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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should I call the police? WWYD?

91 replies

surfandturf · 05/01/2011 14:12

I was knocked off my bike on the way to work this morning. (Car came out of a junction and did not see me despite the fact I had lights on)
Although I'm very shaken and my back is a bit sore there was no real harm done. The driver did stop to ask if I was ok but did not offer me any of his details. (I made a note of his reg though.)

My DH thinks I should call the police and report the driver as he says that I was lucky not to have been seriously hurt.

I'm not sure about his car but there was no damage to my bike. My helmet is a mess (Really glad I wore one!) I went to the hopsital for a check over and they say I will probably be quite sore for the next few days.

I'm concerned whether work will let me take time off as sick or if I will lose pay as a result - if so the driver should pay this loss of earnings for me and buy me a new helmet or AIBU?

WWYD?

OP posts:

theoriginalscummymummy · 05/01/2011 16:14

Report it, definitely. There are all sorts of reasons to report it, I'm sure most have been mentioned, and the only reason to not report it is..... Oh. There isn't one! Seriously, he might have an eye problem and not been wearing his glasses, and if he's that careless, then somebody needs a word.

emmyloulou · 05/01/2011 16:15

The driver won't be "reprimanded" though in all honesty.

They may have a quick chat for the report and that's it. If you report it.

As it stands it was an accident with no proof of careless driving at all, they won't be able to get any without witnesses either and as you walked away from the incident, they won't spend as much time as investigating it compared to a fatality or v serious injury.

That is the reality. One word against another.

He was shaken, he asked you again and agin if you were ok, he hardly sounds like tosser of the century, the police won't prosecute him from what you have said, I'd gte it. So your hubby is barking up the wrong tree, if that's what he is after.

theoriginalscummymummy · 05/01/2011 16:20

I kind of agree with Emmyloulou but then he might think twice or be a bit more careful next time. Prevention is better than cure.

pinkypanther · 05/01/2011 16:25

I can't believe some of the responses on this thread!

DH was hit by a car in similar-ish circumstances. The driver stopped, asked DH if he was ok, and when DH said he was, drove off.

In fact, DH was not ok, had suffered a hard bang to the head (which broke his helmet) was bleeding from his face, and was in shock which masked (for a while) the fact he had a broken arm and broken foot.

IMO it was definitely not ok for the driver to have left him bleeding in the road without leaving any details, and nor is it ok for your driver to have failed to leave his details. In fact, it is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE which the police should be taking seriously. You could ring your local station and ask what to do?

Hope you are ok.

pinkypanther · 05/01/2011 16:26

Oh, and just to say that (slightly ironically) DH's grandma was prosecuted for careless driving and had her driving licence taken away for yet another similar incident...

scurryfunge · 05/01/2011 16:28

emmyloulou. I sounds like you have had a poor experience with the police which may explain your "they can't be bothered" attitude. It is not helpful to the OP and you are making assumptions about what may occur.

discobeaver · 05/01/2011 16:33

The original question was wwyd - well I would report it to the police station, get the police report and see how things pan out. You might need time off work, a new bike, a new helmet, physio - who knows?

If it's reported, you are covered.

You might be A-ok, I hope you are, but I would definitely get a police report.

humanoctopus · 05/01/2011 16:36

Definately report it to the local police.

What if it were a child cycling?

Its a perfectly normal response to say that you are fine, just after an accident.

I hope you are ok. Be prepared for some really nasty pain and discomfort when you wake up tomorrow morning.

emmyloulou · 05/01/2011 16:37

I'd quite happily place a wager the driver won't be prosecuted, I however live in reality.

I would still report it myself incase he tried to claim I damagaged his car or my injuries became more serious and I needed to claim of the insurance for treatment.

However the reasons behing op doing so "to reprimand" him it won't happen.

Which is why I ask what she wanted to achieve, if it's punishment, it won't happen. One word against another. May have a chat about it enad leaving details etc, but nothing will come of it, the way op has described it. Especially if he says she rode blindly into his car.

pinkypanther · 05/01/2011 16:41

Sorry Emmyloulou, but it's not correct to say that police can never prosecute when it's one person's word against another.

To take an extreme example, rape is often one person's word against another - sure, there may be forensic evidence, but often the guy will say "she consented" and the woman will say she didn't, then it's for the Court to decide.

