[Closed] Accident - what would you have done?

If it helps, I saw an accident exactly like this last year, and the driver got prosecuted for driving without due care, as the passenger getting out was a teenager. The driver at the time also blamed the cyclist.

Mind you the cyclist was picked up by an ambulance as the poor bastard hit the door before it was completely open and effectively rode straight into an the door end on ....

FFS every time we do one of these some tools blame the cyclcit WTF do you have to do be run over from behind or something - suppose then some nobber would still say you were riding too wide etc.

20 mph may be a little fast but seriously who rides expecting the pasenger door to open on a car in the middle lane of a three lane road?
I dont think some of you peole actually rides bikes on th eorad tbh but I beleive you all own cars.

You ran into her with enough force to damage a door FFS

Thanks very much for enhancing cyclists reputation even further.

Your view has not enhanced my view of cyclist - every one of these thread sno matter what and cyclists blame cyclists I despair of the place sometimes

Legally - the car passengers fault 100% You were riding within the law. however there is a lesson for you to learn - don't filter so fast especially when there is no escape route.

What to do now? report it to the cops explaining you were in fear which is why you left the scene

If I were to walk through some parts of Glasgow at night, pushing an expensive bike, it's quite possible I'd be relieved of that bike by some locals with kitchen knives. And they'd be completely in the wrong in the eyes of the law. It still wouldn't be a clever thing for me to do, though.

Same thing here - the passenger was at fault, but when you filter past cars you have to anticipate that drivers and passengers won't expect you to be there.

20mph is about 30 feet/second. Look in the rear view mirror, see nothing close, open door. How long does that take 5-10 seconds? How far would the cyclist have travelled in that time?
Even at 10 mph, the cyclist travels 150 feet in 10 seconds. At night, with the glare of lights, how far back can somebody reasonably be expected to see?
Far too fast for the conditions.

The other person is probably more concerned about prosecution than you are. You probably should have waited for the police but without witnesses you are a bit exposed. Check for CCTV cameras to provide yourself with possible evidence otherwise choose a new route for a while. And get yourself to a physio or osteopath. These things are easier to treat now than later.

I agree with TJ and Hora.

I'm going for a lie down.

The lesson would be, don't filter at 20 mph and [s]hence you won't crash into someone and[/s] you're less likely to hit some retard who opens their door without looking and your leg [s]won't[/s]may not hurt as much.

FTFY.

FFS every time we do one of these some tools blame the cyclcit WTF do you have to do be run over from behind or something - suppose then some nobber would still say you were riding too wide etc.

+1

He's not asking whether it was a sensible thing to do (I think we're in agreement on that), but to say it's 100% the fault of the cyclist is absurd!

Filtering between lanes is undertaking, and should be banned.

Aside from the specifics of this incident I find it nearly impossible to keep tabs on both sides of the vehicle as well as paying attention to the flow in front of me in rush hour traffic on stop start dual carriageways

Filtering at 20mph? Racing to get to the front? Cock.

20 mph may be a little fast but seriously who rides expecting the pasenger door to open on a car in the middle lane of a three lane road?

Me, actually.

I see the sanctimonious are out in full force today 🙄

+1 TJ & Junkyard

Filtering between lanes is undertaking, and should be banned.

Filtering is not undertaking. This is why it is not banned.

[i]20mph filtering is bugger all.[/i]

It's pretty quick on a pushbike, especially where you have no room for error should something happen, like a door opening...

He's not in the wrong, but it was a pretty dumb way to ride.

I rarely filter now for many of the reasons mentioned above.
Unexpected things happen, and they've happened often enough now that I'm really not that bothered about a journey taking longer.
I don't think there's anything wrong with filtering, you've just got to accept that there are potential consequences involved in doing it.

"Ride like everyone's trying to kill you" is the common advice.

I see the sanctimonious are out in full force today

+1 TJ & Junkyard

This.

The OP has broken no laws and the passenger and driver have both broken laws yet the smug "I know best" bellend brigade are out in force.

"Ride like everyone's trying to kill you" is the common advice.

I always ride robustly with clear signals and never at full pelt.

The OP has broken no laws and the passenger and driver have both broken laws yet the smug "I know best" bellend brigade are out in force.

His leg hurts and he injured someone else, so who's the end of a bell really?

20 mph may be a little fast but seriously who rides expecting the pasenger door to open on a car in the middle lane of a three lane road?

Me, actually.

+1. I ride a lot in traffic and as cyclists we are the most vulnerable of road users.

OK, probably a bit harsh using the work "cock" but I see a lot of riders zipping between cars without due care. Sure the passenger was *mainly* at fault for not checking but the OP would have been able to stop if the speed was more appropriate for the conditions.

Just because he was on a bike doesn't mean he was blameless.

I feel like flouncing but im not enough of a big hitter for anyone to care.

this thread is really depressing. cya another day when its gone

~Another thing yo can o and I try to when filtering is to look in every car for the passenger opening the door or chucking stuff out of a window - you might just give yourself a little extra time to react

20 mph a bit brisk but extremely unlucky to encounter a cabbage opening their door in the middle lane. Major error to do one, though, just because the bloke is raising his voice [who wouldn't be defensive seeing their missus folded into a car door?].
Not your fault like, but you've ploughed into a woman at speed, she's hurt, you're hurt, door is bolloxed. Needs sorting out at the scene.

