Car accident with a cyclist

[Swanny87]

It took the experience of a mate getting knocked off his bike in the exact same situation as yours. The lesson I learned was to force myself to look at the area where a cyclist may be when turning into side streets as I'm turning into them. This is because drivers of all ability never really look at that area (I've watched when other people are driving and that area of road is never really covered) as they are looking down the street they are driving into. I guess we have the mindset that we know its clear to cross the opposing carriageway and don't think there might be a bike there. My peripheral vision is good enough that should anything come up in the side road I'm turning into it isn't a problem. I've already looked down the street when I've pulled up to turn right anyway.

It hasn't helped yet as it's always been clear when I've turned into a side street but I think it's good practice to follow.

Edited by Swanny87 on Wednesday 22 October 11:51

Edited by Swanny87 on Wednesday 22 October 11:51

[GarryDK]

Sorry OP but by the sounds of it you are completely at fault here. Nice of you to offer to pay for the wheel, I have had a couple of collisions with drivers over the last couple of years and not once has a driver offered to pay, had to go through insurance companies to admit liability (which they did fully, helmet cams sort that out). Hopefully for you the rider won’t do that as speaking from experience he could comfortably take you to the cleaners, especially if he is hurt, which by the sounds of it he probably was, just because he was ok at the time doesn’t mean he wasn’t later that day or next day, adrenalin can do wonders to put pain off.

[DoubleSix]

Cyclist was probably suffering from the same condition most seem to be afflicted by where slowing down OF ANY KIND is impossible and any such loss of momentum is seen as an affront to their very existence. Must. Not. Brake.

[Mave]

DoubleSix said:

Cyclist was probably suffering from the same condition most seem to be afflicted by where slowing down OF ANY KIND is impossible and any such loss of momentum is seen as an affront to their very existence. Must. Not. Brake.

Yeah, right, that's probably what caused the accident. I bet he was travelling slower than most cars would have been...

[DoubleSix]

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

[Beer Man]

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

the clue is right there wouldn't you say??????

[Snollygoster]

So in essence you pulled across him and he went into your bonnet. Understood.

Sounds like you are ultimately at fault. Very much sympathize with you as there are so many cyclist out there with no or poor lights on their bike, especially as nights get darker earlier.

Although as you said, surely if he clicked the light button, it should have turned it off as would assume it was already on.

Either way, very much your word against his. You could be totally to blame and just genuinely didn't see him and got his light mixed up with a side light. If he's happy with his new wheel, let that be the end of it.

[ikarl]

Beer Man said:

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

the clue is right there wouldn't you say??????

Not really. I wouldn't go head on with a car (in my car) just because I had right of way. I would try my upmost to avoid any type of collision.

DoubleSix is intimating that a cyclist would 'keep going' in some instances just because they were in the right.....regardless, in some cases, of the outcome.

[DoubleSix]

Beer Man said:

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

the clue is right there wouldn't you say??????

Yeah that's why I wrote it.

If I exercised my right of way as enthusiastically as most cyclists I'd be spending a lot of time at the body shop or graveyard.

Anyway, I've spent more time in the saddle than most cyclists on PH have put together. I still observe levels of retardation amongst the cycling community that were previously reserved for Hanna-Barbera characters.

[mrmr96]

Beer Man said:

It's about being OBSERVANT and if you really need that explaining........

Expect the unexpected. Regard every other driver as if they're on a mission to kill you. Works for me. And no, I do not drive like an octogenarian.

You've not answered my question, and I assume that is because it is unanswerable as the accident would be unavoidable by you.

If you're driving along a main road and someone waiting at a T junction pulls out when you are 2 feet away then you'll hit them no matter how observant you are. You need to accept that the actions of others are beyond your control and as a result some accidents are not avoidable by you.

If someone stamps on their brakes in front of you then you should be able to stop before you hit them. However if someone changes lane in front of you and then stamps on the brakes you may not.

[DoubleSix]

ikarl said:

Beer Man said:

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

the clue is right there wouldn't you say??????

Not really. I wouldn't go head on with a car (in my car) just because I had right of way. I would try my upmost to avoid any type of collision.

DoubleSix is intimating that a cyclist would 'keep going' in some instances just because they were in the right.....regardless, in some cases, of the outcome.

I see someone is capable of reading AND comprehension! A rare thing in these parts....

[J4CKO]

I think the OP has been very honest, he made a mistake and acknowledges that, I do think he will be found at fault but it sounds like the cyclist got away relatively undamaged which is good.

I would hope that the cyclist had lights, they may turn off in a collision but to be honest, I dont think mine would, I suspect it was dusk, he was dressed in normal clothes and the OP just didnt spot him as it was going dark, all guesswork there.