(I agree rape conviction rates are woeful, but the principle is the same)

BalloonSlayer · 05/01/2011 16:47

I thought it was a legal requirement to report an accident to the police if someone had been hurt?

I guess if the driver thought the OP wasn't hurt he wasn't doing anything wrong. But if she felt bad enough to want to be checked out at the hospital then that means the circumstances have changed, so I'd have thought it needs to be reported.

at the driver not wait until her DH had arrived. What a gent ...

scurryfunge · 05/01/2011 16:51

I have stuck plenty of drivers on for careless driving in just such circumstances - the police don't do any "reprimanding" in offences, other than low level juvenile criminal offences.

Let the CPS/courts decide eh, without being the unhelpful judge and jury you seem to be.

penguin73 · 05/01/2011 16:53

The point is though the driver asked twice and was told that she was ok.......so why would he be obliged to report it?
Agree it would have been nice for him to wait though.

charliesmommy · 05/01/2011 16:54

The driver stopped. He asked twice if you were ok, and you said yes. I dont see what more he could have done.

Unless there were witnesses, I doubt that the police would do anything. The driver did not leave the scene of the accident, he stopped.

I have seen road accidents involving cycles and cars coming out of junctions when the cyclist has been speeding at well over the limit down the road.. and not saying this was the case here, but without a witness it would be very hard to prove who was at fault with regards to any claim.

diddl · 05/01/2011 17:05

"I'm concerned whether work will let me take time off as sick or if I will lose pay as a result"

So is that what you are most concerned about?

"My DH thinks I should call the police and report the driver as he says that I was lucky not to have been seriously hurt."

Can you report because things might have been worse?

Cyclebump · 05/01/2011 17:11

I got hit by a car last year and the driver stopped and gave me all her details. It was her fault (turned left across me without indicating in heavy rain with low visibility) but as I got off with a few scratches and bruises and my bike was ok I didn't feel the need to involve the police.

It was the type of accident that was caused by a very minor lapse in judgement and I didn't feel anything would be gained by prosecuting her.

CarGirl · 05/01/2011 17:34

Blimey Charliesmommy what was the speed limit there then?

Professional cyclists only get up to 25 max on the flat on racing bikes!

scurryfunge · 05/01/2011 17:36

It must have been a very steep hill!

charliesmommy · 05/01/2011 17:40

I think its a lot faster than that actually, (25 being an average calculation) but as most of the roads where I live are 20mph limit, its very easy for the cyclists to be above the speed limit. If the road is downhill, you will often see bikes passing the cars in busy traffic.

scurryfunge · 05/01/2011 17:44

charlie, can I borrow you whilst out on patrol? -it would save my force a lot of money at your uncanny ability to accurately record speed without a laser or radar (unless of course you have one)

CarGirl · 05/01/2011 17:47

"The qualifying speeds for say Olympic selection works out to 23-25mph solo. So a century at around 4hrs is expected. In the pro peleton 23-28mph is the norm."

On the flat in traffic a non-pro cyclist will be lucky to get up to 20 miles per hour - honest!!!! Downhill is different. You also have to realise that they may look like the are going fast because the traffic is very slow in comparison.

amberleaf · 05/01/2011 17:48

Im with Diddl

also no point saying it 'might have been a baby in a pram' it wasnt

you said you were ok, what else could he have done

Myleetlepony · 05/01/2011 17:50

Oh just ring the police non-emergency line and talk to them. The driver should have exchanged details with you at the time. Get this sorted in case you wake up tomorrow with more physical problems than you thought you have.

charliesmommy · 05/01/2011 17:51

If I am driving at 20mph, and a cyclist races past me, then I can be fairly sure he aint going at 20mph..

Driving around London in the rush hour is unfortunately something I have to do on a regular basis, and cyclists are a nightmare to pedestrians and other road users.

I also live in an area that is very hilly, and yes, it is the downhill cyclists that usually end up over a car bonnet.

tomhardyismydh · 05/01/2011 17:52

"My DH said it could easily have been a mum pushing a pram across the road and the driver should be repremanded".

so you pulled out from the pavement infront of him? then you are to blame.

He was speeding or driving with out due attention? either way you are not actually injured so the police would not reprimand him at all, even if you called 999 there and then as you would need to prove this.

sounds like you should just put it down to an accident and you are lucky and stop going over it. sounds like your dh is right PITA.

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