Cyclist tonight

[Gorja]

First AIBU so be gentle.

Driving with the kids to the supermarket tonight. Approached a stretch of road that will allow two cars past but is tight due to cars parked on the left. As I approached it a transit van came along the other way, so I stopped to wait for him to clear before going myself.

As I stopped I heard a thud, looked in the rearview mirror and saw a cyclist right up my bumper. Realising he must have hit me I got out the car to check he was ok.

When I asked him he said he was but said he couldn't understand why I had stopped. I pointed out I saw the transit so stopped and he should have seen my brake lights. He again said I shouldn't have stopped and it was my fault he had hit my car.

Now no damage to either of us but AIBU to stop to avoid hitting a transit van and surely he should have left more space behind me?

I'm nervous enough driving but this has really upset me.

Was the cyclist appropriately dressed? Helmet?

If you do an emergency stop you don't look in your mirrors so people behind should leave a gap for unexpected braking. Always. It was 100% his fault.

I know you are supposed to check every now and then but what would looking in the rear view achieve in this case

"oh look a cyclist too close, must ram the trani van in case he isn't looking properly"

Or

"oh look a cyclist, oh and there he is ramming me, twat"

OP no harm done, nothing you did wrong, don't let it knock you.

I'd say you could only be at fault if you overtook him and then stopped soon afterwards.

I had a situation like this recently, car overtook me very close to a junction and braked hard, I went into him, gently, no harm done, he came out to shout at me about his Mercedes (rather a old + crappy one I have to say), I told him his driving was shit and he shouldn't overtook and then cut back in front of me and just rode off.

That was his fault, but if you did not change direction and just stopped because of road situaiton ahead, that would be his fault.

shouldn't have overtaken me.

You didn't do anything wrong; forget about it.

Hopefully he'll have gone home & not be sleeping tonite, having realised he was behaving like a prat to give you any grief.

He was probably in shock, but its not your fault.

Are you ok this morning Gorja?

I don't understand the comments about your mirror. You had to stop. You had no choice. Seeing the cyclist in your mirror would have made no difference except make you flinch.
You did everything right. Well done.

My dh cycled into the back of a parked car once Totally his fault obviously. Left a note at the scene (had dented above the rear window, as well as his face). Car owner got in touch only to thank him for his honesty and check he was ok.

Irrelevant story really! Unless you are reversing at speed, if anyone hits you from behind it's pretty much a given it's their fault. Expect the cyclist knew that and that coupled with adrenaline was why he was a bit of an arse to you.

Hope you're ok this morning.

He was cycling to close, his own fault. If a child had ran out in the road, you wouldn't have time to look in the rear mirror you'd just do an emergency stop. He's an idiot and needs to leave more room for breaking between himself and the car in front.

He drove into the back of you, he is at fault. He was obviously driving too close or not paying attention.

I recon he knew he was at fault but like many people was unable to take the blame and had to point the finger elsewhere to save his pride.

The only thing is, had OP just overtaken the cyclist & then slammed on her brakes very quickly? Because that's happened to DH & me & we hit back of car, because we had nowhere else to go. We blamed the driver in those cases for not checking the road ahead.