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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Original poster
justanotherburd · 09/02/2017 21:20

Basically it's a blind corner - there's about 1.5m from the edge of our drive to the corner of the road and it's

OP posts:
Hercules12 · 09/02/2017 21:21

So your dh must risk it every time he pulls out. You've been lucky up till now. Not the cyclists fault you haven't sorted mirrors.

Original poster
justanotherburd · 09/02/2017 21:22

Oh also I suppose he didn't really think he had "hit" anyone as he wasn't actually moving at the time! Due to the path/pavement/road arrangement of wide-ness you have to be almost right off the drive to see the bend properly - his handbrake was on.

OP posts:
ricepolo · 09/02/2017 21:23

OP I wouldn't have reported it either, if that makes you feel any better. If the cyclist refuses to accept help then I'd have let him go on his way: reporting it seems a little unnecessary in those circumstances. Sounds like the police aren't focusing on whose fault the crash was though, rather than on DH leaving the scene of an accident so I'd stress again and again how the cyclist didn't want to take it any further and DH was simply respecting that wish.

Hercules12 · 09/02/2017 21:23

But he must have moved onto the cycle path. You said he looked both ways then went forward.

NotSayingImBatman · 09/02/2017 21:23

Doesn't your DH have 24 hours before he's considered to have 'failed to report'?

Sounds shit OP. The cyclist shouldn't have been tear arsing around a blind bend, surely that's just common sense. What if a pedestrian had been around the corner?

littledinaco · 09/02/2017 21:24

The cyclist shouldn't have to slow down, he has full right of way. It's up to your DH to ensure it is safe before pulling across the cycle path.
If it's a blind bend then DH needs to be even more careful.

Your DH is fully negligent here, the cyclist is not in the wrong.

DriftingDreamer · 09/02/2017 21:24

Actually feel sorry for your DH.
Cycle paths not always well designed and cyclists need to be aware as well as drivers.
I live in an area with LOTS of cyclists. I am not a driver but as a pedestrian, I often find them a self righteous pain in the arse...

ivykaty44 · 09/02/2017 21:24

Don't touch the moustache

Problem is when you are in a crash you often have shock, this can be the cause of confusion, and you are very likely to wander of
If you have hit your head, which is very likely with a cycle crash, then you may have concussion - which makes you confused. It's unlikely this action wa

Hercules12 · 09/02/2017 21:24

It wasn't a blind bend for the cyclist though- just for ops dh coming out of the drive at an angle.

SecondsLeft · 09/02/2017 21:24

I understand why he didn't report it, but on the other hand the cyclist could have been in shock, so it might have been better. I am sure your DH can explain his actions and sort it out with police and insurance, then you will just have to see what happens.

NotSayingImBatman · 09/02/2017 21:25

1.5m then a right angle turn sounds like a blind bend for everyone involved Hercules, unless bicycles now come with periscopes.

Hercules12 · 09/02/2017 21:25

Apologies- I see it was a blind corner. Doesn't change anything though.

ramanoop · 09/02/2017 21:26

Yes, your husband is at fault here - he didn't look carefully enough - pretty straightforwardly careless.

He also should have reported the crash to the police, on the basis that the cyclist didn't require his details.

The cyclist wasn't under an obligation to stop or to offer his details, as the obligation to do so applies only to someone driving a motor vehicle.

sum1killthepawpatrollers · 09/02/2017 21:27

you said in the op he moved off the drive, now hes not moving and had the hand brake on? i call bull shit, he was moving and he hit the cyclist and youve realised it was his fault so now your storys changing

TooDamnSarky · 09/02/2017 21:28

On the two occasions when I've been hit by a car while on my bike I was in no fit state to make a rational decisions immediately after.
Unfortunately in both cases the drivers didn't see fit to stop and ring the police as they should have done.

dnwig · 09/02/2017 21:28

My son, as a cyclist, had a similar accident. Car driver wasn't blamed. But police /ambulance were called to the scene though.

loobyloo1234 · 09/02/2017 21:29

I'm sure once your DH explains the whole situation to the police there will be no further action. Try not to worry OP

Of course your DH should have taken more care here but he got out of the car and tended to the cyclist. Not like he drove off. He should have reported it to the police mind. Better safe than sorry in these situations

ramanoop · 09/02/2017 21:29

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.

Quoted for posterity, lest the original post.m be edited.

Original poster
justanotherburd · 09/02/2017 21:30

That's a good point about the shock I hadn't considered- should he have phoned an ambulance and pointed them in the direction the man went?

We've lived here for ages and nothing like this has ever happened! It's a pretty quiet if awkward street and people are always kind about letting us out of the drive at rush hr. When driving we usually both do check paths are safe, drive down them, put handbrake on (it's a slope), check road - it would definitely be dangerous to try driving directly from the drive to the road given visibility. I suppose he was more "blocking the path" than anything but his engine was on and he was looking to move off.

Police haven't phone him back yet

OP posts:
happy2bhomely · 09/02/2017 21:30

I was told by an insurance company that the moving party is almost always liable. So, if your DH was stationary, waiting to pull out on the main road, and a cyclist ran into him, then the cyclist would be at fault. If your DH moved into the cyclists path and failed to see him then your DH is at fault. If visibiltiy is that bad, surely the cyclist should have slowed until he was sure it was clear too.

Either way your DH absolutely should have phoned the police and his insurance company.

DontTouchTheMoustache · 09/02/2017 21:30

It is unfortunate but it sounds like it was an accident waiting to happen. You definitely need to get one if those mirrors to see round the corner. Luckily this time nobody was seriously hurt. I do feel.for your DH as I don't think I would have thought to report it either (I imagine your dh was also a bit in shock though obviously not to the extent of the cyclist). But you definitely can't blame the cyclist for this, they can't be aware of every car on every driveway especially around a blind bend.

bittapitta · 09/02/2017 21:33

OP from your post and updates I guess you can't drive? He can't have been moving off the drive with the handbrake on, that's impossible. He should be looking both ways continuously while moving off slowly not looking right then left then neither again! He is spinning you this tale and you seem not to understand how badly it sounds like he's driving?

PurpleDaisies · 09/02/2017 21:34

That's a good point about the shock I hadn't considered- should he have phoned an ambulance and pointed them in the direction the man went?

No, he should have phoned the police and reported what happened. They would have decided wat to do about the potentially injured cyclist.

littledinaco · 09/02/2017 21:34

Him sitting still with his handbrake on is very different to your OP when you said he looked then moved off the drive.

Accidents happen but it's very worrying if your DH can't see he's at fault as he's more at risk of causing another similar accident.

If you were driving down the road and someone pulled out from their driveway on a blind bend and you hit the side of their car, I'm sure you'd be very annoyed if they tried to blame you for hitting them!
You'd be even more annoyed if they changed their story and said they were sat still with their handbreak on.

Get your DH to do the decent thing and admit he's made a mistake by not seeing the cyclist.