Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)
  • Cars as weapons
  • akysurf
    Free Member

    Went on a bike ride today with wife and kids (10 & 12), I was bringing up the rear with my wife leading the way high vis-jackets on etc.In a narrow one-way village street about 20 meters from a T junction the car behind started to pass coming along side me, but bailed- out as clearly there was not the time or room and we had clearly signalled a right turn, this alone was fairly shocking. At the junction we all turned right and single file proceeded up the hill, still a one-way and narrow due to 3 or 4 parked cars on our left. Unbelievably the car pulled along side me, and began squeezing passed. He was going fairly slowly so I bent down and said “can’t you wait a few seconds?”. There really wasn’t room and he needed to wait 15secs max before the road widened out. My kids were very vulnerable and in real danger so I accelerated with the car to and kept myself between the car and the kids, who at the same time were in the process of pulling over out of no choice. As we rounded the last parked car the road widened to two lanes marked to go either right or left. Then (and this was the really scary bit) he forced me into the curb gradually squeezing the room. So I planted my right boot into the his door.

    The argument then ensued. He got out, and to my surprise he was about mid 60’s, but still an aggressive t@sser spoiling for fight. After a robust argument which he lost, even his pasenger joined in saying accusingly “….but you accelated to protect your kids, so it’s your fault” implying it was my fault that I had antagonized him and therefore he was justified to run me into the kerb, he got back in, at which point I was in front of his car, I yelled “stop do not go any further I want your reg”. Then he pulled away bumping me up onto his bonnet, not fast, but still pretty scary. So, for the second time, using his car as a weapon. He seemed in his mind completely justified to do that – very scary.

    Really thinking about a helmet cam to capture this sort of event and sue.

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    Report to the police as attempted assault.

    Klunk
    Free Member

    if you got his reg inform the police.

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    Slogo
    Free Member

    Really thinking about a helmet cam to capture this sort of event and sue.

    I think you mean report to the police.

    Tom83
    Full Member

    Any local shops who might have cctv of it? Any injuries?

    mrchrispy
    Full Member

    report it, simples.

    sounds like you handled it pretty well…..apart from not planting one on him and ramming his car up his ar5e.

    akysurf
    Free Member

    would have reported it to the police if I could have just got the reg.

    taxi25
    Free Member

    One point. Never ever stand in front of a car to prevent the driver moving off !!! you could have ended up dead in front of your kids. Just step aside, loads of time to get the reg as he drives away.

    akysurf
    Free Member

    That’s the first and certainly the last time I stand I front of a car to prevent someone from driving away, this is a real lesson-learned for me.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Just step aside, loads of time to get the reg as he drives away.

    ^^This^^

    Step aside, let the imbecile drive off. Never put yourself in harm’s way.

    ski
    Free Member

    I tend to see red (well just the once so far) when it comes to people endangering my close ones & theres me being the biggist wimp 99% of the time!

    Still have a nice little scar on my left hand after someone pushed my childs bike trailer into the curb in a similar situation 8 years ago.

    Police were called and I was cuffed, had a not so nice chat with two PO in a interview room, who thankfully took it no further, the van driver I planted was well to them apparently.

    Well done for keeping your cool, your a better person than me 😉

    mrmo
    Free Member

    report to police, NOW. no thinking, just do it,

    nealglover
    Free Member

    Sounds like a bit if an arse.

    How did you manage not to get the reg though ?

    ivantate
    Free Member

    All the more reason for making sure it gets to fistycuffs before they get back in the car.

    project
    Free Member

    http://WWW.7DAYSHOP.COM for cheap helmet cams.

    Dfinately report him tot he police, old people are sometimes lethal.

    Also you acidently caught his door as you fell from your bike, trying to take evasive action from a delusional driver.

    ivantate
    Free Member

    Semi in jest. Good job you were ok, incredible he drove at you. Hope there is enough damage to make him think everytime he sees the car.

    matlockmeat
    Free Member

    Can’t believe how serious this sounds.

    I know people say don’t stand in the way but someone behind the wheel has got to be willing to kill/seriously harm and be willing to spend a lot of time in prison to be able to physically remove you out the way with a car.

    Are there that many drivers out there that would risk running someone over simply because they stood on the way. I’d hope not.

    This particular driver sounds a lunatic and needs locking up.

    I presume he has committed a crime by driving at you and hitting you.

    akysurf
    Free Member

    Even though I really wanted to get the reg, for me it was just just too stressful a situation to capture it to memory.

    charliedontsurf
    Full Member

    Get a helmet cam…. We should all have them.

