# Roubaix - hit and run



## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Ive been involved in a hit and run driver about 12.30 today. He was turning left and I went into the side of him as he suddenly stopped to let a lady with a pram cross the road.

Nothing is broken of fractured but i have a lot of pain in my right wrist and leg... I asked the driver politely to pull over so i could get his insurance details but he drove off....

None of the witnesses could give me a reading of his number plate and the driver shot off people i could get it. Luckily though, I had turned my gopro on so I have his plate.

Ive ran the plate through the dvla and he is insured. Im about to get myself cleaned up and give BC a call and see if they can offer me any advice before i take the camera footage to the police and have them chase the guy.

Anyone have any handy tips to give me? whats that website that gives you some details of the cars if you run their plate through it? (not the dvla - Zero something....) Its going to be a while before i can return to work....



Im also guessing its not wise to upload footage to the public domain till ive reported it to the police as it will become a criminal investigation since he failed to stop.


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## HarryTheDog (16 Jun 2016)

Sorry to hear this, at least you got the evidence on your camera. After 11 yrs of commuting I finally gave in and started riding with one this week. I hope I don't need it. Surprised you did not call the police straight away but you'll probably get the same result, which I hope is a good one. A lot of pain could mean a fracture unless you had it xray'd you have not said whether you went to hospital. Yes I would not upload any vids till the case is done and dusted.


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## benborp (16 Jun 2016)

I'm guessing your primary aim is to make sure any unforeseen expenses are covered and the driver's liability isn't compromised if you need compensation - in which case your footage is more valuable kept private for now. Countering any initial denials or lies from the driver with the footage can work very powerfully in your favour.
If you get to the point (or it is your priority from the outset) where you are pushing for the police to take appropriate action, publishing the video can be helpful and doesn't necessarily compromise any investigation or prosecution, although this has to be played deftly by ear according to the circumstances.


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## ianrauk (16 Jun 2016)

Sorry to hear about this.
Get to A&E to get checked over.


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Thanks everyone, Im just about getting ready to head to A&E now.


HarryTheDog said:


> Sorry to hear this, at least you got the evidence on your camera. After 11 yrs of commuting I finally gave in and started riding with one this week. I hope I don't need it. Surprised you did not call the police straight away but you'll probably get the same result, which I hope is a good one. A lot of pain could mean a fracture unless you had it xray'd you have not said whether you went to hospital. Yes I would not upload any vids till the case is done and dusted.



I was in shock - I tried to get the guys details but he drove off like i said. I dont think he would of hung around if i had called the police


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## benborp (16 Jun 2016)

Uploading the footage to a password protected site or one where you can control access can be useful. I have on occasion needed to carry several formats, versions and links to different streams in order to allow the various people involved in a case to have access to the footage. You also want to have several archived copies straightaway. Don't be surprised if your media is seized as evidence, it is conceivable that some officers may attempt to seize the camera. Sometimes there are procedures where a force deem that necessary, and then sometimes it is used as a tool to dissuade making an accusation. It helps if you are ahead of the game.
Heal up, but get photos and reports on your injuries first!


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## sight-pin (16 Jun 2016)

Wow! not good, heed the above advice. Hope you get get it sorted soon.


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

My right arm & shoulder suffered a few scrapes thats about it. Ive already started making copies of the footage


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## Shaun (16 Jun 2016)

@RoubaixCube sounds terrible. Call the police to report it. Get yourself to A&E. And whilst you're waiting in A&E write an account of it while it is still fresh in your mind. Pen, paper or mobile, or even here in a PM to me that you can access later when you get back home.

Good luck and I hope you're not too seriously hurt.

Cheers,
Shaun


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## Rooster1 (16 Jun 2016)

Deary me, get well soon


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Shaun said:


> @RoubaixCube sounds terrible. Call the police to report it. Get yourself to A&E. And whilst you're waiting in A&E write an account of it while it is still fresh in your mind. Pen, paper or mobile, or even here in a PM to me that you can access later when you get back home.
> 
> Good luck and I hope you're not too seriously hurt.
> 
> ...



Thank you. Ive just called the police and reported it. Was given a reference number and told to take the footage to the station so they could take more details.... For now its off to A&E after i eat a sandwich... im f**kin starvin.

::EDIT::

my right hand feels a little fractured... Im desperate to get a second opinion on my footage though


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## benborp (16 Jun 2016)

Vikeonabike's statement template pinned on the commuting board is very, very useful. You could while away your time productively in A&E with that.


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

thank you for all the words of support and advice - sandwich has disappeared down the vast hole of emptyness so its off to A&E i go.


