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AIBU?

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Original poster

SURELY DH didn't "run over" this cyclist??

364 replies

justanotherburd · 09/02/2017 21:02

I've namechanged

DH got into an accident with a cyclist this evening.

We live in a house with a cycle path going along in front of it- it goes driveway, path, pavement, road but the drive is at a sort of angle not directly in front of the house and we live next to a corner so the visibility is poor.

DH was going down the drive and road was clear. Looked right- clear, looked left, moved off of drive and then a cyclist smacked into the right of his car! He fell off his bike and DH jumped out to see if he was OK. Cyclist started yelling at him but DH thought he'd just got a shock, tried to calm him down and pick up the guy's bike. He then offered to drive the man to the hospital, cyclist refused, and the front of his bike was bent so he just walked away dragging the bike along.

DH then realised that the side panel of the car is quite scratched, but it's an old car and obviously that wasn't the first concern. Wrote it off to "life" and went off to work (he works evenings)

I had a phone call from police on the land line asking for DH though they wouldn't say why, gave them his mobile and he's just rung me saying they want to speak to him about leaving the scene of an accident after injuring this man!!! SURELY this isn't DH's fault?? He did everything he could and the man refused his help!!

I'm now angry as actually I think it WAS this cyclist's fault- and surely it was HIM that left the scene of him damaging our property! I saw what happened after the initial "bang" and then looking out upstairs window but was feeding DC and by the time I'd got downstairs the man had gone.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 10/02/2017 11:38

The cyclist has shit hazard perception if he was unable to consider the dangers of a blind bend. A cycle lane does not give him a god given right to cycle without checking the way ahead is clear.

I think there was fault on both sides.

SoupDragon · 10/02/2017 11:40

X post.

Good result for you. I hope the cyclist is OK and rides a little more carefully in future.

SoupDragon · 10/02/2017 11:40

I suspect your DH will be a little more careful exiting the drive on future too!

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/02/2017 11:43

Good gracious! A completely rational outcome! I'm thunderously pleased for you and your DH OP (especially about the recognition that the corner is intrinsically dangeous)!!! I hope that you and your DH / family can find a small treat of sorts to celebrate the fact that you no longer have to live with the looming threat of an insurance claim...

Socksey · 10/02/2017 11:47

So it was dark / twilight? Did the cyclist have adequate lighting on his bike? as in the twilight, dim little flashing lights are all but useless....
Did your husband have his lights on? If he did, then he was more visible to the cyclist than vice versa. As the cyclist was already on the road and should have been planning ahead (and assuming that all other road users are idiots), he should have considered that your husband may pull out in front of him and adjust his speed accordingly.

Socksey · 10/02/2017 11:48

cross posted... hadn't fully read to the end of the thread

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 10/02/2017 11:58

both are to blame OP

I think in his defence he stopped and tried to help the guy so that's at least covered

we are nit not set up for safe cycling in this country

JanuaryMoods · 10/02/2017 12:00

Great outcome. Obvious, really, but good that the police backed you up.

Haffdonga · 10/02/2017 12:05

Pleased that the police sound even handed and fair.

(But regardless of who was at fault or not - wasn't it the cyclist who left the scene of the accident not your dh?)

Idefix · 10/02/2017 12:06

Just what a relief for you and dh Smile

IrianOfW · 10/02/2017 12:09

Good outcome! Being a cyclist does not exempt you from the need to exercise common sense and normal precautions.

Re running - I do a lot of it and I would never run at normal speed round a blind bend because it would hurt if I ran into or got hit by a car (or a bike, or a pedestrian, or a herd of cows, or a horse etc etc) and I would rather avoid that. Funnily enough.

deblet · 10/02/2017 12:21

Happy for you. I loathe cyclists. Where we live they meander all over the road, deliberately ride two abreast and race you if you try to overtake. I recently bought a dash cam, filmed them and went to the police about one particular group and I am waiting to here the outcome.