I cycle most days and I think cyclists need to think like a dog at dinnertime and make themselves as visible as possible, do not rely on other people when you can be splatted so easily, sometimes I hear of people that have not had an eye test for ten years or have Glaucoma, ok, they "should" have seen you but they didnt, and guess what, you are the one with the legs that dont work any more, sat there wondering if perhaps some Hi Viz might have been an idea ?

I see people when out and about with no lights, one on the front, or one on the back or a light that produces very little light, they can be dressed in black, on a dark coloured bike, they only show up against a lighter background, which isnt always there.


So, at least two lights either end, it is called redundancy, if one fails you still have one ! hi viz jacket, maybe a light on your helmet (Fnarr Fnarr) so your outline can be seen, reflectors are good, reflective tape on bits of your frame, spoke reflectors, take time to think about how you appear to car drivers, and it should be like a mobile disco, lights are cheap nowadays and last for ages.

[mdavids]

ikarl said:

Not really. I wouldn't go head on with a car (in my car) just because I had right of way. I would try my upmost to avoid any type of collision.

DoubleSix is intimating that a cyclist would 'keep going' in some instances just because they were in the right.....regardless, in some cases, of the outcome.

I've crashed at > 70 mph in a car and walked away unscathed

I've crashed at < 15mph on my mountain bike and broke my collar bone, bruised every area of my body down one side and thought I was going to lose an eye.

Deliberately having an avoidable crash with a car is really not something the vast majority of cyclists would consider when even a slow speed off can lead to life changing injuries.

[mrmr96]

DoubleSix said:

ikarl said:

Beer Man said:

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

the clue is right there wouldn't you say??????

Not really. I wouldn't go head on with a car (in my car) just because I had right of way. I would try my upmost to avoid any type of collision.

DoubleSix is intimating that a cyclist would 'keep going' in some instances just because they were in the right.....regardless, in some cases, of the outcome.

I see someone is capable of reading AND comprehension! A rare thing in these parts....

Indeed, there's no point having "I was right" written on your tombstone.

[DoubleSix]

mdavids said:

I've crashed at > 70 mph in a car and walked away unscathed

I've crashed at < 15mph on my mountain bike and broke my collar bone, bruised every area of my body down one side and thought I was going to lose an eye.

Deliberately having an avoidable crash with a car is really not something the vast majority of cyclists would consider when even a slow speed off can lead to life changing injuries.

Agreed. But that is because they don't believe the crash will occur. Beer Man's post above illustrates the common attitude.

They have the right of way after all.......

[AlasdairMc]

mrkhan89 said:

I waited for the two cars to pass then I slowly began to turn in, next thing I know, there is a cyclist on my bonnet!

Just a thought, and one perhaps not relevant in this situation, but how long did you wait, and did the cars pass you fully before you moved across the lane?

I see this sort of thing all the time as a cyclist, I'll be behind a vehicle and the driver turning right on the other side of the road will not wait long enough before starting their move.

Consider the four corners of a car. Many drivers will turn right when they can see only three of the four corners of that other car (front left, front right, rear right) whereas the view of the cyclist will be blocked by the rear right corner of the car - you should be waiting until you can see that fourth corner (rear left) so you can be sure there's nothing behind the vehicle.

There's quite a blind spot depending on the right-turning driver's position relative to the car I'm behind, and even keeping a decent distance isn't enough if it's a wide vehicle. The only solution here is for me to stick to the middle of the road behind the vehicle, so I've got visibility across the other lane, but it's not ideal for the rest of the traffic for me to block it in such a way.

[John_S4x4]

Am I correct in thinking that the OP would of already reported this accident to the cop shop or is there no need in this case ???

I feel sorry for the cyclist but also for the OP. Any car vs bike accident really gets to you and plays on your mind. You then have a lot of 'What if' thoughts, as you know that cyclists are so vulnerable in road accidents.

[Mave]

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

What makes you think the cyclist didn't cover the brakes or indeed brake in this circumstance?

[DoubleSix]

Mave said:

DoubleSix said:

As a driver if I see a car attempting to turn across my path I cover or apply the brake. Cyclists seem to exercise their right of way very 'proactively' in my experience, despite being very squishy.

What makes you think the cyclist didn't cover the brakes or indeed brake in this circumstance?

Just a reasoned position based on behaviour I see on a daily basis.

HTH

[GarryDK]

It still shocks me that some people still manage to turn these situations to the cyclist fault. To the OPs credit he clearly isn’t one of them but there are far too many of them on PH.