just had an accident!

trevtherev

Stupid really and only have myself to blame! I was coming out of central Bristol 2 hours ago and could see the lights ahead of me just past harvey nicks..like most cyclist I know the lights sequence and I was riding fast to get through on green. All pedestrians were accounted for and the cyclist in front of me was on the left....but as I passed at speed he veered to the right and literally took me out!! We fell hard to the right and damaged a car door as we hit the ground. He was bleeding from his leg and I although shaken appeared to be ok bruised a little bleeding but ok. I called an ambulance for my fellow rider and as we waited some security men, trained in first aid tended to his wounds..the ambulance was called as he had a deep and bleeding gash. The lady whoose car we fell into was not surprisingly annoyed and she called the police who took a statement...not sure what good that will do her I presume she will have to claim on her car insurance. She was parked on a double yellow line and I took a pic...which caused a further argument. The ambulance arrived and saw to my fellow rider and I called my wife for a lift home as I appeared ok...but on the way home I discovered two bumps on my head and bruising on shoulders...I am now in a little pain but should pass. The bike was bent around the handle bars but very little in the way of marks ( my beloved giant :x) and you have probably guessed by now I was not wearing a crash helmet...if I had I would not have these bumps on my head....the moral of the story...take your time...don't try to race lights..and for godsake wear a helmet!!!

iPete

Ouch, a tough way to learn but glad no serious injuries!

A little late but maybe time to get third party liability insurance when your back on the bike.

gareth1234

So, because you were trying to beat the lights, a cyclist was injured, requiring an ambulance being called and a car was damaged, but quote "I presume she will have to claim on her car insurance". Why should she? You pay, it was your fault!! more quote "Stupid really and only have myself to blame"

CyclingBantam

gareth1234 wrote:

So, because you were trying to beat the lights, a cyclist was injured, requiring an ambulance being called and a car was damaged, but quote "I presume she will have to claim on her car insurance". Why should she? You pay, it was your fault!! more quote "Stupid really and only have myself to blame"

So we are ignoring the fact she was parked somewhere she is specifically not allowed to park because it is dangerous to park there.

From the OP's description I fail to see how it was his fault. What is wrong with racing the lights? I do it all the time, I like (trying to) ride fast. I never jump them.

Sounds like it was the mupper who turned without looking that was at fault. Either way though she is certainly not blameless. Unfortunate the accident happened where her car was but they don't put double yellows down just for a joke.

To the OP - Hope you and the bike are on the road to recovary.

trevtherev

perhaps i am being a little unfair to myself here the guy who collided with me pulled his bike right in front of me...in fact I could argue and prob would that he caused the accident but I am being somewhat being realistic by saying it was an accident...we both played our part if pedestrians and cyclists tried looking around them when they crossed the road perhaps accidents of this nature would not happen :evil: :evil: :evil: I do take my share of the blame and did not take the incident any further...as for the lady...if she is stupid enough to park on a double yellow line....tough!!!

trevtherev

exactly my point cyclingbantam...the guy pulling infront of me was more at fault...I called him an ambulance and waited with him...then I left and would say I am in some pain now...but I accept my part...I felt I was safely travelling towards the lights knowing the sequence in that part of Bristol well until I am blocked by a cyclist not paying attention or looking around him

gareth1234

It it was 2 cars for example, the blame would lie squarely with the driver behind, as he can see what is happening. Why should bikes be any different? I love to beat the lights, but not at the expense of injuring other cyclists and damaging parked cars(illegally parked or not)
OP admits blame, why talk him out of it?

CyclingBantam

gareth1234 wrote:

It it was 2 cars for example, the blame would lie squarely with the driver behind, as he can see what is happening. Why should bikes be any different? I love to beat the lights, but not at the expense of injuring other cyclists and damaging parked cars(illegally parked or not)
OP admits blame, why talk him out of it?

He hasn't accepted blame, he was clearly taking some responsibility which is a bit rare unfortunately.

If it was two cars the situation would be exactly the same, if you are overtaking someone, they are not indicating or making any attempt to turn then they swerved across a lane into the side of you they are the ones driving without due care.

Either way, it was two cyclists so it is pointless bringing cars in to the argument, that is as relevent as if it was two donkeys.

gareth1234

first sentence in original post " i only have myself to blame" now it's everyone else's fault!
moral of the story, take your time, don't race lights....his words, not mine.

CyclingBantam

I'm presuming you are chasing to ignore his later posts?