Easy in hindsight of course - hope you're not seriously injured. If you do want to report it then I guess the driver being aggressive is a semi-reasonable excuse for you doing one from the scene.

I got doored once filtering, the passenger flung it open to get out quick. He was rather surprised (and apologetic) when I bounced my shoulder of the now open door, landed on my feet still holding the bars, lent towards him and said 'disc brakes are awesome for this sort of thing'

I have a similar potential hazard when I cycle to work . there is a school where traffic will be standing or crawling and as you ride along in the cycle-lane a passenger door will open without warning as the vehicle is in a line of traffic and a dopey teenager will get out with headphones in completely unaware of a cycle rapidly approaching
got away with it so far

I've had someone do the OP, lane 2 of 3, not reasonable to expect it to happen, tho I had already slowed for filtering and managed to stop in time. Also had it several times when car is stationary out in traffic, no attempt to pull to the kerb, passenger still seemed surprised when I complained about door suddenly opening in front of me.

Cyclists and scooter riders especially are sharing my lane and need to take due care, in the same way I do when (if) overtaking them. The road code specifies I should give a cyclist the same room as I would a car when overtaking- these people need to do the same for me, especially when travelling at speeds substantially faster than the traffic flow.

[i]You were out of control and not looking where you were going.[/i]

From what the OP said I don't read he was out of control or not looking. Going a wee bit too fast perhaps but even if he was doing half that speed he's still going to go into the door if its opened in his path.

Thanks for all the responses - I genuinely wasn't expecting anyone to try to suggest that I was legally at fault for the accident, but this is STW, so why would I be surprised?

I've phoned the police and had a discussion with them. They have no record of an accident in that area at that time, and accordingly were not planning on pursuing me. As I can't give a registration number there's little else they can do on tracing the driver. They've got my details, and will keep me informed if anything develops.

Oh, and they confirmed that if the facts are as I presented them (relatively truthfully - I said I was going fast enough to bend a door, but didn't state my estimate of the speed), I'd committed no offence.

I accept the consequences of riding on the road. I ccept that riding faster rather than slower means that when an impact occurs it will be rather more painful. But other than going at walking speed, the accident would have happened anyway, and the dangers of riding slowly in London are far greater than the dangers of keeping up with traffic and not getting stuck in queues.

[i]Thanks for all the responses[/i]

You don't mean that... surely!?!?! 😆

The amount of people who have gotten away with killing/injuring people cause they were under the limit (tho rather more importantly still not at a safe speed for the present conditions) should keep you out of jail.

assuming cyclists are treated equally of course...erm...hmm...oh bugger, scratch the above you're in deep shit.

I would say filtering between lanes you should have a reasonable expectation of not being doored (filtering in the gutter is a different matter)

I don't think the OP is in the wrong but I wouldn't have left the scene

OP - Visit a police station TODAY and report the incident

However, you hit a person on foot at almost 20mph and forced them into a door. I would have at least checked that they were OK. Were they?

oh helllllooo, what's this?

[img] [/img]

ring the fuzz and report it!

Thanks for all the responses

You're very welcome! 🙂

Synopsis?

However, you hit a person on foot at almost 20mph and forced them into a door. I would have at least checked that they were OK. Were they?

Read the first post. No blood, no breakages. She was shaken, but able to walk/stand/cry.

I didn't get time to check much - the driver was trying to grab me, but interestingly, only really got angry when he realised that the passenger door was trashed.

SBZ synopsis
1. read op post
some blame him as he was a cyclist, going fast , undertaking etc. Some point and you have to look for people filtering
Some ignore this
DezB does witty reply
OP confesses to plod who said no accident has been reported to them and agree he was not to blame.
STW argues some more about why the cyclist was to blame despite the law and the facts

Oh, and they confirmed that if the facts are as I presented them, I'd committed no offence

So how many of you 'pay up' brigade would still be offering to pay up?

No, thought not. 🙄

She was shaken, but able to walk/stand/cry.

I didn't get time to check much - the driver was trying to grab me, but interestingly, only really got angry when he realised that the passenger door was trashed.

Then I'd have left for my own safety - as you did. How did the driver leave with a rear door that wouldn't close?

Surrounded By Zulus - Member
Synopsis?

There were a few decent trolls but I reckon you could still find a niche and hook a few. Post away...

Then I'd have left for my own safety - as you did. How did the driver leave with a rear door that wouldn't close?

Front passenger door.

Dunno - I think that if you forced it really hard you could just about have got the catch to hold. I wasn't looking at that point. I was sprinting as fast as I could just to get away. Thank heaven for gridlock!

[i]DezB does witty reply[/i]

Ooh, you flatterer 😳

"I was sprinting as fast as I could..."

Hopefully not filtering between stationary cars with people randomly opening doors?

So the OP doing 20mph hit a door and wrecked the door, but didnt wreck themselves in the process. I'm not buying the 20mph thing. It's against the laws of physics for a start.

I hit a car door doing at least 25 - bent the door right back on it's hinges and ripped the interior off. It was a Jag too. But I was on a recumbent, and the chain set on those makes a lovely mess of whatever you hit...

I was sprinting as fast as I could just to get away. Thank heaven for gridlock!

So after being involved in a high speed crash in stationary traffic you decide to sprint off again through stationary traffic? You sound about as bright as a blackout.

Regardless of the law being on your side, it's basic common sense not to ride at full pelt through stationary lines of cars. Never underestimate the stupidity of pedestrians, drivers and passengers...or cyclists.