Minor prang on the way home

graeme_s-2

I had a stupid accident on the way home today. A car pulled out to overtake me while we were going round a blind right hand bend. There was a car coming the other way which sounded its horn and came to a stop, the car overtaking me then pulled in front of me, and then applied the brakes to stop for on coming traffic as there were parked cars blocking our side of the road. I applied my brakes hard, but we were going down a short hill at this point and I couldn't quite stop in time.

I steered to the left in the hope of going between her car and the curb, but ran out of time (and space) and clipped the back left corner of her car. First my tyre on her bumper, and then my handle bar (and hand) on her left rear light cluster. Was a pretty slow speed collision, but there was still a bit of a bang.

She got out to inspect the damage, and I came over all British and thrust a business card into her hand in case she wanted to claim for damage (I have 3rd part with CTC) even though I now feel it was more her fault than mine. She didn't even seem fussed about taking it, even though her bumper looked a bit dinged and her light cluster had a big white mark on it from my bar tape.

She said I should have moved in because the road narrows there, I said she shouldn't have overtaken me there and she just grunted.

I'm hoping I hear no more about it, but have contacted CTC, who are emailing me a claims form just in case she does get back in touch.

My right index finger is a bit sore from getting banged between the brake lever and her car. My bar tape is a little bit torn, but other than that no apparent damage to me or bike, so not too bad.

It happened here:


The arrows are my route. She started to overtke me pretty much on the right hand bend, and it's then a hill down to the junction. The blue lines are parked cars, and the orange circle is where I hit her.

It's a total pain of a junction. I've had people have near misses with oncoming traffic while overtaking me there before. I've had people pull out of Manor Road and nearly take me out, and I once had someone overtake me and then left hook me by turning into Manor Road.

It's a perfect storm of craziness, as it's just round the corner from the station (Manor Road leads to/from Coventry Railway Station), so there are lots of taxis about, there are always parked cars all the way down both sides of the Stoney Road, and there is a nursery (maybe two) at the far end of Stoney Road.

Wallace1492

Not so good mate, hope it works out OK. Came near myself tonight on Maryhill road when a car pulled out to turn right across me, he saw me at last moment and stopped. Thing was it was dull and raining and I didn't have my lights on, got them on sharpish after that!!

downfader

Bad luck Graeme. From your description it sounds as if she is mostly to blame as she f***ed up the overtake and didnt evaluate your speed at all. I have found myself in similar situations on similarly laid out roads and have had to put out a palmed hand backwards to the driver to warn them "not now!"

My advice to anyone reading this is to stop pedalling when these numpties do this and cover the brakes. You do end up having to think for them, since some drivers seem so incapable.

fossyant

Her fault...... full stop.

CiB

Can't see how you can be deemed to be at fault here. She overtook you on a bend then ran out of room because she had nowhere to go, forcing you to take the actions you took. The simple question is "who's decsion to overtake without a clear view of the road ahead caused the collision?". Not a contest, based on what you've described. She overtook you, jammed on the anchors, and caused you to run into her. Sorted.

antfly

A very similar thing happened to me today when an idiot overtook me on a blind bend on a country road with only room for one car. There was a car coming the other way so he braked and cut in front of me and I nearly hit him and if I had it wouldn`t have been my fault just as your accident wasn`t your fault.

graeme_s-2

I think it was the experience of seeing her brake lights come on, applying my brakes as hard as I could, and then having time to consider the fact that I was going to hit her car which left me with the feeling that I should have done something to prevent the accident.

Other than disappear into thin air, or start braking before I knew she was going to overtake me I can't think of anything I could have done to avoid it. Which as others have said, makes it entirely her fault!

