nothing as bad as that but please check it anyway.
Mhara,best of luck. (No, I'm not being sarcastic either).
-
keepontriking
- Posts: 472
- Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 9:40pm
- Location: Hampshire
- Contact:
pete75 wrote:No real harm done so why bother. Why be vindictive? And if you were overtaking cars on then it's 6 of one.....
Reporting incidents of bad driving that could have caused damage and may result in a claim against the 'victim' (from the other party) nothing to do with vindictiveness.
It is simply common sense.
Ignoring them is what has led to the almost anarchy that presently exists which leads to the roads becoming less safe for the more vulnerable road user.
BTW overtaking cars on a bike (which the OP hasn't mentioned) is a normal legitimate manoeuvre.
Not sure where the OP's 'overtaking cars' came from either. My original post said, 'the car turned left into me' - so it overtook me.
I reported this incident because it's another increment to the statistic that shows that roads aren't a safe place for cyclists. Nothing remotely related to being vindictive.
No damage done, other than a bit-of-pain from bouncing first into the car, then onto the tarmac at 20mph [good job I'm still young enough to bounce a bit]. Maybe I should just accept that 'these things happen'. However, this to me was as blatant an act of careless driving that I have yet encountered. I'm not hounding the driver down, I'm not claiming damages and it's being not vindictive to add my personal experience to the incident statistics.
Nat.
I reported this incident because it's another increment to the statistic that shows that roads aren't a safe place for cyclists. Nothing remotely related to being vindictive.
No damage done, other than a bit-of-pain from bouncing first into the car, then onto the tarmac at 20mph [good job I'm still young enough to bounce a bit]. Maybe I should just accept that 'these things happen'. However, this to me was as blatant an act of careless driving that I have yet encountered. I'm not hounding the driver down, I'm not claiming damages and it's being not vindictive to add my personal experience to the incident statistics.
Nat.