Hit And Run

dmuk
dmuk Posts: 8
edited August 2015 in Commuting general
Unfortunately I was involved in a hit and run incident this week. Driver drove into me and my bicycle; then drove off. Luckily body and bike are okay.

I called the police at the time of the incident however they said "as I am okay" I need to go into a station and lodge a report. I've done this however not sure if anything will happen.

I had no camera on me at the time and no CCTV footage is available. However I am sure if someone tried hard enough they could locate the car involved.

I just wonder how many of these cases happen daily and drivers get away with it.

Comments

  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    Sorry to hear about your accident - I do hope your Ok, or at least recovering, and your bike wasn't badly damaged.

    How long ago did the accident happen?

    Do you recall any specifics of the car, such as reg number (even a partial) , make, model, stickers etc? The only person who will try hard enough to find the car is you.

    You may not have had a CCTV directly pointed at you, but return to the spot and go into every shop/bank covering the roads around the area. It doesn't need to covering the area of the accident, but the roads in and around the accident to prove the car was at least there, and hopefully a better view of driver and reg numbers, which will then result in the police having something to go on.

    Do it very quickly, as most CCTV auto-loops within 7 days or less.

    Typically, the coppers won't do this in time, and therefore any evidence will have been lost :(

    Yours

    Wolfsbane2k.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    Sorry to hear about your accident. The most recent stats I've seen (for London) are that around 20% of accidents where a motor vehicle hits a pedestrian or cyclist are a hit and run. I propose that we force these rogue motorists to have insurance and a registration plate. They should also have to pass a test before they are allowed on the road....

    Even though the bike may seem OK I would definitely recommend getting it checked over at a bike shop. You could easily have damage that could potentially be dangerous that isn't immediately obvious.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19679238#p19679238]dmuk[/url] wrote:
    I just wonder how many of these cases happen daily and drivers get away with it.
    Once in 8 years of cycling to work for me, and it was a few months after I started.

    It was a bus. I had some details (including the bus company's name) which I gave to the police but after 6 months they just sent me a letter saying sorry we've not been able to find the driver.
  • dmuk
    dmuk Posts: 8
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19679816#p19679816]Wolfsbane2k[/url] wrote:
    You may not have had a CCTV directly pointed at you, but return to the spot and go into every shop/bank covering the roads around the area. It doesn't need to covering the area of the accident, but the roads in and around the accident to prove the car was at least there, and hopefully a better view of driver and reg numbers, which will then result in the police having something to go on.

    I have contacted various businesses and buildings around the place but they don't seem to have any footage. I have also contacted the local borough. No luck.

    I could pay £10 for TFL to provide footage although I have heard they are reluctant to provide footage where the requester is not featured. Plus I am not even certain what location to request footage as the car drove away along minor roads.

    I am pretty surprised in the CCTV society that there is no easily available footage.

    Unfortunately I didn't get sight of the plates. I am some details on the car but it's all pretty general.

    From now on I'll be riding with a camera.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    I got my bike nicked and we went to a neighbouring company that we knew had cctv. The one in the yard had nothing but their trucks have dashcams and one was pointing along the road the thief would have used. Sure enough, there he was riding one bike and wheeling the second alongside. Straight into the camera. Nothing! It was into the sun so you couldn't see anything other than a guy with two bikes.

    Basically a lot of cctv isn't any use. Just look at the dodgy cctv shots on Crimewatch appeals.
  • Snakebite the 2nd
    Snakebite the 2nd Posts: 452
    The whole situation is disgusting.

    I got carved up by a dustcart.
    Even with the full registration, description of the driver all the police did was (allegedly) send a letter to the registered owner.

    I tried to trace the operator of the dustcart but nobody admitted it was theirs, so frustrating as there cannot be that many people emptying the recycling at the local leisure centre!

    I reported it to Operation Crackdown, or Operation Crass as I prefer to call it and all I got was......... nothing.

    Glad you are ok though, and the bike.

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