My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciated.

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gremlin
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My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciated.

Post by gremlin »

Cycling straight on through a set of traffic lights on a city centre dual carriageway at approximately 20 mph (in secondary position) I was taken out by a car coming from the opposite direction and turning right in front of me. I saw the car start to turn, but it all happened so quickly all I could do was try and swerve around the front of the car, but was clipped on or near my back wheel by the drivers side front bumper and sent flying into the tarmac. Unusually on this occassion I did not have eye contact with the driver, but I do remember thinking in the split second "he's not going to turn is he"? He did.

It was heartening that half a dozen people (motorists) came to check that I was ok and one kind lady immediately gave me her details as she had witnessed the accident. Having checked myself over I have a few scrapes and bruises and other than a hole on the hip area of my shorts and a broken pannier bag clip it seems I came off quite lightly. A quick check of my bike and it may have a very slightly bent front sprocket and front wheel. Luckily no serious damage.

I got the details from the (elderly) driver and although the insurance he showed me from his wallet was out of date he said his new policy is at home. I hope so just in case. I also got photos of his car bumber which was substantially scuffed from the impact.I told him I would have to get my bike checked properly (ironically it was serviced this week) but it seems fine to me other than what I've already mentioned.

As this is my first ever cycling accident I would be grateful for any advice on how to proceed with this. I am a CTC member.

PS, I don't wear a helmet when I commute and my head did not hit the tarmac either through luck, or my gymnastic skills!
Simon
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gaz
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gaz »

Sorry to hear of your incident.

What to do next is summarised here and pick up the phone to the CTC accident help line.
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gremlin
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gremlin »

Many thanks Gaz.

To be honest I am starting to seize up and feel the bruises in places that I did'nt earlier. I will be on the case first thing in the morning.
Simon
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by Heltor Chasca »

Cripes. Glad you are ok. Reason 41 why I don't demonise young drivers. Elderly ones are tricky. I was hit by an old chap on a roundabout years back in the City in London. Your accident is an almost carbon copy of an accident I had when I was 17. I was on a motorbike which eventually ended up in a river. From the point of contact I ended up 32m down a cycle track! I sustained two broken bones leaving my arm swinging like a wind chime, a bruise on my hip bone where my house keys were in my back pocket, a flesh wound down to my shoulder bone and the paramedics ruined my favourite T shirt. AND it was a hit and run. Hope all turns out ok...b
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gremlin »

Heltor Chasca wrote:Cripes. Glad you are ok. Reason 41 why I don't demonise young drivers. Elderly ones are tricky. I was hit by an old chap on a roundabout years back in the City in London. Your accident is an almost carbon copy of an accident I had when I was 17. I was on a motorbike which eventually ended up in a river. From the point of contact I ended up 32m down a cycle track! I sustained two broken bones leaving my arm swinging like a wind chime, a bruise on my hip bone where my house keys were in my back pocket, a flesh wound down to my shoulder bone and the paramedics ruined my favourite T shirt. AND it was a hit and run. Hope all turns out ok...b


Thank you for your concern. It seems I was very lucky compared to your motorbike accident. That must of hurt? As I lay on the tarmac trying to establish if I was badly hurt or not, after initially stopping and then looking at me the driver started driving off, but he was just moving his car out of the way of blocking the main road, so not a hit and run as I first thought.

Thinking back over the incident, as I was approaching the green traffic light I was wondering if I would make it through or not (I did) and it was only really when I was about 3-5 metres away did I notice the car when it started to turn in front of me and then hit me. Perhaps my lack of eye contact with the driver did not help in this situation? As a former motorbiker myself I know how important eye contact can be in situations like this, so I am almost starting to feel that I somehow contributed to my own misfortune today!
Simon
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Edwards
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by Edwards »

gremlin wrote: so I am almost starting to feel that I somehow contributed to my own misfortune today!


My wife sometimes thinks this, she was taken out on a roundabout by a car entering from her left. This sort of reaction is normal in the way our minds work. Self preservation is a very high factor so "What If" is something that the brain uses to avoid the trauma again.

I am not inferring that you were in any way responsible for what happened. I am trying to explain the normal rational thought process that normal people go through when involved in an incident like this.

What you have to do now is question the "Made eye contact thought". Would it have made any difference in the space and time you had to react. To me the answer would be almost certainly not as you would not see the eyes until to late.

Do not let those thoughts take over and question where they came from and why.
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gaz
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gaz »

Edwards wrote:What you have to do now is question the "Made eye contact thought".

Yep. If he had been looking at you, he'd have seen you. Damned hard to make eye contact with someone who isn't looking at you.
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Edwards
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by Edwards »

Gaz you can not be certain that the eyes are focused on you. This is the sort of thinking needed to get rid of the notion of being responsible for your own injuries.
It is a method of thinking I am on about not advice on roadcraft.