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## jefmcg (16 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> For now its off to A&E after i eat a sandwich... im f**kin starvin.


If you haven't eaten it, hold off. If urgent surgery is indicated (unlikely as that is) then they will have to delay if you have just eaten - or it is more risky

GWS and good luck.


Edit Bugger. Too late. Probably not a problem. I walked into A&E and they immediately gave me pain killers. One look was enough to say I wasn't going to need surgery.


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## cyberknight (16 Jun 2016)

Fark , GWS


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## Trickedem (16 Jun 2016)

GWS. And don't take no for an answer from the police if they say that won't investigate


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## classic33 (16 Jun 2016)

See Accident Advice in commuting & Utility Cycling. Also tagged under the same.


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Had the initial assessment, now just waiting to be x-ray'd


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## raleighnut (16 Jun 2016)

Ouch, hope it isn't too serious.


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## Mrs M (16 Jun 2016)

Ouch ya.
Hope you make a good recovery.
Best wishes x


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## classic33 (16 Jun 2016)

Anything?


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## EltonFrog (16 Jun 2016)

I'm pleased you're not too broken, get well soon, and report the scumbag to the police.


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Alright, Im back home. X-Rays came out clear no fractures or broken bones. No nerve damage to speak of, joints are absolutely fine. All it is, is soft tissue damage from the impact of the fall. been given a wrist brace to stop my wrist moving around too much and causing a lot of pain which will happen tomorrow when i wake up due to the swelling.

Should i head out to the police now to fill out the paper work or should i rest and wait till tomorrow? police station is 5-10mins down the road from where i live


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## Mrs M (16 Jun 2016)

I'd rest up and sleep on it for now.
Good to hear no broken bones or nerve damage


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Had a bit of a joke with the nurse who was attending to me...

"Do you want me to clean up your grazes"
"Nah, I can do that at home with TCP.......on second thoughts sure why not?? I pay my taxes, I might as well get cleaned up!"

Im glad im in one peice. I havent had a serious look a the bike yet but i'll do that now while having a cup of tea. I think the mudguards got a little bent up and we rubbing on the wheels hence why i couldnt ride it home. I dont think the damage to the bike was that serious and shouldnt cost a lot to fix (fingers crossed)


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## classic33 (16 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Had a bit of a joke with the nurse who was attending to me...
> 
> "Do you want me to clean up your grazes"
> "Nah, I can do that at home with TCP.......on second thoughts sure why not?? I pay my taxes, I might as well get cleaned up!"
> ...


Glad you're okay, but leave the bike for now.

As mentioned by others get what you have on paper. That'll keep you occupied for a bit.

Have a read of these
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/accident-advice.151618/ & https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/statement-template.53277/


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## ozboz (16 Jun 2016)

Hope tomorrow is a better day for you, may hurt a bit more ,


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## Milkfloat (16 Jun 2016)

Important question.........

Did it resolve the issue you were having with your brake?


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## Pat "5mph" (16 Jun 2016)

Glad nothing is broken @RoubaixCube, gws.
Horrible people, not stopping for an injured person.


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## Origamist (16 Jun 2016)

You'll most likely feel worse tomorrow than you do today, so have painkillers at the ready. 

I'd not expect too much of the Met, I'm afraid. Probably best not to make the footage publicly available at the moment. If you do, password protect it and send it only to people whose judgement you trust. 

Drivers who flee the scene when someone is injured should get a custodial sentence. 

Heal up soon.


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## fossyant (16 Jun 2016)

GWS


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## RoubaixCube (16 Jun 2016)

Milkfloat said:


> Important question.........
> 
> Did it resolve the issue you were having with your brake?



God no - It was the Triban i had the collision on not the Carbon - This weather isnt good enough for me to take my carbon out!

Had a quick look at the bike, It doesnt seem to be damaged at all. mudguards needed adjusting, Ive managed to adjust the rear one but the front one still rubs against the wheel lightly as it spins. I dont really have the strength to heft it onto the bike stand at the moment so i dont know if the derailleur has taken a knock




ozboz said:


> Hope tomorrow is a better day for you, may hurt a bit more ,



Thank you - Im already popping pills otherwise i wouldnt be able to walk the stairs!



Pat "5mph" said:


> Glad nothing is broken @RoubaixCube, gws.
> Horrible people, not stopping for an injured person.





Origamist said:


> You'll most likely feel worse tomorrow than you do today, so have painkillers at the ready.
> 
> I'd not expect too much of the Met, I'm afraid. Probably best not to make the footage publicly available at the moment. If you do, password protect it and send it only to people whose judgement you trust.
> 
> ...