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's helpful to get the views of other commuting cyclists. My index finger is a little sore today, but it's just a small bruise on the knuckle. Away over the weekend, but will have to give the bike another good look over before I ride it on Tuesday.

mr_hippo

I love these threads when a cyclist is never at fault, it's always the motorist!
The OP is familiar with the area - "It's a total pain of a junction. I've had people have near misses with oncoming traffic while overtaking me there before. I've had people pull out of Manor Road and nearly take me out, and I once had someone overtake me and then left hook me by turning into Manor Road." and has had other incidents there.
It's a 'blind right hand bend' and the approach is downhill.
So we already know the OP is familiar with the area and he knows about the parked cars - ' ...there are always parked cars all the way down both sides of the Stoney Road.'
'There was a car coming the other way which sounded its horn and came to a stop'
Why did the driver sound his horn; was it
1) He was selling ice cream
2) He was practicising the opening few bars of Beethoven's 5th
3) As a warning to other road users?
I am a kind man and will help you - it's not 1 or 2!
Have you noticed that no speeds have been mentioned - I wonder why?
From the photo, the overtake started on the arrowhead to the left of Manor Road. At which point the OP heard & saw the oncoming car - '...sounded its horn and came to a stop,' The overtaking car then applied the brakes and later the OP decided to brake.
Please learn to read the road!

Aidy

Generally, as far as insurance matters tend to be settled, the person running into the back of the other is at fault.

I reckon you're in the right though - her overtaking manoeuver clearly wasn't a safe one.

ride_whenever

the fact that you had time to consider your braking mean that she had finished her overtaking manouver and you were travelling too fast and or too close.

Clever Pun

mr_hippo wrote:

I love these threads when a cyclist is never at fault, it's always the motorist!
The OP is familiar with the area - "It's a total pain of a junction. I've had people have near misses with oncoming traffic while overtaking me there before. I've had people pull out of Manor Road and nearly take me out, and I once had someone overtake me and then left hook me by turning into Manor Road." and has had other incidents there.
It's a 'blind right hand bend' and the approach is downhill.
So we already know the OP is familiar with the area and he knows about the parked cars - ' ...there are always parked cars all the way down both sides of the Stoney Road.'
'There was a car coming the other way which sounded its horn and came to a stop'
Why did the driver sound his horn; was it
1) He was selling ice cream
2) He was practicising the opening few bars of Beethoven's 5th
3) As a warning to other road users?
I am a kind man and will help you - it's not 1 or 2!
Have you noticed that no speeds have been mentioned - I wonder why?
From the photo, the overtake started on the arrowhead to the left of Manor Road. At which point the OP heard & saw the oncoming car - '...sounded its horn and came to a stop,' The overtaking car then applied the brakes and later the OP decided to brake.
Please learn to read the road!

Nice rant... little confused though

According to

A car pulled out to overtake me while we were going round a blind right hand bend. There was a car coming the other way which sounded its horn and came to a stop, the car overtaking me then pulled in front of me, and then applied the brakes to stop for on coming traffic as there were parked cars blocking our side of the road. I applied my brakes hard, but we were going down a short hill at this point and I couldn't quite stop in time.

a vehicle is progressing perfectly normally along the road another vehicle pulls out to overtake without full vision of the road ahead. The oncoming car beeps and the overtaking vehicle it it pulls in sharpy mid manouvre and hitting the breaks...

how is this the overtakee's fault?


Graeme you wont get an insurance claim as it'll be much less than the excess

mr_hippo

Clever Pun wrote:

... little confused though

I'm sorry about your mental heath - ever thought of seeking help?

Clever Pun

mr_hippo wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

... little confused though

I'm sorry about your mental heath - ever thought of seeking help?

Wow, how very mature, try answering my question rather than resorting to playground tactics

I'm happy to start petty name calling if you want but that's not really part of this forum is it?

Now are you going to answer my post or troll somewhere else?

Edit: oh yes you might want to read this
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070314

il_principe

Clever Pun wrote:

mr_hippo wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

... little confused though

I'm sorry about your mental heath - ever thought of seeking help?

Wow, how very mature, try answering my question rather than resorting to playground tactics

I'm happy to start petty name calling if you want but that's not really part of this forum is it?

Now are you going to answer my post or troll somewhere else?

Edit: oh yes you might want to read this
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070314

+1 @ Clever Pun

spen666

On a quick read of your account ( obviously only a one sided version!) I cannot see how it is anything other than her fault for overtaking where inappropriate- her comments re you should have pulled over confirms to me it is her fault

mr_hippo

Clever Pun wrote:

Now are you going to answer my post or troll somewhere else?

Do you mean this?

Clever Pun wrote:

a vehicle is progressing perfectly normally along the road another vehicle pulls out to overtake without full vision of the road ahead. The oncoming car beeps and the overtaking vehicle it it pulls in sharpy mid manouvre and hitting the breaks...
how is this the overtakee's fault?

