My accident...

[gaz]

Is there not something in the T & C's about not promoting your own website?

Anyways report the incident and I'm glad you are ok.

I don't get anything from people viewing my website. I have no adverts etc.. on it. Technically I probably pay more if more people view it, so really i'm costing my self more money by sharing good information.

 

[GFamily]

That's very true, some people are beyond hope... still worth a go though and if it doesn't do anything more than make me feel that little bit more confident then it's worked IMO.

No, WRONG!.
"it's worked" means that someone will NOT pull out in front of you
"makes me feel that little bit more confident" means that someone is JUST AS LIKELY to pull out in front of you but you will NOT EXPECT them to

Big mistake

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

What needs to be defined is 'positive contribution', I make a positive contribution merely by being an active member of this site as this would count towards the active members log, which in turn Admin could use when marketing his site to outside interests - yet I doubt I'd be able to openly self promote a website or blog of mine as Gaz has done imo.

You do not merely make positive contribution just by being a member of a forum community, many forums including this one have active members which provide negative contribution and cause challenges for admins, threads have in the past on this very forum have been closed and deleted because of negative contributions.
Gaz contributes in a positive manner to not only this forum but to cycling in general, he regularly challenges the cycling community regarding our own conduct and behaviour with his sites like silly cyclists. Gaz continues to share his commutes and rides with everyone and openly admits when upon reflection he could have and should have acted slightly differently himself.

If you want to define clearly what a positive contribution is then I would state it is teaching someone something and I personally feel as if I have obtained knowledge and am a safer cyclist from watching gaz's videos and interacting with him. If that is not positive I do not know what is.

 

[Crankarm]

Thanks guys, I'm meant to go to the police station in person, really not sure there's any point. I've no intention of pressing charges and I doubt it'll cost very much to get my bike looked at and fixed if necessary.

But then, without reporting, it's one less stat for the books...

This is my first (hopefully, last) collision since I started riding in February and it's left me a bit shaken

Sorry but I am at a loss why 1) you have a helmet cam if you are not going to report a collision where some one drives into you 2) you post on here surely knowing that the response will be "have you reported it to the cops yet? What did they say?". Take up Gaz's offer of help to report it.

 

[Crankarm]

There was a good piece somebody posted the other week basically your brain smooths out images from your eyes and in doing so it may blank out small areas, explaining (but certainly not excusing SMIDSY). Unfortunately you could be dressed up like a Christmas Tree (apt at this time of year) with as many bright lights positioned on your helmet, bars etc but something which increases your chance of being in the blanked out zone like a parked car can be disastrous

Back in 1999 my first serious knock down on a roundabout, I and my bike were festooned with lights, but the f***r still drove into the back of me sending me flying. An RAC guy who witnessed the moton driving into me said in court I was dressed up "like a Christmas tree" which rather blew the moton's defence to pieces which was that I cycled backwards into him ........ unbelievable but true that he put forward such a ludicrous explanation for the collision. He was simply not paying adequate attention, speeding and drove into the back of me and my bike. I don't think the judge was that impressed.

 

[gambatte]

Come to the site as a visitor and you're treated to ads of dating 'mature adults' and a link to a 'fitness singles' website.

Strange. The adverts I get are for Wiggle, Millets etc.
I guess thats the thing about targetted advertising. Figure your browsing history means fit, single, mature, adults is what you're likely to be interested in?

 

[Poacher]

Curses, gambatte, You beat me to it (errr, by about 20 minutes).

 

[Davidsw8]

No, WRONG!.
"it's worked" means that someone will NOT pull out in front of you
"makes me feel that little bit more confident" means that someone is JUST AS LIKELY to pull out in front of you but you will NOT EXPECT them to

Big mistake

Sorry, I must've given the impression I'd be cock-o-the-walk, mr indestructible with my all new flashing self on my illuminated bike.

People are telling me here (probably rightly) that no matter how obvious I make myself, some people simply will never see you. I realise you have to cycle with the assumption that some people aren't going to act rationally, logically or even legally. What I meant by 'a little more confident' is that I'm a relatively new cyclist (10 months) and I've just had my first accident, doing something positive from that experience will help push my cycling confidence up slightly rather than affect me negatively.

 

[Davidsw8]

Sorry but I am at a loss why 1) you have a helmet cam if you are not going to report a collision where some one drives into you 2) you post on here surely knowing that the response will be "have you reported it to the cops yet? What did they say?". Take up Gaz's offer of help to report it.

Hi Crankarm

If you read further, you'll see that I did report it to the police (within 24 hrs of the accident). If you read my other posts, you'll see my questions regarding whether I should do this or not. But to answer your 2 points:

1. This is my first accident so I didn't know how I was going to react when I first bought the cam. I got it really should something more serious happen. Even though a collision is a collision, I came out of this with minor scratches to my leg, minimal damage to my bike and the guy concerned hasn't been an ar$e about it.

2. I've had varied responses here, not just along the lines you quoted.

 

[redcard]

I sincerely hope your contributions to the numerous 'dating' websites you frequent are far more positive than your contributions here. For your sake, if nothing else.

 

[redcard]

That's a bit harsh - what's your problem?

Just wishing you good luck getting a date.

 

[Davidsw8]

Bit of an update...

After completing a report, the Met have sent a letter to both myself and the car driver. My letter states the matter is being looked into (also got a phone message from them asking me to supply a copy of the DVD of the collision).

I don't know what the drivers' letter said but he texted me to say he got the letter:

'claiming I drove without due car [sic] and attention... I'm afraid that's that [sic] information is incorrect, as it was you that was not visible to the public eye [sic]... I will appeal this claim and if found guilty I will make a counterclaim against you regarding this matter, on the grounds of poor visibility on your behalf.'

I reported it mainly to ensure I was covered financially should he decide to play funny buggers but it turns out the damage was able to be fixed with my routine service that was kind of due anyway. Also, I wanted to ensure the incident was recorded statistically, I was going to request the police do nothing more than write to him and inform him he must be more cautious in future but given that he clearly doesn't think he did anything wrong, plus the thinly veiled threat, I'm very inclined to push this as far as the police are prepared to go.

He doesn't know I have the incident on camera yet but he might be surprised to see my 2 sets of lights visibly flashing in the puddles of rain on the ground as we swapped phone numbers...

 

[gaz]

A counter claim? Haha this isn't judge judy!

Might be worth keeping a record of the texts and limit your discussion with the driver. Could come in handy with anything else down the line.

The police obviously see it as poor observations / driving on his behalf, he won't have a leg to stand on with video footage.

 

[Davidsw8]

A counter claim? Haha this isn't judge judy!

Might be worth keeping a record of the texts and limit your discussion with the driver. Could come in handy with anything else down the line.

The police obviously see it as poor observations / driving on his behalf, he won't have a leg to stand on with video footage.

I was a tad confused as to the counter-claim thing because there's no 'claim' from me to counter. I told him just before New Year that there's no damage for him to pay for, I just brought my 6-monthly service forward a month and the buckle in my wheel was fixed within that cost.

I didn't reply to this last text but yes, I'm keeping them.

I don't want to put the guy in the public stocks to be pelted with rotten fruit I just want him to realise the potential damage he can cause by not looking properly and at the moment, he clearly thinks he's the victim here.

 

[fossyant]

Get a photo of the text, and send a copy to the police. Also photo your bike with the lights on, and send them that as well with the DVD.

Counter claim my ar$e.