Julju · 10/02/2017 12:23

Some of the responses here smack of ** "lalallalalalalalala it was a cycle lane so the cyclist was in the right and it was all the driver's fault". If this is genuinely the attitude of people who then get on a bike and cycle on the road it's no wonder so many cyclists get knocked off and injured. Where is your common sense? It's obviously a crappy road set up but the alternative here was that the car remained permanently on the drive because there was no way of crossing it without blocking it and not being 100% sure there wasn't a cyclist or pedestrian coming round the corner. A pedestrian would engage brain and stop and wait, or walk behind the car. Why are so many cyclists here acting as though it's totally normal to just plough into the side of a car?!

Julju · 10/02/2017 12:26

Great outcome, OP. V sensible.

Just in case you're considering it (as some on here have suggested) don't bother putting up your own mirrors. In laws did this outside their concealed driveway on a bend on a busy A road and the council have repeatedly removed them as apparently they're only allowed if approved by the council. Definitely get onto them

therealpippi · 10/02/2017 12:32

Fab and fair resolution OP.

I have been thinking about this thread all morning. We have an access road at the end of our terrace and in order to get from it to the riad you have to cross a pavement. Bevause of high fence on both sides you don't get visibility of the side of the pavement untill half of the car is on it.
Obviously you move so slowly down to allow for people to see you and for you to check. But if someone was running down on a bike without looking it'd hit the car as per op's experience.

Long story to say that it is not always a straight and simple 'the moving car is in the wrong'

DontTouchTheMoustache · 10/02/2017 12:34

Phew! Shame you have both had it stressing you out so much but glad it's all worked out and that they are going to hopefully use this as a lesson learned and improve safety.

mollyblack · 10/02/2017 12:47

Glad you had a good resolution with the police here.

I don't think anyone was at fault really, it was an accident under difficult circumstances. Though it seems bizarre that a cyclist wouldn't slow for a blind corner and/or not see a slow moving car with it's lights on.

I am a regular cyclist, you have to be so aware of upcoming hazards, cause really you are the vulnerable one. But this is similar to saying that when I am cycling on a cycle path and a runner or pedestrian happens to walk i front of me it is my right to crash in to them!! Surely everyone should be looking where they are going?!

GallivantingWildebeest · 10/02/2017 13:03

Realpippi - Long story to say that it is not always a straight and simple 'the moving car is in the wrong'

But OP's dh's car was stationary with the handbrake on.

VocalDuck · 10/02/2017 13:16

Big relief for you OP and impressive the police were able to come round and resolve everything so quickly.

Might be worth scanning the paperwork from the police so you can keep a spare copy electronically.

ivykaty44 · 10/02/2017 13:21

For those of you saying that the cyclist needs to slow down around a bend in case a child was in the path.
Do you not think that the cyclist would have to slow down to go around the bend as it would be difficult to steer at speed around a corner? You can go around bends at high speed.
Unless possibly ops dh was pulling out across manchester veledrome, but then he would be able to see the bike coming towards him...

diddl · 10/02/2017 13:22

That all sounds very reasonable, Op!

"If you ever witness or find people in an accident don't let the walking wonded wander of."

How do you stop them?

shovetheholly · 10/02/2017 13:23

I was going to say - can you get one of those round mirror things and shove it up? It sounds like it would prevent anything like this happening again - and, regardless of whose fault it was - that is surely the important thing?

Original poster
justanotherburd · 10/02/2017 13:29

Oh thank you Julju I had been googling them and was tempted to order one! I'll get on to the council instead. There's a risk it could become a saga as the developers put the road in and council could defer to them.

Usually I annoy DH with "mumsnet says
..." when stuff pops up that we have been discussing but I am quite thankful the majority opinion wasn't the resolution here!!

Hopefully the cyclist doesn't come back to yell at DH again... I think with him refusing to be breathalysed and shouting at the police too I feel a bit anxious but nothing we can do now. I imagine he wasn't familiar with the area as most cyclists do come round or cross road very slowly.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 10/02/2017 13:34

Diddl, with difficulty, but it's best to try and explain that they need to stay put as a safety precaution for them and a lot of persuasion. A blanket in the car is always a handy item to use with shock then comes getting cold

ivykaty44 · 10/02/2017 13:35

Oh and if other people are unconscious they must be your priority, not the wandering shocked person