How many times on this thread have you seen the word 'brake' or 'brakes'? So what break are you talking about? Tea break? Coffee break?
What is an 'overtakee? Sounds like something a 2 year old would say.
I am familiar with the Highway Code but it appears that you are not! In your link what does section 168 say?

antfly

If I might interject here, an overtakee would be somebody who is overtaken, like a payee is someone who is being paid. It is correct and proper language.

Clever Pun

mr_hippo wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Now are you going to answer my post or troll somewhere else?

Do you mean this?

Clever Pun wrote:

a vehicle is progressing perfectly normally along the road another vehicle pulls out to overtake without full vision of the road ahead. The oncoming car beeps and the overtaking vehicle it it pulls in sharpy mid manouvre and hitting the breaks...
how is this the overtakee's fault?

How many times on this thread have you seen the word 'brake' or 'brakes'? So what break are you talking about? Tea break? Coffee break?
What is an 'overtakee? Sounds like something a 2 year old would say.
I am familiar with the Highway Code but it appears that you are not! In your link what does section 168 say?

Yes a vehicle will quite often pull in sharply for a tea break, context dear boy.

Well done you spotted a spelling mistake and failed to correct some perfectly valid grammar, hardly the point at hand and the ammunition of someone with no valid point to put across.

yes 168 does say that you should slow down if necessary but after having been overtaken on a blind bend (the first mistake if you will) and then sharply cut in I really can't see how you can justify saying the cyclist is at fault in this case. After all, no risky overtake no problem.

mr_hippo

antfly wrote:

If I might interject here, an overtakee would be somebody who is overtaken, like a payee is someone who is being paid. It is correct and proper language.

'Payee' is a valid agent noun but 'overtakee' is not. Which dictionary is it in?

antfly

I don`t know but the Charles regatta umpiring committee certainly think it is a word and I wouldn`t want to argue with them !
http://www.hocr-umpires.org/hocrrules.php

benno68

Overtaking on a blind bend, cutting the OP up and jamming the anchors on (sorry brakes, I mean brakes OK!) - seems like the OP was the subject of very inconsiderate driving at the least. Would the car driver have done this to another motor car or motor cycle? I doubt it.

I sincerely hope that my spelling and grammar are both in order, I wouldn't want to irritate anyone.

By the way guys, are any bike shops selling crystal balls yet, preferably with handlebar mounts?

Reading the roads can be learnt, predicting the actions of idiotic drivers can't.

fnegroni

Mr Hippo, you are a jerk.

There, I've said it.

I read the OP's post and yours, and you haven't got a clue what you are talking about.

If you are like the driver who nearly knocked me over tonight at a roundabout cause 'I was in the middle of the road' according to him (who does not know what a road and a lane are, even on a dual carriageway), then I hope you don't offspring.

downfader

Dont feed the Hippo. Its fat enough as it is.

fossyant

Mr H is a resident Troll on a number of forums..... sometimes makes sense, sometimes doesn't..........blame the time differences............

graeme_s-2

This is the view the driver who pulled in on me would have had when they pulled out (although with a lower perspective than the google streetmap camera that took this).


Would you pull onto the right hand side of the road here?

Now who do you think the oncoming driver was honking at. Me in secondary position on the left hand side, or the driver coming round a blind corner on their side of the road!?

rich_e

No way I would have done if I was driving my car.

But a lot of drivers seem to have to instinctively overtake cyclists, without any regard to where they are and regardless of whether it's going to put even themselves in danger.

suzyb

A lot of drivers instinctively overtake anyone going slower than them without any regards to where they are. I've seen plenty of drivers overtake cars (so going 40+ mph) on the approach to a similar bend near here.

downfader

Good video here (ignore the troll there, LOL, had fun with him yesterday )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67JQLEiNaM

paul.skibum

I tend to sit a bit more prominently in the road when approaching blind corners in an attempt to make the driver behind me think about how far over he has to go to pass me - seems to work most of the time - anytime I am closs to the verge they seem to think they have carte blanche to overtake.

I think in this instance the OP was in right - OK he knows the road and potential risks but then that doesn't mean he should have stopped or slowed down in case someone overtook him there - we'd never get anywhere with that sort of attitiude!