    Or kick him in the bollocks.

    glupton1976
    Free Member

    Should have dropped him. 😉

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    I was with you until you typed ‘sue’.

    butcher
    Full Member

    Sod the reg, you have a description of the guy and three witnesses. They might never find him, but it’s pretty serious stuff.

    mdavids
    Free Member

    I’m afraid you’ve made a fundamental mistake OP. You rode in a group on U.K. roads and expected to be treated with respect. The driver you deliberately held up probably had some vitally important last minute christmas shopping to do and there just wasn’t time to overtake you and your family safely. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.

    Seriously though, in an ideal world you could safely take your family out for a nice bike ride on the roads of this country, unfortunately this isn’t an ideal world, its full of *****, many of whom drive cars and become even bigger ***** whilst doing so. You cant even expect a proper punishment for one of these ***** when they knock you from your bike. Depressingly, its just not worth putting your family at risk.

    MSP
    Full Member

    I know people say don’t stand in the way but someone behind the wheel has got to be willing to kill/seriously harm and be willing to spend a lot of time in prison to be able to physically remove you out the way with a car.

    Are there that many drivers out there that would risk running someone over simply because they stood on the way. I’d hope not.

    There seems to be some peculiar effect that driving a car brings on people, its like an extension of personal space with added power and rage, I doubt he was considering the consequences of his actions.

    sturmey
    Free Member

    Think yourself fortunate last wednesday evening coming home from work a car tried passing me on a swing bridge its single file I dont remember anything else. Witness statement says he tried to get passed hit me and I stayed up right so had another go after the bridge putting me over the bonnet driving off leaving me in the gutter unconcious for 20mins. No reg number just a description of the car 2 days in hospital cuts and bruises and a large bill for bike and clothing all on my insurance. Be very careful.

    Taff
    Free Member

    Had a similar issue today. Riding on a windy road with double white lines in the centre going as quick as possible. The car behind was good and waited until dashes lines started again. I then signal right, car behind seemed to stay where it was so moved over. Then he went to overtake on a chevron section. I gestured to him but he kept coming then pushed me over. He was laughing and went off. Tempted to chase him down to traffic lights. He was in 60s too

    bails
    Full Member

    I know people say don’t stand in the way but someone behind the wheel has got to be willing to kill/seriously harm and be willing to spend a lot of time in prison to be able to physically remove you out the way with a car.
    Are there that many drivers out there that would risk running someone over simply because they stood on the way. I’d hope not.

    I’d suggest that the people who are too stupid to understand the consequences of hitting someone with a car/don’t care about hitting someone with a car are the ones who are more likely to be the aggressors in these kind of situations.

    neilm
    Free Member

    Glad you survived OP.

    I ride horses as well as bikes and without a shadow of doubt the older drivers (60 plus) are the most impatient and dangerous.

    I have never had a face to face like that, which is just as well, as with 30 years of Martial Arts training under my belt (see what I did there?), the poor driver could suffer a nasty slip without me leaving a mark on him… your Honour.

    brooess
    Free Member

    That’s a shocking situation. Especially when the passenger recognised you were trying to protect your kids. No-one normal attacks someone for protecting their own kids.

    Any chance locality has cctv?

    Someone posting here recently said think of the most stupid person you know and ask yourself if they have a driving licence.
    I would add to that, think of the most angry, mentally troubled, agressive person you know… and the rest we know.

    Hope it doesn’t spoil your Xmas or your kids’ confidence.

    Edit: in no way blaming you but how ‘primary’ were you riding? I know it upsets drivers but where there’s a squeeze then taking full primary makes this kind of manoeuvre impossible

    soobalias
    Free Member

    obvious troll is obvious

    picked a fight with a car, got a pensioner, gutted mate

    aracer
    Free Member

    You have a description of the driver and of the car. The chances are he’s fairly local. If you haven’t reported it to the police yet then you should do.

    I suspect the police will follow usual procedure and treat assault with a vehicle less seriously than they would with any other weapon (care to comment, poly?) – I mean if it was somebody punching you in the street it’s not like they’d need a car reg number to try and track down the criminal – but you might just get lucky.

    luffy105
    Free Member

    Not big or clever but I had a similar experience in France a few years ago. The driver was a complete to55er(English not French). Luckily for me he wouldn’t get out of their car and had their window down so I leant in the car, took the keys out of the ignition and threw them in the river running alongside and rode off.