Not being argumentative but why on earth is the moral of the story to not race the lights. Fun is getting drained out of everything we do. I will happily race the lights. However fast I am riding, if someone swerves across me just as I'm passing them I will be taken out. You can only do so much, some things are unavoidable unless you just stop riding n

kelsen

Glad you are ok, and hope the other rider is too. Have to say though, I think its irrelevant in this case that the car was parked on double yellow lines. Whether or not the driver should be penalised for parking there is a different matter. What is relevant is that through your actions and/or that of the other cyclist, somebody's car got damaged, and for them to have to claim through their own insurance, maybe having to pay a substantial excess out of their own pocket and possibly incurring an increase in their premium later on seems pretty unfair on the third party. It's admirable of you to admit your mistake here, but offering to bear the cost of repair for the damage would have been even better, instead of arguing the toss about parking on double yellow lines.

The Rookie

Glad to hear your basically OK....

The car driver is entitled to claim, there are many legal reasons for parking on DYL's and whether she was using one of them or not is irrelevant to her ability (and rights and chances of success) to claim.

If you were passing the other bike and it veered into your path he was in the wrong, if you were cutting a bit close and he merely 'wobbled' then you were at fault.simply put, had he maintained his course how close would you have passed?

Simon

jeremyrundle

Doesn't matter where she was parked that is a matter for the police if they chose to give her a ticket, you hit a stationery car end of story, why should she lose her no claims bonus for an impatient cyclist.

CyclingBantam

jeremyrundle wrote:

Doesn't matter where she was parked that is a matter for the police if they chose to give her a ticket, you hit a stationery car end of story, why should she lose her no claims bonus for an impatient cyclist.

So, you go round a blind corner and a car is parked across the lane, still your fault?

Putting 'end of story doesn't mean you are right'. Very few things are so black and white.

phillipjohnson

I like to take it easy on the bike... rushing around on anything (car, bike etc) causes more injuries than just taking it easy and getting there safely.

Whatever happened in front of you... if you were in a car speeding up to get through traffic lights and a bike or car moved in front of you and you went into the back of them it would be entirely your fault. You know the lights and things between you and them are a hazard so slow down a bit rather than speed up. Go slow enough to give yourself a chance to respond.

I know everybody is different and some people enjoy going fast but is it really worth it?

I'm a bit biased... I generally ride a Brompton and just take it at a nice easy pace... I find the general fitness that comes from cycling is enough for me... I don't care about stats... if I get there in 30 minutes or 35 minutes doesn't really matter.

Even on my cross bike though, I'm happy with an average of 12 mph and I ride enough to appreciate the general improvement in my fitness due to regular cycling.

CyclingBantam

My point though is that it is not the speed that is the issue here. If someone just swerves out in front of you/in to the side of you, sometimes there is little you can do about it.

When I say ride fast, I am in no way saying ride carelessly. Riding fast on a bike is quite different to going 'fast' in a car.

I ride assertively but very safely however, should someone I am passing just swerve out in front of me I would be in the same boat as the OP. Then hitting a car that is parked somewhere it is specifically not allowed is unfortunate but how do we know that didn't contribute to the accident. There is a reason it isn't allowed to park there.

Not just trying to defend the cyclist her, if anything I think it is the first cyclists fault more so than the OP but we can't really know without being there. I just think the car driver isn't blameless either as they have done something wrong and conceavably have even caused the whole thing (although that sounds unlikely in this case).

It does help if people don't just decide which rules they want to obay and which ones they don't.

mroli

CyclingBantam wrote:

So, you go round a blind corner and a car is parked across the lane, still your fault?

Yes. It is. If you go round a blind corner and the car is across the middle of the road and you hit it, its your fault. You should not be taking corners at a speed where you cannot come to a stop before hitting anything stationary in the road.

Same as when you turn right, if you hit a pedestrian crossing the road into the road that you are turning it is ALWAYS your fault.

jeremyrundle

CyclingBantam wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

Doesn't matter where she was parked that is a matter for the police if they chose to give her a ticket, you hit a stationery car end of story, why should she lose her no claims bonus for an impatient cyclist.

So, you go round a blind corner and a car is parked across the lane, still your fault?

Putting 'end of story doesn't mean you are right'. Very few things are so black and white.

YES a stationery vehicle is stationery and your question is :?:

jeremyrundle

CyclingBantam wrote:

My point though is that it is not the speed that is the issue here. If someone just swerves out in front of you/in to the side of you, sometimes there is little you can do about it.

.