Tell me about it -- I think he did attempt to drive off as i felt the car moving forward while i was on the ground writhing in pain against it but I think he didnt know if I ended up under his car or not and driving off dragging my body underneath his vehicle would have made his day a lot lot worse. He moved the car forward a few inches then got out to see if I was ok, He was telling me to stay down but I was having none of it and managed to get up and asked that he pull over so i could take his insurance details -- "yeah, just let me pull over....." gets back in the car and off down the road he goes... He briefly did argue with me trying to plead his innocence and telling me it was my fault but innocent people dont run...

My friend says that he should lose his license as he fled the scene (and obviously becomes a criminal offense) but knowing how the law treats cyclists, I dont think we'll get that lucky, I think at most he'll get a few points on his license and pay a fine for failure to stop. I'll probably get a paltry payout to cover the cost of repairs as well as for accessories that were damaged in the collision. my mitts have been shredded on the tarmac.

I called BC to see if they could send out a recovery vehicle out to pick me up and they told me that service is 'sold seperately' -- I was getting a little irate at that stage, being stuck out in the rain after a collision with a driver who fled the scene, a damaged bike which i need to fix to be able to ride home, *'if' *i could ride home and smashed up leg which wouldnt of gotten me very far down that very same road towards home anyway. I almost bit her head off. Couldnt call my dad to bring the car around as he was around nans and most of my mates were at work. I didnt have nobody i could call for a ride home... Called my LBS who were probably less than 3 miles down the road to see if they could bring their bike trailer or van out to take me back to their shop or drop me home but since they share it between 4 different shops it wasnt in their possession so they couldnt help.

I had no choice but to book an Uber cab and my driver was a total gent. I called him up while he was on route explaining the situation and that i had a bike with me so it might make a mess of his car. He still came to pick me up anyway. loaded it into his car with his help and off we went. I gave him a few quid as tips at the end to pay for the cleaning job.

----------------

I spoke to a few witnesses but none of them really seemed interested in helping much. one gave me a partial on the guys numberplate but nobody wanted to give me their contact details. I panicked and wasnt sure if i had the collision recorded on my gopro or not but I breathed a deep sigh of relief Everything is there, the make/model of car and the numberplate


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## classic33 (16 Jun 2016)

Not surprised at the lack of people willing to give any help though


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## Fab Foodie (16 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> Not surprised at the lack of people willing to give any help though


Bastards


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## classic33 (16 Jun 2016)

Fab Foodie said:


> Bastards


One way to describe them.


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## steve292 (17 Jun 2016)

What I did. Although I was given a false name and number, not a drive off, & had a witness, not footage but the principles the same
Report it to the Police in person, take a copy of the footage with you, not the gopro, put it on a memory stick.
Get an incident number off them.
http://www.askmid.com is the website you want. It will provide you with his insurance details.
Use a mobile phone to contact the insurance company, put a recording app on it. I used call recorder from the android app store.
Contact them and open a case against the driver. make it clear he drove off without exchanging details , and give them the police incident number.
get the bike checked by a shop.
take photos of any bruising, cuts etc with some thing for scale.
keep all related receipts, including taxis etc
Wait until the insurance people call back with a denial that he was not even in the same galaxy, then ask for an email address to send the footage to.

I know this sounds vindictive but this guy was prepared to leave you in the road, injured. He has committed at least one offence, not exchanging details & I bet he hasn't reported it to his insurers or the police.
What sort of shitbag is that? The next person he does it to may not be so fortunate as to walk away. He really needs to be taught that what he has done is wrong either by legal means i.e the police or through increased premiums and compensation.
I hope you have got away with not being to badly hurt, GWS
Steve


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

@steve292 thanks for the askmid link. I got the details of his insurance company but it directs me to an address to an insurance company that states 'Motor Fleet Claims only' (Hes insured with AIG formerly Chartis) Im starting to wonder if that was his own vehicle or a private hire one..... None the less I will give them a call tomorrow after visiting the police with the footage.

At what stage do i contact BC and speak to their legal team?


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## Pete Owens (17 Jun 2016)

There is no excuse for driving away, which hopefully the police will chase up and prosecute. However, that is a criminal rather than civil matter. I don't see how his insurance has anything to do with things though. From your account it seems that you were at fault for the collision. He stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road he was turning into - which is exactly what he shoiuld have done - then you crashed into him. Or have I missed something?


