Stopping after an accident

pompeyvin

So had my first collision on the commute today, changing lanes to go right at the crossroads, ZAfira ahead fo me brakes suddely and I clip his driverside rear light with the handlebar/brake lever.
No damage to me, but brake lever has pierced through his light cluster(later found the glass has give me a puncture, got off ligtly).

Pull up alongside to speak to driver and suggest he pulls in (not sure his english was the best). I pull in to the next left, he carries on to the cross roads. I wait to see where he pulls in and he just continues straight on at the crossroads, and past another side road.

I'm feeling guilty now at the damage done to the car, but what would you do? How long do you chase after someone to exchange details? especially as I had no claim/damage myself.

greg66_tri_v2.0

You asked him to pull in. He declined. Had he done so, he would have realised that would have been the smart move for him.

No need to feel guilty about that.

bigmat

Who knows, could have been uninsured in which case wouldn't feel the need to go through the correct procedure. Sounds like you had a major let off!

thistle_

I think you need to report it to the police:
http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Co ... 0005513174

I doubt anything will be done if the other driver left the scene of the accident.

I wouldn't feel too guilty about it, like greg66 says you offered to sort it out and he declined.

TommyEss

Yeah, you stopped, he didn't. His problem really. Take it as a lesson re. judging stopping distances mind - you've got off lightly to be honest.

SimonAH

Strongly implies that he wouldn't have stood up to legal scrutiny. Only possible reason I can think of for him scarpering.

CiB

No-one was hurt so there's no need to report it. You advised him to pull in and he chose not to, so you've done all you could reasonably do and covered your backside. His decision to scarper is his to deal with.

pompeyvin

Yes, lessons learned on that one. Hit the brakes but was rather wet today. At least the collision speed was only 2-3mph.

My thought was also that he was uninsured, but didn't think to get the reg number before he drove off. Not sure how effective it would be to report to the police with no other detaisl than a make, colour and time but I'll look in to the forms.

Cheers all

TheStone

He might also have figured it wasn't worth the effort. You're both ok. Small cost for him, which sounds like you would have covered, but that could have meant a year or so of filling in forms etc, etc.

TommyEss

Not sure what you'd get for reporting it, other than a bill for his light cluster. Wet roads are a sod, particularly with road calipers. I remember once braking so hard I did an endo, and that was with two full panniers!!

danlikesbikes

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

I think you need to report it to the police:
http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Co ... 0005513174

I doubt anything will be done if the other driver left the scene of the accident.

I wouldn't feel too guilty about it, like greg66 says you offered to sort it out and he declined.

+1 to that - yes he should have stopped and probably didn't as thought there was little damage to their vehicle and may have thought that you were going to make a claim against them for damage to your bike so thought they got away with just driving away.

Happened to me a few years ago & I had little damage and nothing that I was too worried about and I was trying to give the driver my details and told to "reproduce and go". Had the driver who cut me up, then pulled over let me pass and then drove into me taken my details instead of being quite rude I would have pointed out the extensive damage to their pick-up caused by my bar ends and the cleat on my shoe, however they didn't.

Thankfully a local shop keeper had seen my hit and took the reg of the pick-up and we reported to the police from his shop and he gave a statement, plus he very kindly gave me a drink from his shop too.

bails87

I wouldn't bother reporting it. You did the decent thing, tried to own up and he drove off.

gtvlusso

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

I think you need to report it to the police:
http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Co ... 0005513174

I doubt anything will be done if the other driver left the scene of the accident.

I wouldn't feel too guilty about it, like greg66 says you offered to sort it out and he declined.

+1

It is possible that he was not insured or there was some other admin missing for him or the vehicle - hence he did not stop. More hassle than it was worth for him.

bails87

Report it to the police so that they can do nothing? About a Zafira with an unknown numberplate that may never drive down that road again?

A waste of the OPs time, in my humble opinion

The only impact on the OP that reporting it could possibly have is that he gets a bill for the repair.

gtvlusso

bails87 wrote:

Report it to the police so that they can do nothing? About a Zafira with an unknown numberplate that may never drive down that road again?

A waste of the OPs time, in my humble opinion

The only impact on the OP that reporting it could possibly have is that he gets a bill for the repair.

Reporting it is really an ar$e covering exercise. Should the driver of the vehicle see the damage and then report that he was hit by a cyclist that buggered off, if there is CCTV in the area, the Police will see evidence to the contrary.

bails87

Hmmm, good point, I suppose if the OP hadn't started this thread he wouldn't have had to worry about being tracked down

fossyant

Happened to me, hit a pothole, bounced me off line into the back of a black cab. Head shaped dent in boot. Gave driver my details, explained I was insured etc. Never heard from him. He didn't seem that fussed.

whitebait01

My understanding is that reporting it is his legal obligation, you don't technically have to as you weren't driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, otherwise it'd be your obligation too. Could be wrong, but what GTV says is right and proper. Get in before he does!

bails87

Did the driver commit an offence?

I was hit by a driver who then floored it through a very dark amber light to get away. I was cycling past the police station a few minutes later so thought I may as well pop in. I was told that because I wasn't injured and my bike wasn't damaged there was no crime. (I was knocked to the floor on the grass verge and he drove off without knowing I was ok)

So has the driver commited a crime, assuming he doesn't report it at all, even though the only damage was to his car?

beverick

whitebait01 wrote:

My understanding is that reporting it is his legal obligation, you don't technically have to as you weren't driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, otherwise it'd be your obligation too. Could be wrong, but what GTV says is right and proper. Get in before he does!

Yup, the onus is on the "driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle" although you'd be advised to report it 'just in case'. However, as the only damage seems to have been to the car then there is no need for the incident to be reported to the police by anyone.

CIB (above) said "No-one was hurt so there's no need to report it." which is pretty much incorrect. The law is quite specific as per the Road Traffic Act (Sn 170 I seem to remember).

Regards

Bob

sfichele

bails87 wrote:

Did the driver commit an offence?

I was hit by a driver who then floored it through a very dark amber light to get away. I was cycling past the police station a few minutes later so thought I may as well pop in. I was told that because I wasn't injured and my bike wasn't damaged there was no crime. (I was knocked to the floor on the grass verge and he drove off without knowing I was ok)

So has the driver commited a crime, assuming he doesn't report it at all, even though the only damage was to his car?

Found this, http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/digest/rta170.html from the Road Traffic Act. It does appear that unless there is injury or damage, there is no obligation to stop, making the law an ass imo. So there is no crime because he didn't stop, however, that's not to say that he didn't commit a crime due to dangerous driving.

whitebait01

The odd thing is that he wouldn't have known there was no injury/damage unless he stopped to assess it. In this case he was lucky there wasn't, but if there was injury and he left the scene and hadn't reported it within 24 hours he'd have committed a crime.

EDIT: In fact, if there was injury he'd have been required to stop, give his name and address, insurance details, name and address of the owner of the vehicle (if different) and give his registration number.

No insurance details required if he'd just caused damage apparently... The reporting it in 24 hours is if details weren't given. If injury or damage was caused he should have stopped anyway.