Hit by a car for the first time since I passed my Cycling Proficiency in 1974.
I’ve just come home from 2 nights in hospital with having a broken jaw fixed.
Before you ask, the bike has 2 buckled wheels and a broken pedal but I haven’t inspected the frame and fork closely. I am deeply gutted as it is my beautiful Tommasini.
The short version: She moved into the middle of the road and stopped. In my mind she wasn’t indicating one way or the other. I made the assumption she was waiting for an approaching car to pass so she could park on the right, so went for the pass on her left.
In fact, she was waiting so she could swing out further to make a left turn into a very tight double-back junction on the left.
I had no idea of existence of said junction.
It’s on a steep hill and I may have been doing 30mph when I hit her nearside wing.
A person who stopped at the scene had filmed the crash on her dashcam.
The police visited my wife while I was in hospital to say they wouldn’t be charging her as the video evidence showed she had been indicating.
I knew that, actually, as her flashing indicator was the last thing I saw before flight. What they haven’t said is whether she was already indicating before she moved into the middle of the road. Nor have they explained why she didn’t see me in her mirrors before turning.
They left without leaving an incident number or anyone to contact.

Hello there mate, sounds like that could have been far,far worse. A 30mph smash is NOT a good situation to be in.

Heal fast bud and sorry the bike is buggered up too.

First off glad you are ok and everything will mend but passing a car on the left at 30mph and on a road you didn’t know well enough to know about the junction! I might at 3mph but that’s about it. You obviously know how to ride having survived so long but it does sound like you had a bit of an aberration there when it comes to remembering what  the cycling proficiency instructor told you in 1974.

Anyway again not trying to suggest it’s your fault just that sometimes caution is the best approach to take after assuming something.

And have you still got the badge, I must have passed mine in 74 or 5 and really really wish I still had mine.

Aye, your obviously an experienced rider, but on this occasion I don’t think you can lay any blame to the car driver. There’s no way anyone can be expected to look in their left wing mirror when turning left, expecting to see a bike doing 30mph.

Hope you heal up well Neil, all the best.

I was out running recently and crossed a side road, as a car was coming out of it. I did a quick check and moved to pass just behind the car without me having to slow down. Anyway, the driver stopped way shorter of the junction than I thought they would and I ran into the rear corner of the car with a proper “thump”.

I was grumpy about it, as people driving cars should act predictably, but deep down I know they don’t and I hit the car rather than vice versa – I shouldn’t have reckoned on it. Lesson learned there, thankfully at a lower speed!!! Heal up quick.

I must admit that does read like more your fault than hers. Passing a manoeuvring vehicle on the left at 30mph is pretty sketchy. Yes, she could have checked more but if you were travelling that fast you could easily have not been in sight when she checked. Not sure whether you want to hear that as it all sounds pretty bad, but I’m guessing you want opinions as you posted here. Hope you heal well. Maybe I’m misreading it and you will at least get an insurance payout

We all make mistakes. Thankfully you’ve survived this one. Heal well.

I was out running recently and crossed a side road, as a car was coming out of it. I did a quick check and moved to pass just behind the car without me having to slow down. Anyway, the driver stopped way shorter of the junction than I thought they would and I ran into the rear corner of the car with a proper “thump”.

I’ve got very close to doing just that, I’ve thought I’ll run behind the car and the driver has thought I’ll stop and let this runner pass in front of me. It’s quite possible they were either just trying to be polite or worried you might  have been about to run right out in front of them.

It’s quite possible they were either just trying to be polite or worried you might  have been to run right out in front of them.

Yeah I think that’s a fair assessment. My sympathy with the OP there is that my first reaction was pretty much “stupid driver did it on purpose”, so it’s normal to be a bit cross about it all, especially when it’s just happened.

Sympathies to the OP – we do all make mistakes, and I’ve come within a whisker of worse accidents than that.

I’m sure he’s learned from the experience but for the benefit of the internet – never pass a car at speed on any side unless you know it’s engine is off or it’s empty!

Nor have they explained why she didn’t see me in her mirrors before turning.

No driver ever looks in their left mirror before turning left. I tend to feel a risk when turning left, I check to make sure I’m not left hooking a cyclist I’ve just overtaken – however I’m sure there are times when I don’t check and I’m simply assuming there’s no-one coming up my inside at speed from behind.

Unlucky Neil, just what it can be isn’t it – a stroke of bad luck, that split second on the bike where you make a decision and it turns out to be the wrong one, because the big steel boxes on the road are in charge and will always come off best, even if (especially if!) the operators of them aren’t properly looking what they’re doing. Been there, beat myself up after, got over it.
Hope bike’s insured and your healing is quick and complete!

Hope you heal fast. We all make mistakes. When I rode into the side of a car that turned right across me at a mini roundabout I accepted half the blame. She had right of way as she was turning right. But was turning from the left lane not right and not signalling. She did however leave me for dead (I was out for 30 minutes) in the road and cover things up when the police came calling. Without her five yo, who saw me smear myself across his window, she’d have gone to prison.