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

Pete Owens said:


> There is no excuse for driving away, which hopefully the police will chase up and prosecute. However, that is a criminal rather than civil matter. I don't see how his insurance has anything to do with things though. From your account it seems that you were at fault for the collision. He stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road he was turning into - which is exactly what he shoiuld have done - then you crashed into him. Or have I missed something?


Stopped partway through a turn!
Would he have stopped if there'd been another car behind?

Legal requirement to exchange details, where injury is suffered.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/accident-advice.151618/


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## Origamist (17 Jun 2016)

Pete Owens said:


> There is no excuse for driving away, which hopefully the police will chase up and prosecute. However, that is a criminal rather than civil matter. I don't see how his insurance has anything to do with things though. From your account it seems that you were at fault for the collision. He stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road he was turning into - which is exactly what he shoiuld have done - then you crashed into him. Or have I missed something?



You might have missed something as it depends how late the driver took the left turn and stopped. If it was a very late, 'left hook' manoeuvre the collision would have been almost inevitable as the cyclist would have little chance to brake hard or take evasive action. That said, without being there or seeing the film, it's not clear how the collision took place.


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## srw (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> @steve292 thanks for the askmid link. I got the details of his insurance company but it directs me to an address to an insurance company that states 'Motor Fleet Claims only' (Hes insured with AIG formerly Chartis) Im starting to wonder if that was his own vehicle or a private hire one..... None the less I will give them a call tomorrow after visiting the police with the footage.
> 
> At what stage do i contact BC and speak to their legal team?


A motor fleet policy means it's probably a company car. No difference at all for you. If you want to use BC's solicitors, speak to them first. They will tell you what they want you to do in terms of talking to insurers - and it's their job to manage the claim for you with the insurers.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (17 Jun 2016)

Pete Owens said:


> There is no excuse for driving away, which hopefully the police will chase up and prosecute. However, that is a criminal rather than civil matter. I don't see how his insurance has anything to do with things though. From your account it seems that you were at fault for the collision. He stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road he was turning into - which is exactly what he shoiuld have done - then you crashed into him. Or have I missed something?


As I don't know all the details I can't agree or disagree with this. But let's say theoretically it was the riders fault - this would mean that the driver could actually expect the rider to pay for damage to his vehicle. 
So maybe, the op needs to have a real good think before he starts to make the driver aware of who and where he lives. 
A driver hit n run our parked up car door recently, it's over a thousand pounds plus vat worth of damage.


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## Kajjal (17 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> Stopped partway through a turn!
> Would he have stopped if there'd been another car behind?
> 
> Legal requirement to exchange details, where injury is suffered.
> https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/accident-advice.151618/



It is the responsibility of the person behind to leave enough space to stop. Not enough details in the post to understand exactly where bike and car were before incident. Driving off from the scene of sn accident you are involved in without giving details is low.


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## Smithbat (17 Jun 2016)

I hope it gets sorted and you are not in too much pain today. GWS


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## winjim (17 Jun 2016)

A woman crossing the road with a pram eh? I hope you rang your bell at her.


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

Get in touch with BC and have them assess the incident and review the video before doing anything else

Keep the taxi receipt, you can claim it back, but why didn't you call an ambulance?

GWS


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## fossyant (17 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> Not surprised at the lack of people willing to give any help though



Doesn't surprise me. The two witnesses I have, one has responded to my solicitor but the other doesn't seem willing.


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## jefmcg (17 Jun 2016)

I've seen this a lot: driver ahead of me, waiting to turn left and join my stream of traffic decides to pull out in front of me rather than giving way. The combination of my emergency braking and his acceleration means no contact. However if the driver stopped during the turn, the outcome would have been different, and it would have the driver's fault.

Camera will make it clear what happened in this case.


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

Things to do today:

1.Contact BC - speak to their legal team try to have someone asses the footage.
2. (Optionally) Attempt to contact the hit and run drivers insurance company.
3. write out a statement and take it along to the police station along with the camera footage.

Another thing is - I have a recording of the collision but not of him driving off. I dont have the contact details of any witnesses so it will become my word against his.
And since it is possibly a company car. It will probably be harder to prosecute as there will be a lot of hoops to jump through to find the driver. I dont have his face on camera either.


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

Keep the origional from the camera. Let the police use a copy.

Vehicle owner has to say who was driving at the time. Get the log number from the police and contact the DVLA, for the owners details.


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Another thing is - I have a recording of the collision but not of him driving off. I dont have the contact details of any witnesses so it will become my word against his.
> And since it is possibly a company car. It will probably be harder to prosecute as there will be a lot of hoops to jump through to find the driver. I dont have his face on camera either.



