Cyclist spent 3 years finding owner of dog who caused him to fall off his bike

[PhilDawson8270]

Well found. Was it the classic Mail "Paragraph 19" which most readers (me included to my shame) don't get to?

Stuck on the paragraph under the photo. I knew I read it, admittedly I had to re-read a couple of times to remember where it was

 

[Arjimlad]

My house insurance includes third party liability cover and I checked on renewal that this would include cover were a member of my household to damage third parties whilst cycling.

I guess it would be that part of a policy which might cover the lady walking the dog.

 

[glenn forger]

I get £2m liability cover and mine was the cheapest home insurance policy I could find.

 

[Karlt]

Do little old ladies, walking someone else's dog have liability insurers? .

Yes, in the main they do, on their house contents insurance.

 

[snorri]

[QUOTE 4027160, member: 9609"]So how does this work when cycling on the road and another vehicle has to slow, [/QUOTE]
You bring up a completely different set of circumstances.

 

[Karlt]

My house insurance includes third party liability cover and I checked on renewal that this would include cover were a member of my household to damage third parties whilst cycling.

I guess it would be that part of a policy which might cover the lady walking the dog.

I had to use mine when another cyclist misinterpreted my signals and line over the tram tracks in Sheffield and ended up coming a cropper himself on them. Rather than argue liability I just handed it over to my house contents insurer and never heard another thing.

 

[Mile195]

At least it all ended well, in a way, for both parties (since she didn't have to pay out of her own pocket). But quite honestly I don't side with the cyclist. Yes - she should have the dog under more control perhaps, but dogs don't care about who has priority and you can't expect to cycle past one safe in the knowledge it won't run in front of you. Even my dog who only weighs 26 kilos can give me a bit of jolt when he suddenly changes direction to go and sniff a lampost when I'm not expecting it, so it's hardly surprising the elderly lady who's not used to having a dog was caught off guard.

Obviously we don't know the full circumstances, but it seems to me that if he saw a dog, a retractable lead, and an old lady not concentrating on said dog, then he should probably have anticipated what MIGHT happen before he gets there. I slow down to walking pace sometimes when approaching dogs and their owners on shared paths. I do the same for young children who also tend to change direction suddenly and without warning. Whether you like it or not, it's just something you have to do when using any kind of footway. Well, in my opinion anyway.

 

[al78]

[QUOTE 4027160, member: 9609"]So how does this work when cycling on the road and another vehicle has to slow, I would be bloody infuriated if a car driver beeped at me and expected me to get out of his way - someone had the temerity to do that to me a couple of years back[/QUOTE]

What I do is assess the likelihood of whether the driver will have a safe overtaking opportunity within 30 seconds or so. If so, then continue on my course and the driver will overtake using the half of the road that I am not using. If there is likely to be no overtaking opportunity for a while, and there is a convoy gradually building up behind me, I will pull in at the next safe opportunity. The drivers get past me easily, I get held up for a minimal amount of time but then get going on a road that is much quieter, everyone's a winner.

The cyclist-motorist scenario is not a good analogy for a shared use path or bridleway situation, as on the latter a dog walker and dog will frequently take up the whole width of the path, making a safe overtake impossible, whereas on the road I do not take up the whole width of the road unless I am on a single track road (in which case I use passing places when necessary), so motorists will frequently be able to overtake within seconds.

I'm not one of these people who think that being a vulnerable road user entitles me to throw away the whole concept of thought and consideration for others.

 

[Saluki]

Yes, in the main they do, on their house contents insurance.

I did not know that. I am off for a look at my insurance policy to see if I am covered for such a thing - not that I need it as I have business insurance. Just curious.

 

[Lonestar]

Probably priority was the wrong word, I meant to say no group has the right to delay others unnecessarily.

Ironic,I gave a pedestrian priority @ Lavistock Road this mornng and promptly fell off as she couldn't be bothered to look when she crossed.That's life I guess.Better to deal with a twat on two legs than a twat on four wheels.(My front wheel slipped in the wet on that dodgy bit of road in the turning)

 

[Andy_R]

Ok...let's put this to bed with three simple words. People are stupid.

 

[Sara_H]

Just another example of why shared cycle/pedestrian paths are pants.

Of course people should be able to take a walk without constantly having to check if theyre obstructing a cyclists path, and of course cyclists should be able to make progress without having to dodge people and dogs on foot and having to slow to snails pace evety thirty seconds.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

You do realise it's possible to sustain injuries like his by tripping over while walking along, don't you? Speed doesn't necessarily have that much to do with it.

Yeah and some people have survived plane crashes largely unscathed too but there's a general correlation between significant injury and speed that occasional exceptions don't invalidate.

 

[biggs682]

saw this today . i commute via cycle paths and suffer with dog walkers loads and then people walking with headphones in so they cant hear you approach

 

[midlife]

I can't see the bell on his bike.......

Shaun