Anyway I hope you and the bike make a good recovery. If anything, I think you came off quite lightly! Clearly not a dead stop, and flying is a lot better than stopping. Trust me. I broke 15 bones and snapped my handlebar and forks (and wrist in three planes).

I was left hooked at quite high speed (nowhere near 30mph though) when I was 14. Went over the bonnet – they picked me up, told me it was my fault and left me at the side of the road in shock and with a broken bike.
One good thing to come out of it was that I’m fastidious about checking my mirror before turning left now I’m a driver.
As a cyclist I’m always on the brakes if there’s a car doing a manoeuvre that I’m not 100% certain of.
Nearly hit someone on an electric scooter at 30mph yesterday though…

unless you know it’s engine is off

with more and more cars being hybrid/electric (and thus able to propel themselves without an internal combustion engine turned on), and most new cars having stop\start (which will start the engine pretty much instantly as you dip the clutch/let off the brake) I don’t think this is a reliable way to judge any situation any more. 15 years ago I would have agreed.

No driver ever looks in their left mirror before turning left.

I do, but it’s a throwback to being a motorcyclist first and a car driver later. I was taught to always check a space you were moving into before moving into it. It has been useful a couple of times (mainly in London) when I’ve spotted cyclists about to pass me on the left even though I was indicating to turn left at the time.

Just an update on this. I took this through Slater & Gordon through my Cycling UK membership. 6 months ago, the insurers made an offer “in full and final settlement” of £7k, which I declined. Today they have come back with an offer of £17k.

No driver ever looks in their left mirror before turning left.

This is why it was her fault, not mine.

good result

No driver ever looks in their left mirror before turning left

I do and they should do. IIRC its actually in the HC to do so. so not doing so makes you liable for accidents caused

its one of those accidents where the legal fault is clearly on the driver but if I had been hit like that I would be very cross with myself for putting myself in that situation. A key manta – treat every other road user as if they will do the most stupid thing possible”

That sounds good, monetary-wise. If it was her fault, as this payout indicates (presuming it’s her car insurers paying out), should’nt the cops have prosecuted?

as this payout indicates (presuming it’s her car insurers paying out), should’nt the cops have prosecuted?

Different levels of proof needed for criminal/civil/insurance claims so you can’t assume that as it’s passed a lower hurdle it would be considered for a higher prosecution. However that’s not to say the police shouldn’t have done a more thorough job in this case.

Good result OP, that’ll get you a nice replacement for you busted bike.

I always check my mirror when turning left and I’m another motorcyclist,for those that said they don’t they should maybe do an advanced driving course

I always check the left mirror when truning left as well #smugbastard. I know I do as I’m always telling my wife to sit back as she’s rifling through her bloody handbag for something!! Not sure if it’s become a habit from driving in Europe in a right hand drive car a lot.

Good result OP.

Great thread resurrection. I vaguely recall this thread, at the time thinking I’d have thought myself a little naive in undertaking a car at speed. Glad OP got the result he held out for, and a reminder to actually seek legal advice rather than make your own (or take a forum’s) judgement on such.

How was the Tommasini ? Was it one with the cross hatch patterning !

Regarding “under-taking” a car in the circumstances described by the OP…I’m not sure what the position is in the UK anymore, but where I live (Vancouver, Canada) drivers are drilled to check over their shoulder for cyclists as there are a lot of bike lanes (divided or solid line protected), so the driver would be liable if the rider was using a bike lane.

But, yeah, I’m still very wary when undertaking as described.

Good result OP!

Hi fossy, the bike was remarkably ok – two buckled rims and a smashed pedal.

Tommasini

I always check my mirror when turning left and I’m another motorcyclist,for those that said they don’t they should maybe do an advanced driving course

I’m not convinced this is an advanced course issue – it’s a basic competence issue.

The woman in the original incident appears to have moved off from stationary (the OP said she was stopped). A mirror and blind spot check is absolutely required utterly basic.

It’s also the most basic requirements of Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre….

You’re turning left – where is the biggest risk of slamming into something vulnerable (whether bicycle, child’s face, baby robin or someone distractedly clenching their buttocks having overdone agent picolax) – could it be on the vehicle’s left maybe? So blooming look there.

Also off position for a left hand turn (i.e. over to the right) again dictates more care required as your vehicle position is inconsistent with what would be normal for the planned manoeuvre.

You don’t get to play your fancy motorbike license card here 😜 this a driver thing too or should be but you are totally right people should be checking. 🙂

Delighted that the OP has got a result that they can live with though.

Glad that everything’s turned out for the better, a fair compensation to cover the damage to you and the bike. Your injuries have healed, and no doubt you’re an expert on soup.
In all fairness, 30mph into the side of a car could have resulted is considerably more injury, possibly even to the point of ending up in a wheelchair the rest of your life

This is a bit voyeuristic i know, but any chance of a vid being shown ?. Just for purposes of safety you understand. Allow us to see what exactly happened and how we might avoid it.
😆 I know sounds a bit of a story throwing in ‘safety aspect’ and if its too raw a subject,forget i mentioned it.

All in al, glad you’ve survived to ride again.

This is a bit voyeuristic i know, but any chance of a vid being shown ?.

I haven’t seen it myself. I believe it was quite impressive.