Don't worry about those things at this stage. 
Make sure the police are aware that you expect them to see this all the way through. Do not disclose to the driver or his insurer that you have video evidence, let alone the extent of it, until the bastard has lied to his insurer about what happened first and you have his account on paper.

GC


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

glasgowcyclist said:


> Don't worry about those things at this stage.
> Make sure the police are aware that you expect them to see this all the way through. Do not disclose to the driver or his insurer that you have video evidence, let alone the extent of it, until the bastard has lied to his insurer about what happened first and you have his account on paper.
> 
> GC


Chances are the police will say it was caught on camera though.


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## srw (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> And since it is possibly a company car. It will probably be harder to prosecute as there will be a lot of hoops to jump through to find the driver.


No it won't. If it is a company car then the company will have assigned it to a driver, and it will be in the company's interests to co-operate with their insurers and with the police.


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

Get the lawyers to contact the insurers would be my advice. Once confirmed the driver was clearly at fault, not you

You have three years to start an injury claim, 6 years for damage to property, no immediate rush


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> Chances are the police will say it was caught on camera though.



Perhaps, but it still pays to keep his powder dry. He might assume it's caught on some grainy, distant CCTV, rather than on a HD camera attached to the bike/rider.

GC


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

Using a template to write out a statement as we speak


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## GrumpyGregry (17 Jun 2016)

GWS


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## jarlrmai (17 Jun 2016)

srw said:


> No it won't. If it is a company car then the company will have assigned it to a driver, and it will be in the company's interests to co-operate with their insurers and with the police.


Not if he owns the company.


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## jarlrmai (17 Jun 2016)

It's still not clear what happened, did you hit the rear of his car?


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Jun 2016)

jarlrmai said:


> It's still not clear what happened, did you hit the rear of his car?





RoubaixCube said:


> He was turning left and I went into the side of him as he suddenly stopped



GC


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

Was the driver ahead and stopped having started to turn or overtook and then promptly turned (left hook)? How big was the gap between cyclist and driver when driver started to turn if known? Was the driver indicating the turn?


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## steve292 (17 Jun 2016)

Sounds very much like the classic MGIF left hook to me, although that is subjective as obvs we haven't seen the video.
Get in touch we BC if you are a member asap.
steve


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

vickster said:


> Was the driver ahead and stopped having started to turn or overtook and then promptly turned (left hook)? How big was the gap between cyclist and driver when driver started to turn if known? Was the driver indicating the turn?





steve292 said:


> Sounds very much like the classic MGIF left hook to me, although that is subjective as obvs we haven't seen the video.
> Get in touch we BC if you are a member asap.
> steve



It wasnt a left hook - He indicated left but did not complete his turn


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> It wasnt a left hook - He indicated left but did not complete his turn


 Sore in parts you'd forgot about?


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## fossyant (17 Jun 2016)

Had the driver overtaken then left enough room ? You've got to be careful as the driver is entitled to stop if they need to allow someone to cross. You need to be clear that there was or was not enough room. If you had expected him to clear the junction, then you may be at fault. The key will be the driver passing and not allowing room.


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

steve292 said:


> Sounds very much like the classic MGIF left hook to me, although that is subjective as obvs we haven't seen the video.
> Get in touch we BC if you are a member asap.
> steve


Are you sure? See the post below yours


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## jarlrmai (17 Jun 2016)

So you hit his right side as he came out of the junction then stopped when you were anticipating him moving into the traffic lane and then continuing?

Or it sounds more like you were following him and expecting him to clear the junction but he stopped before exiting the road in which case you should have been slowing and giving room incase he needed to stop?


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

fossyant said:


> Had the driver overtaken then left enough room ? You've got to be careful as the driver is entitled to stop if they need to allow someone to cross. You need to be clear that there was or was not enough room. If you had expected him to clear the junction, then you may be at fault. The key will be the driver passing and not allowing room.





jarlrmai said:


> So you hit his right side as he came out of the junction then stopped when you were anticipating him moving into the traffic lane and then continuing?
> 
> Or it sounds more like you were following him and expecting him to clear the junction but he stopped before exiting the road in which case you should have been slowing and giving room incase he needed to stop?



He didnt overtake - he was in front of me all along. I anticipated his turn but i didnt not anticipate him stopping to let a pedestrian cross and the position he stopped left his entire car in the bus lane. I slammed on the brakes as it was wet, i still ended up smashing into the left side of him

I spoke to my dad whose been driving for years and even he says its my fault - Best thing i can do is speak to the police now about driving off and call BC, speak to their legal team, forward the video to them and see if they think theres anything to be made of it.