Some would say if you were riding properly and prepared for the unexpected then you should not find yourself in that situation, a bike in front could have had either a moron on it or a complete beginner, should have waited for them to pull away and see, three seconds of patience would have avoided all this and the post :!:

If you were stopped on a double yellow as a cyclist and a car came round and hit you is it your fault, shouldn't have stopped on double yellows :!:

whitestar1

Its good to know that you are not too bad off (well it could have been worse) but you should now consider getting a CTC membership. that £10m third party insurance would come in handy about now if you had it. Wont the driver's insurance be knocking at your door soon?

whitestar1

I know its after the fact, but having insurance goes some way. Check out this link
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12772979

The Rookie

CyclingBantam wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

Doesn't matter where she was parked that is a matter for the police if they chose to give her a ticket, you hit a stationery car end of story, why should she lose her no claims bonus for an impatient cyclist.

So, you go round a blind corner and a car is parked across the lane, still your fault?

Of course, you no more or less likely to hit it if its in a traffic queue, its your responsibility to make sure your speed is appropriate, if the parking were in some way dangerous it may be used to reduce the amount awarded for a compensation claim, but in terms of their material loss (damage to car) I doubt it will make any difference at all.

Simon

snailracer

Cyclists are entitled to wobble (though wobbling is not quite the same as slaloming across lanes) - it's up to whatever is overtaking them to make sufficient allowance.

Origamist

snailracer wrote:

Cyclists are entitled to wobble (though wobbling is not quite the same as slaloming across lanes) - it's up to whatever is overtaking them to make sufficient allowance.

Give wobblers room:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0VEVVta ... r_embedded

snailracer

Highway code rule 213:

"Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make."

EKE_38BPM

That needs to be aired again!

You don't see many young girls riding drops these days, they all ride £70, double bouncer, 24 geared MTBs to the crack den/porn shoot these days.

trevtherev

When I say originally i felt i was to blame..i'm that sort of guy! I was travelling faster than the other bloke but not in any way above the speed limit. The person who casued the accident was the other cyclist...I see the lights i know the sequence..i cycle a little fast but within reason..i can see the other cyclist on my left and I presume he will keep on the left..there are pedestrians on the right and left so if I am truthful I am more aware of them..as they usually have a habit of jay walking in front of cyclists! The next thing I know I am grounded by the cyclist on the left who has cleaned me out, the bikes are "joined"...we fall right and hit the parked car which is then scratched! I felt sorry for the guy on the floor as he was bleeding badly and although it was technically his fault I could certainly have alleviated the situation if I had been more sensible and travelled slower. I have sympathy with the lady whose car it was yes I was sharp... but I was tired..hurt, bleeding...and in pain...I will be joining CTC after this and glad to say I am back cycling my hybrid bike today to work.....

meanredspider

It doesn't always have to be one individual's fault - more than one person can contribute to an accident. How fast is too fast and how much room must give you before the person swerving has to take responsibility for the swerve? In these circumstances (where cars are involved) insurance companies often take a "knock-for-knock" position.

Sh!t happens

CyclingBantam

snailracer wrote:

Highway code rule 213:

"Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make."

Snail this isn't just directed at you but it seems people are deliberately mis interpreting the post I am making. Maybe it is just I have not been clear.

At no point am I saying you shouldn't give people room. The point is, based on what was originally pointed out in this thread was that the 'other' rider swerved across lanes (that is how I read it). My point is,even if I am riding, at any speed, in the right hand lane of three (for example) and someone in the left hand lane swerved right across them all at the wrong moment in to me, there would be little I could do to avoid them.

That is an extreme examply to try and make my point clear.

My point about the blind corner... was absolutely rubbish. Sorry.

I know what I was trying to get at but managed to c0kc it up!

snailracer

^^^
Don't worry, I wasn't taking a swipe at you either, I don't know enough about the accident to have an opinion.

I was just stating the general principle, as written in the HC.

Headhuunter

I agree with cyclingbantam, although perhaps caution is necessary when approaching lights, the other cyclist clearly needs to shoulder most of the blame, he swerved across a lane of traffic without due care and attention, causing an accident. If you had been in a car or on a motorbike the accident would have been a lot worse! As for the woman parked on double yellow lines, it's unfortunate that her car was damaged, but there is a reason double yellow lines are painted on roads, they're places you're not supposed to stop, this woman has learned the hard way. Tough.

I was almost taken out in a similar way a few months back. I pulled away from some lights which had just turned to green, moved to pass another cyclist when, without warning or even a look over the shoulder, he swerved across the lane to turn right. I clipped his bike but we both stayed on. Later I realised that the quick release lever on my back wheel had been flicked open!