Cyclist collision at mini round about
Comments
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It sounds unlucky, but can't see how it won't be deemed your fault.
If you were being prosecuted, having no lights would form part of your defence. In this case your insurer could argue, but I can't imagine they'd bother.
There's no requirement to wear a helmet, so that's irrelevant. That said, there was a case recently (I think it was a death) where the judge indicated there was some fault on the cyclist for not wearing a helmet.
Unless the cyclist was claiming for some sort of head injury it would be totally irrelevant, and more people suffer head injury while in a car than on a bike so it would make sense for all vehicle occupants to wear a helmet.0 -
[...] Fast approaches and quick observations feel like good driving until the day they let you down...
And that neatly sums up so much that goes wrong on our roads! People simply can't process information as fast as they often think they can.
Most of the time they get away with it, and every close call convinces them how good their reaction to the "unforseeable" event was. Then, one day, they don't - at which point it was clearly unavoidable because of all the ones they've brilliantly avoided in the past.
Personally, I almost missed an HGV in my blind spot as I was joining a dual carriageway last week (nasty slip road but I know it is so no excuse there). As I became aware of it (apparently before the HGV driver became aware of me), made the right choice and accelerated out of trouble brilliantly. Then gave myself a good slap for being such a !!!! in the first place
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Hi
Its impossible I was going at any great speed, as the round about is just after a set of lights, I all but stopped and probably was going no more than 5mph in my opinnion. I understand your take, I did look Assess, decide and act, and it involved me seeing a stationary vehicle and decided to move out and not seing the cyclist with no lights probably thundering down the inside. How is it possible to see at a junction if a bike is behind a car?0 -
emmasaunders wrote: »Hi
How is it possible to see at a junction if a bike is behind a car?
By being aware that bikes (pedal and motor) often filter past cars so keeping an extra awareness for them?
If that little gem had passed you by up until now, no doubt you'll remember it next time - and just be thankful there isn't a dead bike rider in your past to keep that thought extra fresh in your mind.0 -
filtering and undertaking at a junction with no lights at speed and not looking at traffic in-front of you are two different things.
The majority of the forum seem to think its acceptable to cycle in the dark with no lights
Can you all put your hand on your heart and say that this couldn't have happened to one of you?0 -
emmasaunders wrote: »The Road Traffic Act 1991, s.42; The Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, s.
is. As soon as the sun drops behind the horizon bicycle lights should be switched on even if there may be plenty of light left to see by on a clear evening. Failure to have the correct lights or reflectors can result in being issued a Fixed Penalty Notice where the maximum is £30[6] or you can be subject to a maximum fine of £1000 in the courts.
Since you're so hot on the law have you reported this collision?
Not having lights on a bike won't get him points where as failing to report will get you some.0 -
Joe_Horner wrote: »By being aware that bikes (pedal and motor) often filter past cars so keeping an extra awareness for them?
If that little gem had passed you by up until now, no doubt you'll remember it next time - and just be thankful there isn't a dead bike rider in your past to keep that thought extra fresh in your mind.
Exactly. It almost doesn't matter long term who was at fault and who wasn't (obviously it does in terms of sorting out damage, injuries, prosecutions etc. after accidents). What matters is what you learn from it.
If I failed to see a cyclist in these circumstances, whether we collided or nearly did, whether lit or unlit, in broad daylight or darkest night and pouring with rain, I am going to be giving myself such a telling off.
We all know that cyclists aren't always well lit, we all know that they filter down the outside. You might almost wonder why we have the 'Think Bike' campaigns...0 -
just got off the phone to insurance company
there is no failure to report - I stopped at the scene and exchanged details with the cyclist0 -
Furthermore, rule 211 says that ‘it is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are filtering through traffic’
Although Rule 211 states that drivers should ‘look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic’ which could be taken to mean that drivers have responsibility for looking for riders before performing a manoeuvre, it is important for cyclists to anticipate the actions of other road users and avoid risks at all times. There is no specific guidance in the Highway Code about when it is or is not safe to filter through traffic, however there are some basic pieces of safety advice that cyclists should have in mind when on the roads.
Perhaps the most important advice for cyclists contemplating filtering through traffic is to avoid doing so on the approach to a junction. This advice is echoed in Rule 167 of the Highway Code: ‘Do not overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example, approaching or at a road junction on either side of the road’. Obviously the risk of doing so is that a car ahead may turn into a side road without warning, leaving the cyclist with inadequate time to brake or change direction.0 -
emmasaunders wrote: »just got off the phone to insurance company
there is no failure to report - I stopped at the scene and exchanged details with the cyclist
So you're certain he's not injured?
Good luck.0
This discussion has been closed.
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