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## glasgowcyclist (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> He didnt overtake - he was in front of me all along. I anticipated his turn but i didnt not anticipate him stopping to let a pedestrian cross and the position he stopped left his entire car in the bus lane. I slammed on the brakes as it was wet, i still ended up smashing into the left side of him
> 
> I spoke to my dad whose been driving for years and even he says its my fault - Best thing i can do is speak to the police now about driving off and call BC, speak to their legal team, forward the video to them and see if they think theres anything to be made of it.



If you were in a bus/cycle lane (Lane 1) and he was turning left across your path from Lane 2, then I have sympathy with you. The driver should have ensured that he could complete his manoeuvre without impeding traffic in Lane 1. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have behaved the same way if you'd been a bus.

Of course it all comes down to how far ahead of you he was when he made his turn. The fact that he legged it suggests to me that his documentation is not is order, so I'd press on with the police.

GC


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

Well... that was rather disappointing.

Walked in there quoting the reference i was given and was told i had to fill out a form (207?) that gets sent to a different department that deals with traffic offenses.

So off i went... Had £1.50 in my pocket so i bought some icecream... what a result


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> *Well... that was rather disappointing.*
> 
> Walked in there quoting the reference i was given and was told i had to fill out a form (207?) that gets sent to a different department that deals with traffic offenses.
> 
> So off i went... Had £1.50 in my pocket so i bought some icecream... what a result


You were warned not to expect too much help from them.

£1.50 would have bought a two pint tub of ice cream to enjoy..


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## jarlrmai (17 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> You were warned not to expect too much help from them.
> 
> £1.50 would have bought a two pint tub of ice cream to enjoy..


Or 1 mini magnum from a garage


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> £1.50 would have bought a two pint tub of ice cream to enjoy..


But no spoon to go with  especially in London


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## Origamist (17 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> He didnt overtake - he was in front of me all along. I anticipated his turn but i didnt not anticipate him stopping to let a pedestrian cross and the position he stopped left his entire car in the bus lane. I slammed on the brakes as it was wet, i still ended up smashing into the left side of him
> 
> I spoke to my dad whose been driving for years and even he says its my fault - Best thing i can do is speak to the police now about driving off and call BC, speak to their legal team, forward the video to them and see if they think theres anything to be made of it.



It sounds like you saw the car indicate left, expected him to complete the turn and clear the bus lane, but you braked too late or not hard enough to avoid the collision when the driver stopped to let a pedestrian cross. Is that a fair summary?


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## Flying Dodo (17 Jun 2016)

Hope something useful comes out of the police investigation. Although past performance tends to imply they'll be less than helpful unfortunately.


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## srw (17 Jun 2016)

jarlrmai said:


> Not if he owns the company.


Especially if he owns the company.

"That claim from last year where we you refused to co-operate with us? Would you like to co-operate with us, or would you like to accept this rather substantial premium increase?"


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## RoubaixCube (17 Jun 2016)

Origamist said:


> It sounds like you saw the car indicate left, expected him to complete the turn and clear the bus lane, but you braked too late or not hard enough to avoid the collision when the driver stopped to let a pedestrian cross. Is that a fair summary?



I braked so hard but the road was wet, I question myself constantly when watching the footage over and over again what the hell was i thinking, I dont think it was a lapse of concentration or judgement.

I think the problem was partially exacerbated by the fact that i was running with new kool stop brake pads. While they were a lot better in the dry than they pads they replaced, they probably didnt have enough 'burn-in' time to reach their full grip when it came to braking. I just kept sliding forward and there was nothing i could do.


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## fossyant (17 Jun 2016)

I am afraid, if the car had been in front all along, then you need to allow space to stop, no matter what. 

Pads don't need 'burn in time'.


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## classic33 (17 Jun 2016)

It's happened, going over it and trying to work out what you could have done isn't going to change that.

Hindsight is wonderful, we could all do with it, before we do anything.


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## vickster (17 Jun 2016)

Keep an eye on your injuries, but sounds like it's time to learn from it and move on. How fast were you going considering it was wet especially if you think your pads weren't at their optimum?

Yes, the driver should have stopped but you went into him causing the collision and not the other way


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## RoubaixCube (18 Jun 2016)

my garmin says i was doing 19.2mph but slowed to 18.5mph before i came to an abrupt stop... Not bad seeing as its 20mph speed limit on that road. I count myself extremely lucky, At that speed i could of come off a lot lot worse.

spent 30mins messing with the triban seeing as im not going to get the insurance to chase after the guy. so far i adjusted the mudguards as they were rubbing against the wheels and fine tuned the brakes a little. Will work on the drivetrain tomorrow and see if its still in one peice which i hope it is. My mitts will need replacing though, they got shredded by the tarmac.


