Exchanging details after incident with cyclist

maurice28

Hi - sorry for starting a second thread in one morning, but while writing the story of what happened this weekend in the 'Your worst incident on the road' thread, a question occured to me about exchanging details. Just to recap what happened:

Yesterday, I was driving and stopped on the road signalling to turn right into a car park for a garden centre. My wife was with me and said that there would probably be more spaces in a car park on the left (the garden centre has stores on both sides of the road).

So I changed my indicator to signal left, checked the mirror and saw nothing, started to pull over and suddenly a cyclist was next to the car. I can only assume he was in a blindspot when I looked in the mirror. We clipped his bike, he wobbled a bit and then fell off into a parked car.

We rushed out to check he was OK, and he seemed more concerned about our car! He had a bit of a graze on his knee but was otherwise unhurt thank God. His bike also seemed undamaged. He apologised and said he didn't see the indicator, I apologised that I hadn't seen him in the mirror. We parted on good terms and a handshake, both apologising.

However, I thought afterwards that we should have exchanged details, even though he insisted he was fine, there was no damage to his bike or the car. I think we were both focused on making sure there was no injury or anything that we didn't think about exchanging details. I just wanted to check, is not exchanging details an offence or anything?

We had a quick glance at the parked car he bumped into as well but couldn't see any damage. Again, we were focused on making sure he was OK and didn't leave details on the car just in case there was something we didn't see. I assume this can be an offence on both our parts, should there be any damage that we didn't spot?

Car_54

After an accident (defined as where personal injury occurs to anyone other than you, or damage to anything other than your vehicle or to an animal) you are required to provide:

- Your reg. no
- Your name and address, and those of the vehicle owner if different

In addition, if personal injury is involved, you must give insurance details. If you can't, you must produce your insurance certificate to the police as soon as practicable and within 24 hours.

All of this applies to drivers of motor vehicles. There is AFAIK no such requirement on the cyclist.

Since there was a personal injury in your case, you need to report it to the police. And to your insurance company, in case of a claim either from the cyclist or the car owner.

[Deleted User]

My experience of an incident similar to this is that the police didn't want to know when I reported the accident, as there were only cuts and bruises involved. When I had to go back to them asking for the motorists insurance details after he did a moonlight flit without paying for the damage they seemed to regard it as a waste of their time.

Silver-Surfer_2

Car_54 wrote: »

After an accident (defined as where personal injury occurs to anyone other than you, or damage to anything other than your vehicle or to an animal) you are required to provide:

- Your reg. no
- Your name and address, and those of the vehicle owner if different

In addition, if personal injury is involved, you must give insurance details. If you can't, you must produce your insurance certificate to the police as soon as practicable and within 24 hours.

All of this applies to drivers of motor vehicles. There is AFAIK no such requirement on the cyclist.

Since there was a personal injury in your case, you need to report it to the police. And to your insurance company, in case of a claim either from the cyclist or the car owner.

Section 170 (5)(b) Road Traffic Act says otherwise. Unless the cyclist asked for proof of insurance.

neilmcl

jack_pott wrote: »

My experience of an incident similar to this is that the police didn't want to know when I reported the accident, as there were only cuts and bruises involved. When I had to go back to them asking for the motorists insurance details after he did a moonlight flit without paying for the damage they seemed to regard it as a waste of their time.

My experience was different, the police was very much interested and said I did the right thing to report the incident, although it did involve a minor so maybe that was the main reason.

maurice28

Thanks all, I just gave 101 a quick call to get their guidance. Explained that the only injury seemed to a minor knee graze but they advised reporting it to the local station just to be safe. I'll go and do this now.

Thanks all for the responses!

spadoosh

Is everyone not missing the fact that the cyclist hit a parked car?

How was the owner of that vehicle informed of the accident? Nothing suggest they where.

Is the offence not failing to stop at the scene of an accident? (ie driving off without informing the owner?)

Silver-Surfer_2

maurice28 wrote: »

Thanks all, I just gave 101 a quick call to get their guidance. Explained that the only injury seemed to a minor knee graze but they advised reporting it to the local station just to be safe. I'll go and do this now.

Thanks all for the responses!

Don't forget your driving documents then. And fingers crossed they don't prosecute you.

Car_54

Silver-Surfer wrote: »

Section 170 (5)(b) Road Traffic Act says otherwise. Unless the cyclist asked for proof of insurance.

Para 5(b) actually says:

"If, in a case where this section applies by virtue of subsection (1)(a) above, the driver of a motor vehicle does not at the time of the accident produce such a certificate of insurance or security, or other evidence, as is mentioned in section 165(2)(a) of this Act— (a)to a constable, or
(b)to some person who, having reasonable grounds for so doing, has required him to produce it,
the driver must report the accident and produce such a certificate or other evidence."


Was the certificate produced to a constable - no. To some other person - no.



So it must be reported as required in para (6), i.e. "at a police station or to a constable, and ... as soon as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, within twenty-four hours of the occurrence of the accident."

Silver-Surfer_2

Car_54 wrote: »

Para 5(b) actually says:

"If, in a case where this section applies by virtue of subsection (1)(a) above, the driver of a motor vehicle does not at the time of the accident produce such a certificate of insurance or security, or other evidence, as is mentioned in section 165(2)(a) of this Act— (a)to a constable, or
(b)to some person who, having reasonable grounds for so doing, has required him to produce it,
the driver must report the accident and produce such a certificate or other evidence."


Was the certificate produced to a constable - no. To some other person - no.



So it must be reported as required in para (6), i.e. "at a police station or to a constable, and ... as soon as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, within twenty-four hours of the occurrence of the accident."

Who has required it to be produced?

spadoosh

Why are you getting into the nitty gritty?

Both cyclist and motorist failed to notify the 3rd party (the parked car).