Mishap with cyclist

Usher · 28 Feb 2021 at 09:49

Had my first ever minor accident yesterday at a traffic island, There were no vehicles in sight anywhere so I began to move out. I had checked to the right and was now looking forwards, Suddenly a cyclist was coming downhill from the right at breakneck speed, he shot straight onto the island and my wife saw him and shouted but too late.
He shot straight in front of me and I clipped his back wheel with my nearside and he came off. He claimed it was my fault as he saw me pull out without looking and I should give way to vehicles from the right. My car is fitted with collision warning/braking but he was that fast it didn't trigger, however I was only doing about 15mph.

I lady in a car across the road said it was clearly my fault as I had knocked him off the bike but did she notice I had already entered the roundabout before he even reached it? that he was going so fast that even though he apparently saw me pull out without looking he could not actually stop?

His bike had bent the back wheel a bit, his Lycra a bit torn, being a bit shook up I offered to pay for bike repairs which I suppose makes me admit to fault but on reflection I think he definitely entered the roundabout without due care & attention.
When we enquired as to if he got home o.k he said that he had gone to A&E to check his wrist and I wonder if this will get reported to the police and should I cover myself by reporting my version of it first or just wait to see what happens.

Maccapacca · 28 Feb 2021 at 09:54

How is that minor?

I’d be phoning the insurance double quick.

Dis86 · 28 Feb 2021 at 09:56

If you were already on the roundabout it's your right of way.

Usher · 28 Feb 2021 at 09:59

Maccapacca said:
How is that minor?

I’d be phoning the insurance double quick.

Will he be phoning his ?

Semple · 28 Feb 2021 at 09:59

There was a guy on here who posted a much more minor accident with a cyclist - cyclist on pavement and barely doing any speed. Eventually the cyclist came back to put in a big compo claim with his insurance and won.

So I'd definitely log it with your insurance incase he decides to make a claim.

Edit: your story doesn't quite add up, if the cyclist was able to get to the roundabout that quick to be clipped by the front of your car would suggest that he was much closer to the roundabout than you realised.

200sols · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:08

Usher said:
Will he be phoning his ?

Only if he had bike insurance.

Kenai · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:08

Usher said:
Will he be phoning his ?

Does he have any of your details with which to get in touch with yours?

If you'd hit my bike, I was confident it was your fault, bent it and damaged my wrist I'd be trying to claim from you/your insurance.

Dis86 · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:11

Usher said:
Will he be phoning his ?

Irrelevant.

GreatAuk · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:13

Hard to know for sure who was at fault without actually seeing the whole thing, but I think personally I would report it to my insurance and the police ASAP either way. Potential for much worse comeback on you if he does make a claim or report the incident but you haven't I think.

adolf hamster · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:15

Maccapacca said:
How is that minor?

I’d be phoning the insurance double quick.

agreed, as-written sounds like the fella has quite the claim to make if he so chooses.

Usher · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:16

Semple said:
There was a guy on here who posted a much more minor accident with a cyclist - cyclist on pavement and barely doing any speed. Eventually the cyclist came back to put in a big compo claim with his insurance and won.

So I'd definitely log it with your insurance incase he decides to make a claim.

Edit: your story doesn't quite add up, if the cyclist was able to get to the roundabout that quick to be clipped by the front of your car would suggest that he was much closer to the roundabout than you realised.

He entered at breakneck speed after coming down an incline, that's why he could not stop when he saw me already moving. probably 3 seconds to reach the front of my car

Semple · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:21

Usher said:
He entered at breakneck speed after coming down an incline, that's why he could not stop when he saw me already moving. probably 3 seconds to reach the front of my car

What's the speed limit of the road?

UTmaniac · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:23

If the cyclist could clearly see no traffic waiting to enter the mini roundabout to their right, they would have no reason to slow, if planning to go straight over. I doubt many cyclists, even on a road bike, would approach a mini roundabout at more than ~30mph even if their approach was downhill. Prepare for a claim that could easily be in the thousands for the bike write-off, especially as bike prices have increased dramatically over the last year (you will do well to find a new carbon framed hydraulic brake road bike under ~£1500 for even a lower end model now), before any other claims.

Hades · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:34

Kenai said:
Does he have any of your details with which to get in touch with yours?

Insurance details can be obtained by anyone with the number plate.

robj20 · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:34

One thing that doesn't add up for me.

You say you were already on the roundabout but you clipped his rear wheel? Wouldn't he have hit you if you were already on the roundabout. He's got the offside or rear of your car surely.

Dis86 · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:37

robj20 said:
One thing that doesn't add up for me.

You say you were already on the roundabout but you clipped his rear wheel? Wouldn't he have hit you if you were already on the roundabout. He's got the offside or rear of your car surely.

Difference in speed could account for it so it's not impossible. If Usher was only pulling out at a couple of mph vs the cyclist doing 30.

HoneyBadger · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:37

I don’t really understand how this could have have happened as you describe, the only explanation I can think of is that you simply didn’t see him.

Sounds like it was your fault though.

dlockers · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:40

Yeah you'll do well to argue they're at fault if you clipped the back of them, lol. Be more careful next time. Cyclists do not have the ability to stop on a dime either. Chalk it up to experience and be glad it wasn't worse.

Kenai · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:47

Hitting the cyclist rather than the cyclist hitting you, with the comment "I had checked to the right and was now looking forwards, Suddenly a cyclist was coming downhill from the right" just looks to me like a classic case of looking once, not seeing anything obvious and not checking again before starting to move a few seconds later.

Also you 'began to move out' but by the point of hitting a cyclist on a mini-roundabout you were doing 'about 15 mph' - that's pretty quick for someone just beginning to move out, especially so if you weren't far enough onto the roundabout for him to be hitting you rather than you hitting him.

It's not painting a picture of a cast iron lunatic cyclist to me.

edit - not sure why I thought it was a mini-roundabout, but anyway, point still applies

robj20 · 28 Feb 2021 at 10:48

Dis86 said:
Difference in speed could account for it so it's not impossible. If Usher was only pulling out at a couple of mph vs the cyclist doing 30.

"however I was only doing about 15mph."

Doing 15mph and hitting the back of something with the front of your car, either they didn't stop or slow enough at the roundabout and entered at that speed hiring the bike that was already there or the car was going the wrong way around the round about.

Accidents do happen though we're all human, that's why you have insurance, I would be getting on touch with them pronto and the police it will all sound better coming from you. Plus if your sticking to your account of things get it in before the cyclists account.

Mishap with cyclist

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