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## Pete Owens (18 Jun 2016)

classic33 said:


> It's happened, going over it and trying to work out what you could have done isn't going to change that.


No, but it is worth learning from past mistakes in order to make better decisions in the future.


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## classic33 (18 Jun 2016)

Pete Owens said:


> No, but it is worth learning from past mistakes in order to make better decisions in the future.


But not so soon after the incident.

We don't learn from them, then we're doomed to repeat them.


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## classic33 (18 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> my garmin says i was doing 19.2mph but slowed to 18.5mph before i came to an abrupt stop... Not bad seeing as its 20mph speed limit on that road. I count myself extremely lucky, At that speed i could of come off a lot lot worse.
> 
> spent 30mins messing with the triban seeing as im not going to get the insurance to chase after the guy. so far i adjusted the mudguards as they were rubbing against the wheels and fine tuned the brakes a little. Will work on the drivetrain tomorrow and see if its still in one peice which i hope it is. My mitts will need replacing though, they got shredded by the tarmac.


Still get everything written down, just in case they decide to chase after you, and keep it safe. What if anything did BC say about it?

I'd be inclined to get the bike checked over at a bike shop that you feel you can trust. They'll probably have dealt with more than one before, so'll know exactly what they should be looking for on the frame & forks.

Hope you enjoyed the ice cream.


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## classic33 (18 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Well... that was rather disappointing.
> 
> Walked in there quoting the reference i was given and was told i had to fill out a form (207?) that gets sent to a different department that deals with traffic offenses.
> 
> So off i went... Had £1.50 in my pocket so i bought some icecream... what a result


 *Road Traffic Collision / Accident *
You got a shorter version to fill in/complete, only 19 pages. There's one at 27 pages, the same form regional variations.

See the time limit for this form, 24 hours!
http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Collision-forms-and-reports/1400005513174/1400005513174


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## RoubaixCube (18 Jun 2016)

I never really called BC to have a proper chat about the incident. when it did happen they were the first people that i called just to let them know that i was involved in a collision and asked if they ran a recovery service - that was about it.


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## classic33 (18 Jun 2016)

If they're your insurance company, advise them of what's happened.

Cover yourself at the least.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2016)

You may want to slow down in wet conditions especially in rush hour traffic, think about braking distances  
it's not necessary to ride at the speed limit


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## Phaeton (18 Jun 2016)

Did the driver stop & talk to you?


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## vickster (18 Jun 2016)

He said he drove off


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## Andrew_P (18 Jun 2016)

Well played at seeing personal fault, begs the question why you are chasing the driver so hard? I know he left the scene which is a complete shoot thing to do but its to your advantage in this situation why are you waving a video at the Police which shows you at fault? Unless I have completely misread the thread?


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## winjim (18 Jun 2016)

If it's 20mph limit doesn't that mean it's a residential zone? So you should be expecting lots of hazards such as pedestrians with prams. Slowing from 19mph to 19mph doesn't really count IMO.


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## Phaeton (18 Jun 2016)

vickster said:


> He said he drove off


Yes but he also said


RoubaixCube said:


> I was in shock - I tried to get the guys details but he drove off like i said. I dont think he would of hung around if i had called the police


So I read that as the driver did stop, have some sort of conversation then drove off, but I maybe completely misinterpreting the situation.


Andrew_P said:


> Well played at seeing personal fault, begs the question why you are chasing the driver so hard? I know he left the scene which is a complete shoot thing to do but its to your advantage in this situation why are you waving a video at the Police which shows you at fault? Unless I have completely misread the thread?


I'm confused as well, it was a pretty crap thing to drive off, but if he thought you were okay, not injured, all the damage was on your bike & not on his vehicle, you ran into him, then maybe he thought he had done everything he could. Without seeing the footage it's a difficult one to call, had you been behind him in the same lane, he had indicated, then turned, then stopped you would have been at fault. But as you were on the inside lane & he turned across you I'm not sure where the blame lies, I suspect it depends on how far in front he was when he made the turn, should he have slowed, allowed you through then turned, which if you were a bus or taxi he may have done. This is pure conjecture, I'm not sure how the insurance people will see it, they may just draw a line & say 50/50.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2016)

I read it that he started to turn but then stopped to allow a ped to cross as he should


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## jefmcg (18 Jun 2016)

BC offer free legal advice. Use it to find out who is liable, then proceed on their advice.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2016)

And 3rd party indemnity if the driver feels a need to counter sue


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## RoubaixCube (18 Jun 2016)

Im guessing going after this guy will be opening up a can of worms.


