Motorist tries to kill cyclist, collides with building.

[OTBC]

Scary stuff

http://road.cc/content/news/120748-kingston-driver...

[Rich_W]

What you reckon?

Police decide "no evidence" so "no further action required"

[otolith]

An Audi Q7 driven by a sociopath - well, frankly I'm shocked, they are normally driven so considerately.

[okgo]

Of all the people, PH's former man was on the scene!

[OTBC]

I think if it was a deliberate act the insurance won't cover it. May be wrong.

[Fastpedeller]

OTBC said:

I think if it was a deliberate act the insurance won't cover it. May be wrong.

And it shouldn't - 'Bout time people took responsibility for their own actions. I don't know what the situation is with drunk driving, but IMHO the driver should pay, after all, the insurance co don't drink.

[okgo]

OTBC said:

I think if it was a deliberate act the insurance won't cover it. May be wrong.

Obviously. Otherwise people would drive their cars into walls when they wanted a new one.

[yellowjack]

okgo said:

OTBC said:

I think if it was a deliberate act the insurance won't cover it. May be wrong.

Obviously. Otherwise people would drive their cars into walls when they wanted a new one.

Usual excuses will be trotted out...

"the sun was in my eyes"

"there was a wasp in the car"

"I've a pathological hatred of cyclists"

...whichever excuse is used, a lawyer will be produced who can dig up some form of precedent, or interpret the law in a new and amusing way. Witnesses, if there are any, will evaporate before any trial, as it's too much like hard work to do one's duty to the community. The 4x4 owning magistrate/judge who secretly shares the driver's hatred of two wheeled, lycra clad lunatics 'infesting' decent folks' streets will have 'no choice' but to dismiss all charges, and this kind of moronic behaviour will continue, unchecked and reinforced. Whereupon, with allegations of deliberate action 'disproved' in a court of law, the driver's insurance company will be compelled to meet the cost of the claim in full.

I hope I'm proved wrong, and the Police/CPS pull out all the stops to provide quality evidence, and a strong Judge is found, who can throw large books really hard. But I doubt it

[anonymous-user]

love this comment on road.cc

"Was the building wearing a helmet? did it have lights on or high viz? if not its the buildings fault..."

[Magog]

Compare and contrast;

No charges of GBH or attempted murder here, not even a driving ban;

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/1...

[AyBee]

There's absolutely no defence to driving your car at a cyclist but the cyclist does himself no favours at all. An argument is verbal, keep it verbal and keep your feet on the floor, kicking someone's property is obviously going to make them much more angry and irrational!

[hman]

HA HA - Crazy bh!

though if you are going to take on a 2.5 tonne 4x4 driven by a loony woman then good luck - the results shown are nothing unexpected.

[AC43]

otolith said:

An Audi Q7 driven by a sociopath - well, frankly I'm shocked, they are normally driven so considerately.

The woman who drives one near me always looks like she's on some sort of ram raid.

[Rob_T]

put yourself in the drivers position for a second. there is an argument. assume blame is 50/50. both parties are equal fools. however cyclist gets angry and kicks your car. you reckon there might be a big dent or scratch on your car. if you were the driver would you just let it go at that or would you try and stop the cyclist, for example by (hopefully) overtaking him and then cutting him up at a safe distance down the road (i.e. blocking his path), getting out of the car and calling the police whilst restraining him because he effectively vandalised your car? possibly in the heat of the moment, with adrenaline running through your body you mistime the overtake and whilst not deliberately aiming for the bike you do in fact get very close and in panic make a driving error and hit a building. you are clearly a numpty driver but your intentions are honest in the desire to reprimand the cyclist. yes you as the driver should be fined for poor driving, but given the circumstances it may be more understandable. if some muppet cyclist kicked my car i don't think i would simply drive off and think 'ah well never mind'.

there is a very low standard of cycling out there, where cyclists seem to make too many assumptions about their rights. too many of the confrontations i think can be avoided to begin with but cyclists also seem keen not to let things go. granted there are numpty drivers out there but i do not think cyclists do themselves huge favours with their conduct in some situations. you just need to look at some of the youtube videos. personally i would fine the cyclist very heavily for his provocative behaviour. i would make an example of him to other cyclists to behave on the roads.

all parties need to learn to be decent and respectful individuals. i'm sure there are chemicals added to the food we eat that are making us all angry!

[0markymark0]

You kick a car and that is enough provocation to drive at them and injure them?

If someone spills a pint on your clothes are you entitled to punch them hard in the face?

I'd agree that if someone kicked your car then you would want to have a word with them. But she drove at the cyclist injuring him with enpugh force and speed to knacker her car and smash into a shop. This is not having a word. This is GBH and has been arrested as such.

Edited by 0markymark0 on Monday 9th June 11:25

[AyBee]

0markymark0 said:

You kick a car and that is enough provocation to drive at them and injure them?

If someone spills a pint on your clothes are you entitled to punch them hard in the face?

I'd agree that if someone kicked your car then you would want to have a word with them. But she drove at the cyclist injuring him with enpugh force and speed to knacker her car and smash into a shop. This is not having a word. This is GBH and has been arrested as such.

Maybe not for a pint on your clothes but if someone deliberately cuts an expensive suit I was wearing I'd certainly be closer to the punching in the face end of the scale.

I think the point is, there's very little you can do as a car driver if someone lashes out at your vehicle. Driving at them probably isn't the solution, but what are your other options? Get out and chase a guy on a bike by foot? You'll never get the cyclist's details and you're left to foot the bill of his damage - it's hardly fair.

[otolith]

Yeah, probably best try to murder him instead then.

[Rob_T]

0markymark0 said:

You kick a car and that is enough provocation to drive at them and injure them?

If someone spills a pint on your clothes are you entitled to punch them hard in the face?

I'd agree that if someone kicked your car then you would want to have a word with them. But she drove at the cyclist injuring him with enpugh force and speed to knacker her car and smash into a shop. This is not having a word. This is GBH and has been arrested as such.

Edited by 0markymark0 on Monday 9th June 11:25

i think you have misread my post. i am not saying that at all.

[0markymark0]

Rob_T said:

i think you have misread my post. i am not saying that at all.

Apologies if misrepresented.

I know there's frustration with cyclists, but believe me it works both ways. I've had cars do dangerous things around me sometimes deliberately then just drive off - no much I can do. I get a car cut across me nearly knocking me off (lets face it, this is worse than potentially scratching a car door). If I get a reg, call the police and say I was nearly knocked off by a driver that couldn't care less what do you think is done by it? Bugger all.

How many pages are there on news websites of hit and runs of pedestrians and cyclists being left for dead in the street?

That's why cyclists are more and more getting head-cams but then they're being dismissed on these very pages as 'chip on shoulder, looking for an argument brigade'....even by drivers who have dashcams themselves!!

[AyBee]

otolith said:

Yeah, probably best try to murder him instead then.

Thanks for that useful addition to the discussion. Fancy reading my post in full before posting something ridiculous?

AyBee said:

Driving at them probably isn't the solution

and earlier

AyBee said:

There's absolutely no defence to driving your car at a cyclist