First hit & run, am I *real* cyclist now?

[lucksmith]

This above. Hit 3 months ago, 4 broken ribs, badly fractured spine, over 6 weeks in hospital, still lying on a settee 23 hours a day. Cant ride, cant exercise. Can walk or stand for a few minutes then the pain kicks in. Hit about 2 miles from you.

Christ, I guess I was lucky, really! Hope you're mended before too long.

I didn't go to Sterpping Hill, I went to MRI by way of a drop-in surgery. 6 hours in A&E, couple of hours with the pharmacist/drop-in.

 

[benb]

The police sound like they can't be bothered.

They can issue a S172, which requires the registered keeper to identify who was driving.
Surely the fact that they knocked you off, injured you, and didn't stop means they should be looking to prosecute?
I get that you don't like the idea of court, but this driver needs dealing with.

 

[fossyant]

Christ, I guess I was lucky, really! Hope you're mended before too long.

I didn't go to Sterpping Hill, I went to MRI by way of a drop-in surgery. 6 hours in A&E, couple of hours with the pharmacist/drop-in.

Ah - I got to know the Porters quite well I was wheeled up and down that much

 

[classic33]

Ah - I got to know the Porters quite well I was wheeled up and down that much

Me I seemed to be known as "Youagain", amongst the porters.

 

[derrick]

I got totalled just a few metres from my house the other day. Broad day light, plenty of witnesses, this guy turned straight across me without indicating or looking.

His wing-mirror got smashed up and he got a bit of a mouthful from me. My bike's mostly alright (luckily it was my old one, if it was my new one I'd have been even more livid), my elbow was trashed and my hoodie got covered in blood & a big rip in it.

I got one witness's phone number (though a number of people offered) and walked home to have a bath.

I called the police who said they'll send me a form til fill out and then they'll see if the car insurer will say who was driving. They weren't interested in talking to me or finding the guy any time soon.

The next day I went to the pharmacist to get something to bandage my elbow. He said I really needed to see a doctor. The drop-in GP told me I had to go to A&E. 8 hours after I left home I finally got back with some bandages, a belly full of pain-killers, and a story about how the doc was surprised that my elbow wasn't broken, and how the chunk that was missing was "too big to be stitched".

Now I'm just sore, and while I'm glad I'm not seriously injured (my boss would have gone mad if I'd have been off for a few weeks), I also feel like I've got nothing to show for an entire Friday spent traipsing around getting fixed up cos this idiot can't drive.

The police haven't explained at all what might happen from now, but I imagine that the fact that I'll be fully healed in a week or two and that my bike isn't wrecked. I really don't fancy having to go to court or anything, and frankly, I don't really want this guy to lose his licence or anything. I just wanted some uniform bods to show up and put the shoots up him so maybe he'll pay more attention next time.

buh.

Anyway, I've been hit by a car in broad day light just metres from my house, does this mean I'm a *real* cyclist now?

You are just another cyclist the police don't give a **** about.

 

[DRM]

That's what I did in the end. If the police don't teach them a lesson then maybe a whacking increase on their premium will.

Exactly, hopefully the premium increase will be quite eyewatering, should make them evaluate their atitude.

 

[classic33]

Exactly, hopefully the premium increase will be quite eyewatering, should make them evaluate their atitude.

Assuming they have insurance in the first place, or don't get it insured under another name after "selling it" on.

 

[lucksmith]

I've got absolutely no stats to base this on, but I'm skeptical of increased premiums = safer drivers. I'm fairly sure it'd lead to, if anything, more ununisured drivers and trebbles all round for insruance companies.

In factm the only stuff I can find online (mainly from RoPSA) seems to suggest that rewarding good/careful drivers is more productive than punishing bad drivers.

Anyway, I'm still waiting for the forms to come from the police. I'll fill 'em in when they eventully arrive and see what happens. I'll not hold my breath

 

[benb]

In factm the only stuff I can find online (mainly from RoPSA) seems to suggest that rewarding good/careful drivers is more productive than punishing bad drivers.

It's certainly worth looking at.
I remember reading about somewhere (Sweden maybe) where they had a speed camera. If you went past under the limit you got put into a lottery where one person a month would get winnings paid for by the fines of the people who went through it over the limit. Seemed like a good idea, but data required as to its effectiveness.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I'm not really after compensation. I'm a fairly resiliant individual, and although I've not been on a bike since then I will have to get on one tomorrow as it's my only way of getting to work, so I'll soon get my confidence back. It'd be nice if someone would pay to have my hoodie replaced, though (it's basically my only one!).

I'm not a fan of compensation either, but if I was hit off again I would actually consider taking legal action. If the police won't/can't enforce this sort of thing by taking points off licence / fines; then the only deterrent to this not happening again is if drivers think 'I might get sued'. Anything to make roads a bit safer.

 

[S.Giles]

I'm not a fan of compensation either...

What a remarkable comment! I'm a big fan of compensation, having just received a six-figure sum in compensation for having been hospitalised for a week by a careless motorist.

Money not claimed in compensation is money wasted. The figure owed cannot be arrived at by simply adding up the damage to clothing, bike, etc. There is much more to be taken into consideration than that. Injury compensation lawyers know more about this subject than do laymen, believe it or not.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Im no parasyte but god forbid i ever get knocked down or seriously injured then I would want to be compensated, Not just so i can replace the things that were damaged during the unfortunate incident but for ongoing medical treatment (if any) and for any length of time that im stuck in a hospital bed unable to go to work. The rent still needs to be paid. I need to make sure i have enough compensation to cover my own costs & making sure that my family still have food on the table while im out of action.