Collision with a car during my commute. Who is liable?

[Simpleton]

Fair dos. You've displayed a degree of honesty that is becoming increasingly hard to find in this day and age. Offer to pay but dont get mugged off.

 

[Simpleton]

Here's hoping a car doesn't do the same to you one day after knocking you off a bike!

Not really the same is it.

 

[wittimahat]

Ok thanks for the replies everyone. Sometimes it's difficult to know who is in the wrong. Especially when you are the involved in the collision. Hard to be objective.

 

[Spinney]

Mod note: keep it polite, please.

 

[Accy cyclist]

So where do we stand when a car just pulls from the side of the road without even signalling, and does a 3 point turn while we're approaching(sometimes at speed)? Do we hit the brakes and accept they've blocked our path?

 

[RichardB]

So where do we stand when a car just pulls from the side of the road without even signalling, and does a 3 point turn while we're approaching(sometimes at speed)? Do we hit the brakes and accept they've blocked our path?

If the alternative is to plough into them, yes, of course.

 

[vickster]

Yes, you wouldn't drive into them if you were in a car would you? It would be your fault if you did, same on a bike. That's why you have brakes partly, so you can stop when there's an obstacle in the road, when traffic lights turn red

 

[Accy cyclist]

If the alternative is to plough into them, yes, of course.

Yes, you wouldn't drive into them if you were in a car would you? It would be your fault if you did, same on a bike. That's why you have brakes partly, so you can stop when there's an obstacle in the road, when traffic lights turn red

Traffic lights turn red you accept that's going to happen and you prepare for it, but i'm on about incidents like the one where i was doing about 17mph round my local park and little old biddy just swept into the middle of the road and started to do a what must've been a 7 point turn, Am i expected to wait i minute while she faffs around or do i move past the front of her when she's reversing? Surely she was in the wrong because she moved out without looking or indicating and if she had, i still had right of way so she should've waited till i'd passed.

 

[Drago]

There is no such thing as right of way.

 

[vickster]

A whole minute?!? Yes you should wait what's the hurry. Make up lost time doing 20 for the rest of your ride

 

[martint235]

I think a combination of impatience and annoyance that the driver didn't wait for me to pass before blocking my path.

The honesty is appreciated but isn't this exactly what we berate car drivers for continuously? It's not YOUR space. It's a shared space and the attitude of ownership shown here but more often shown by car drivers is what leads to contention on the roads.

 

[peedee]

I suspect that if this had gone to a battle of insurance companies then they would have agreed to 50/50.

Do the decent thing and offer to pay for half (after . Treat others as you would etc...

 

[mjr]

The cyclist is at least 50% at fault in the OP and probably more. Offer to arrange and pay for the repaint.

I would if I was driving a car and would stop and lket them finish if I was on my bike. Rather like letting the tractors round here turn in the roads...

You might, but a surprising number of motorists seem happy to crash into large vehicles rather than let them complete their turn - at least two in the last two weeks within a mile of my house!

The fact is the OP rode into another vehicle and it's his fault, simple as that. A couple of 8" scratches will cost around £250 to remove by a smart repairer, and if I was the driver the cyclist would be paying the lot.

£250? Is it gold leaf? I had my bumper repainted (yet another hit and run ) for £100 last month and that was missing a chunk of paint (6" by ½" at widest) and had some short scratches too, so £250 doesn't sound very smart.

Some of the replies here show the ones who have never had driving lessons or read the Highway Code properly.

You don't just carry on around a vehicle that's already manoeuvring as they may well not have seen you. You approach with caution and wait until it's clear or the driver stops and signals you to go.

Actually, Shaun already mentioned http://highwaycode.info/rule/73 and there's nothing in there about driver signalling. Proceeding on a signal from another driver is foolhardy and even more so when they can wipe you out with a slip of the foot. HC Expert, heal thyself!

So where do we stand when a car just pulls from the side of the road without even signalling, and does a 3 point turn while we're approaching(sometimes at speed)? Do we hit the brakes and accept they've blocked our path?

In theory, yes... but in practice, many road users will abuse the turning driver (horn, hand signals, shouts) in the hope of dissuading them from repeating the sin.

 

[bonsaibilly]

What you should have done is yelled out at them to cause provocation, then come on here all high and mighty expecting to be cosseted, then try to categorise anyone who didn't cosset you, as villainous/traitorous/part of an idiot minority.

BB

 

[Simpleton]

What you should have done is yelled out at them to cause provocation, then come on here all high and mighty expecting to be cosseted, then try to categorise anyone who didn't cosset you, as villainous/traitorous/part of an idiot minority.

BB

So far from what I've seen of CC folk, most seem like a balanced bunch. But you do get the odd idiot - and you don't have to look too far either.