You question the thought then find something wrong with it to lesson your own doubt.
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Redvee
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by Redvee »

Check the insurance status on http://www.askmid.com/
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by pwa »

I've had a couple of similar incidents over the years. At junctions, low speed, and one was with a car driven by an old man who did not appear to completely with it. At least this sort of accident tends to result in minor injuries. It sounds like you have what you need to proceed with a compensation claim against the driver's insurance, which I think you should do. It may make the old man think carefully about his ability to react to traffic. It may be doing him a bit of a favour, really.
tyreon
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by tyreon »

Are you crazi Gremlin!!!! There's a war on out there. Wotudoin? Yer cyclin thru a soon to change green light at 20mph...without a helmet. That accident could be a wheelchair job or coffin. Yes,not your fault and,by all accounts,you've done nothing wrong and all the other good spiel. But it could have been RIP. I am now formally forgiving you because you sound as if you have youth on your side. I had it once. I think you have to anticipate,especially with the image I've conjured up from your story. 20mph! How are you going to stop suddenly with bike brakes goin at that speed,in 'town'(?) traffic. And no helmet on!! I cycle without a helmet on but... Watch out for yourself. Yes you appear not to be at fault,but laying in your coffin would that be any consolation? There's every nutter,screwball,JC and just ordinary guy out there...driving a one ton motor vehicle(does a car weigh a ton?). That's more than you and your bike. Any collision,right or wrong,you will come off worse. Go easy young man. Take care.

Glad to hear you escaped unharmed.

Sometimes motorists just don't seem to see cyclists. Especially those travelling at speed(yeh,I know 20mph isn't that much to some)
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gaz
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gaz »

Edwards wrote:Gaz you can not be certain that the eyes are focused on you.

Keith, I think you've misunderstood me. This was a SMIDSY, the driver's eyes were not focused on gremlin. Gremlin could not have made eye contact with someone who hasn't seen him, so gremlin should stop having doubts about his not making eye contact as being a cause of the incident.
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eileithyia
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by eileithyia »

Glad you are relatively ok, might seem a bit petty to bother with but i would get those bruises looked at and photographed... if you need to later you will have evidence of your injuries and back up pictures.....

Get the damage to bike and any clothing damage photographed and recorded.

Keep a diary injury... how it affected you and how you recovered.. difficult to remember 2 years down the line when/if it goes to court..... Might sound daft for a relatively minor incident injury.. but when they start to wriggle out of payment.......

Eye Contact is a strange thing, one morning going to work I had a lady make full eye contact with me...... at least i saw she was looking in my direction but it was clear from the blank glazed look on her face that she was still asleep and looking straight through me... as she pulled left out of a side turning.... and i swerved into the middle of the road to around her.
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gremlin
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gremlin »

Edwards wrote:
gremlin wrote: so I am almost starting to feel that I somehow contributed to my own misfortune today!


What you have to do now is question the "Made eye contact thought". Would it have made any difference in the space and time you had to react. To me the answer would be almost certainly not as you would not see the eyes until to late.

Do not let those thoughts take over and question where they came from and why.


You are quite right and thank you for the reality check. The thought that somehow it was my own fault is of course totally wrong. I do feel that perhaps I should have anticipated this happening, but I guess you can't ride a bike/motorbike, or drive a vehicle trying to anticipate everything that could happen on the road. I normally ride defensively and assertively and think nothing of taking primary when I feel I have to for my safety. This incident will just go down to 'expereince' and as another case of SMIDSY.
Simon
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gremlin
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Re: My first time being hit by a car today! Advice appreciat

Post by gremlin »

pwa wrote:I've had a couple of similar incidents over the years. At junctions, low speed, and one was with a car driven by an old man who did not appear to completely with it. At least this sort of accident tends to result in minor injuries. It sounds like you have what you need to proceed with a compensation claim against the driver's insurance, which I think you should do. It may make the old man think carefully about his ability to react to traffic. It may be doing him a bit of a favour, really.


I am no "spring chicken" myself :) . Whilst trying to recover from the shock of the incident I remember looking at the elderly gent who hit me and he reminded me of my late father, whom my brothers and I had to stop driving for the safety of others and himself.

If the chaps mumbling almost incoherent speech and slow frail body movement was anything to go by he probably should not be on the road in any vehicle. I am in the process of assessing the cost of the damage to my bike and kit. Once I have got the total damages figure I will decide whether it is worth pursuing through his insurance or by presenting quotes and taking the cash. If he agrees to it?

Waking up this morning I have plenty of aches and pains and some in areas I did not last night. I am amazed that a 20 mph collision did not result in any major injuries and will count my blessings on that.
Simon
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