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## jefmcg (18 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Im guessing going after this guy will be opening up a can of worms.


Probably. But talk to a lawyer. Lawyer/client protects you.


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## Origamist (18 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Im guessing going after this guy will be opening up a can of worms.



Well, if you think the driver's manoeuvre made the collision inevitable, I'd pursue this. If you think that you could have avoided the collision by riding more cautiously and/or not making assumptions about what the driver was going to do, I'd let it go. Still take legal advice though.

How are you feeling today?

If you are unsure, upload the video and send me a link to the (private) video and I'll give you my two-penneth.


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## RoubaixCube (18 Jun 2016)

Im going to let it go i think. Its one of those situations where i was silly for going so fast especially just after it had been raining or just started to rain heavily. The weather here seems to be running the gamut of emotions at the moment. One moment its sunny then theres a light bit of drizzle. Drizzle stops, sun comes out again then out of the blue sky clouds over, thunder and lightning and torrential rain in a matter of minutes. It was my error


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## Andrew_P (18 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> Im going to let it go i think. Its one of those situations where i was silly for going so fast especially just after it had been raining or just started to rain heavily. The weather here seems to be running the gamut of emotions at the moment. One moment its sunny then theres a light bit of drizzle. Drizzle stops, sun comes out again then out of the blue sky clouds over, thunder and lightning and torrential rain in a matter of minutes. It was my error


Sounds sensible, I have a stretch of bus lane where I can do 30+ downhill of course, but I have had a few near misses where cars break in to it as it ends near some lights. So I take it easy now if there is traffic backing up. 

A cyclist came a cropper on there on a couple of weeks ago, not sure of the circumstances but the car involved was parked in the bus lane.

We all make mistakes take it easy on yourself and heal up, learn from it and move on!


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## RoubaixCube (18 Jun 2016)

I will upload the video footage a bit later I guess. Im just about to head off down the pub for a few drinks...something more entertaining then being stuck indoors filling out paperwork (207 form)


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## jefmcg (18 Jun 2016)

It sounds like you are making the right choice. I want to emphasise that talking to a lawyer will not leave you any worse off than you are now, as you've paid for them with your BC membership and they have to advise you on a course of action that is best for you, and they can't disclose anything you tell them without your permission. But if you were following him, and he stopped unexpectedly, then the accident is probably mostly your fault.

There's the bright side to this: if he had done the right thing and stopped then you (via BC insurance) would be paying for any damage to his car. So karma got him, though he'll never know.

Glad you are doing ok.


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## newfhouse (19 Jun 2016)

RoubaixCube said:


> It was my error


From what I've seen you write here I think that's right. Well done for having the cojones to say so.


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## RoubaixCube (21 Jun 2016)

Triban is back from the LBS. the front of the bike was completely dismantled and the forks inspected & headset re-greased when re-assembled. No damage .

Also took the opportunity to speak to them about my brake caliper issue on my Cube and they told me that the likely problem was that Cube were using bolts/screws for aluminum or steel bikes as opposed to ones for carbon which have a flat head so have more grip on the frame to stop them being pulled out of balance.

I'll probably take the cube down to them tomorrow for them to replace the bolts/screws.

Right leg is still giving me a bit of pain but Im sure i can manage a short 8mile trip.


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## Milkfloat (21 Jun 2016)

So when do you post the video so we can pick on you?


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## RoubaixCube (21 Jun 2016)

Milkfloat said:


> So when do you post the video so we can pick on you?



Soon


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## mjr (7 Jul 2016)

jefmcg said:


> It sounds like you are making the right choice. I want to emphasise that talking to a lawyer will not leave you any worse off than you are now, as you've paid for them with your BC membership and they have to advise you on a course of action that is best for you, and they can't disclose anything you tell them without your permission. But if you were following him, and he stopped unexpectedly, then the accident is probably mostly your fault.


I'm surprised by how many people think it's @RoubaixCube's fault for hitting a car that moved into the stopping distance in the lane. I've known people found at fault for pulling out into a lane in front of a car when the adjacent lane was empty and they could have overtaken (but chose to collide instead for some reason). It being possible for a cyclist to avoid the incident doesn't necessarily make it their fault, so I'd talk to the lawyers... but it may well not be worth pursuing.


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