RTC? + Road rage - Advice please

karl j

wotcha jb

Was it a compulsory lane (marked by a solid white line) or a non-compulsory one (marked by a broken white line) ?

If it's a compulsory one she shouldn't have been in it in the first place. And if its a non-compulsory one, which it sounds like with your line "lot of cars in the cycle path" she should only have been in it if it was unavoidable. This is in the Highway Code somewhere, but sadly i don't think too many motorists know what that is, let alone actually read any of it.

Which IMO still doesn't in any way give you the right to bend her mirror in... what if you'd accidentally broken it off ? though i'm not a solicitor i'd guess it'd probably then become some sort of criminal damage type act (?). Or the sort of thing that'd result in you being run over by some Mr Angry.

Maybe she didn't see you.

Having said that i'm personally doubtful i'd have stopped, because of her abusive and aggressive manner. Though if you'd done that to my car (if i had one) i probably wouldn't be too polite either.



As other people have said, those lanes aren't good at the best of times. Maybe try overtaking on the outside next time ?

secretsam

1. Never touch the car, made this mistake once with a cabbie. Knock on the window next time, it really puts the sh1t up drivers 8)
2. I'm not sure I'd bother plod with it, it's your word against hers, mind you was there CCTV of the area? If so, it'll show the whole event... but I don't think she'll take it further
3. Forget her, she's probably a mor0n anyway, not worth the hassle

My final word: any evidence either way? Probably not. Let it go. So many idiots out there (on 4 wheels and 2)...it's just not worth getting too wound up about it

BentMikey

Gazzaputt wrote:

BentMikey wrote:

In future don't ride in the cycle lane - instead overtake properly on the outside. One lorry driver called on-road cycle lanes "execution zones".

Sorry but that is suicidal advice and ill though out.

Not at all - if you really believe you should be cowering on the left when overtaking, in the more dangerous bit of the road, then I just feel surprised. I see others have answered the point adequately.

Just because there's a cycle lane doesn't mean it's the best place to ride on the road. For the most part the green paint of the cycle lane is a good indication of where not to ride.

Gambatte

open the rear nearside door!

proto

FWIW this is what happened to me last year when commuting on my motorcycle.

Approaching a roundabout, two solid lines of traffic, almost stationary. I was filtering down the outside of both lanes. Approaching the roundabout , about 50 yards away, to get in the correct lane for my journey I needed to move between the two lanes of traffic to my left. A gap appeared, so I moved into, with the intention of then riding between the two side by side, almost stationary cars. Plenty of room, no incovenience to anyone. The car I had just passed on my left disn't like this and attempted to close the gap, unfortunately I was already in front of his car. He blasted his horn, I turned to look at the Shrek like creature, and he then drove into me, trapping my leg between my motorcycle and his bumper. Slowly, but surely, he pushed forwards such that I was on the point of toppling to my right. In desparation I managed to pull away, pull away into the gap between the two cars in front and go on my way, between them, thinking to myself that there are some right nutters out there.

A week later I received a letter from the police informing me that I was being considered for prosecution for driving without Due Care and Attention, failing to stop after a collision, and failing to exchange details after a collision. Driver was claiming that his bumper was damaged.

I replied in writing stating what had happened. I also asked that the driver be prosecuted for Dangerous Driving (cus it was). After much delay, police abandoned all actions, as insufficient eveidence to prosecute either party without independent witnesses.

Interestingly, at the time of the incident, a male was driving with a female passenger. The statement given to the police claimed that the woman was driving. I don't know why they lied in thir statement, but the police were interested.



My advice would be to go to the police and make a statement.

nwallace

Mithras wrote:

I can't find any reason why this should be counted as an RTC.

"Colliding" with the mirror, then leaving the scene. Would be harsh to get done for it though.

With mirrors costing anywhere between £10 quid for a dead basic one on a classic to Thousands for modern coach ones ("Known as P45s") you could do more value damage to a vehicle in touching the mirror than scratching the paint.

Bassjunkieuk

As most people have said on here already I think folding the mirror in was a bit overkill, at most it probably gave you another 4-6 inches to play with. Personally I quite enjoy seeing just how narrow a gap I can pass through - probably why I enjoy riding in London so much!

I would have either been filtering down the right, leant around her wing mirror (even if this meant slowing to put a foot down I still think this would have been quicker and easier then folding the mirror) or if I couldn't do either just wait!

I had one of those rotten private cab drivers cut into the bike lane on my commute yesterday, but then as he didn't stop at a giveway line for me 20 yards back I wasn't expecting much better. The driver didn't even acknowledge me as I came past him a few yards later, despite the fact that the passenger in the front had!