    Wouldn’t recommend it though, that was the last time I was ever there as was only visiting the area.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    That’s shocking and the main thing is you and family are ok but what’s also a little upsetting is I’m not surprised
    Just waiting on Father Christmas to bring my go pro
    And I’ve being making a proper effort not to loose my rag with dumb drivers

    skidsareforkids
    Free Member

    Nobeerinthefridge – Member
    I was with you until you typed ‘sue’.

    POSTED 7 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
    True that…

    sbd16v
    Free Member

    tbh considering there was

    bank-kids-you accelerating-car-bank

    there was atleast a grown adult on a bike between you and the car i really dont see what the problem in him slowly overtaking was.

    mikertroid
    Free Member

    Normally number plates are stuck on or are easily frangible if screwed in.

    Takes a microsecond to ‘take’ a reg…… 😉

    I had this trying to help some cubs across a road; 30 Limit busy (with pedestrians) village high st.

    A driver drove at the kids, then at my legs. When reported to police, he claimed he found the children intimidating and ‘got stressed’!!!
    Surely an instant removal of licence??!! No, police did nowt despite 40 witnesses!!!

    At least you’re all okay.

    MSP
    Full Member

    Perhaps, seeing as the police and prosecution service don’t seem to take such incidents seriously, then suing is the right thing to do.

    akysurf
    Free Member

    bank-kids-you accelerating-car-bank

    parked cars- me (6″s either side) – car – bank

    My kids had reacted at the shouting and pulled over between the parked cars at about the same time I passed them. I effectively put myself in place of my kids, then after passing the last parked car,

    kerb -me (front wheel on kerb, right foot in the car door) – car angled across LH lane – clear RH lane – bank

    poly
    Free Member

    I suspect the police will follow usual procedure and treat assault with a vehicle less seriously than they would with any other weapon (care to comment, poly?) – I mean if it was somebody punching you in the street it’s not like they’d need a car reg number to try and track down the criminal – but you might just get lucky.

    I’ve no idea what the police’s normal procedures are, but of the very few cases I can think of where a vehicle has been obviously used as a ‘weapon’ the justice system has treated it rather robustly. There may have been substantial injuries in those cases though? The problem for the prosecutor is do you try for a ‘serious’ charge and risk that it fails or go for a less serious charge with more hope of conviction. With no actual injury, no registration number, no genuinely independent witness, and the driver having a witness too, its probably a messy case. Add that to the fact that the OP didn’t report it immediately to the police (as you presumably would if you felt at the time it was an assault). Now do you, your wife, and possibly your children want to spend a day sitting in a jury room to be called to give evidence (if you are lucky on the first day of calling, but more likely they will bugger it up and you’ll need to come back!), only to be quite blatantly accused of lying, exaggerating and being an aggressive angry guy who lost his rag and kicked the side of an old man’s car.

    And of course the idiot driver’s defence team will probably suggest that he felt threatened and intimidated by the younger fitter man (who lets remember had just intentionally struck the side of the vehicle – so in court I am sure can be presented as angry and aggressive!), and he was simply trying to leave the scene as quickly as possible for his own safety. .

    I suspect the OP’s problem will be a lack of reg no, and unless he happened to be very distinctive a vague description. Just as if you were punched in the street by a man in his 60s you would need to have some considerably more distinctive or “well known” to be likely to get an arrest. I guess a good defence lawyer would be arguing that there is a very effective means to provide unique identification of vehicles and none of the four witnesses managed to gather any of the registration during an incident which seems to have lasted a couple of minutes then the quality of their recollection of other critical details may be affected by “red mist” also.

    SteveLoughran
    Free Member

    Cycling with kids is hard, and even in a town you meet some very aggressive drivers -often school parents. As you note, pensioners can be pretty aggressive too -I think some of them really hate bicycles and go out of their way to punish you for being on “their” roads.

    I would recommend a camera; those veho muvi ones are OK -see below- but you could get a good one (now: contour HD) and use it off road too.

    I had a very-near-miss incident in Bristol on the royal wedding holiday, car shot straight over a roundabout I was cycling over with my son. The video was enough to get the driver prosecuted (due care and attention, 5pts). The police put a lot of effort in here precisely because my son was involved. The driver wouldn’t respond to the ‘were you driving” letters, and hid from the polis when they came round. They tagged his car for all local police cars with ANPR to pull him over -and had him stopped within the week.

    Full story and video

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)

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