A child biking home from school has just scratched my car!!!

[onyabikeivy]

So we live a 10 minute walk from a secondary school. At about ten past 3 I was coming up to the junction at the top of my cul de sac and as I looked left I saw a girl on her bike on the path but she had her feet down like she was stopping but kept moving along clearly hadn't seen me and when she did she tried to stop but was too late and hit my car and dragged her handle bars along the passenger door of my car causing a dent then she picked her bike off my car and started to bike away, I called out to her that she has scratched my car (I've rubbed the scratch out so now just a long dent) and she said sorry and biked away.
So aibu to contact the school and ask them to address road safety with the kids?? It's a new school So only has a couple of year groups but travelling along the road I was heading on to always means you have to avoid kids walking in the road. Also would it be crazy to suggest they mention this incident in the hope someone would come forward and take responsibility??

Inform the school and get a dashcam.

I maybe would have stopped altogether until she had passed safely

Not crazy. I remember kids being knocked down when I was in high school, and when I pass nowadays at lunchtime it's a wonder it doesn't happen more often. I don't think you'd be unreasonable to raise concerns.

*When I pass at lunchtime I think it's a wonder it doesn't happen more often. (!)

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't felt the need for a dash cam until now, definitely going to look into it. She was far enough back for me to expect her to have seen my car and stop but she kept rolling along, I couldn't see her as there's a hedge until I was almost level with her. I always approach the junction with care at that time of day as I know the kids seem to walk across with out paying attention

Am I reading this right? You pulled out and knocked a child off their bike?

No your not she was on the pavement and I pulled up and stopped at the junction, she wasn't in the road still moving along the pavement as I had to stop at the junction she kept moving and hit my car

I don't think you'd be unreasonable at all.

Hopefully, they'll also explain that pavements aren't for cycling on and that you don't just ride off when you've damaged someone's car.

It must be the day for it - a child ran out in front of my car as I approached a T-junction this morning. Thankfully, I had already slowed down and was on the brake, but it still gave me a shock.

I’d definitely report it to the school highlighting it’s not just the damaged to your car but this junction is a safety issue due to pupils not paying attention when crossing.

Locally when the schools let out there are teachers on duty at certain junctions etc due to similar issues with pupils.

If she wasn't completely stopped but still on the move and you saw her, you really should have stopped yourself! It doesn't matter who is in the right in these cases, but naturally you break, don't you?

Anyway, yes of course you can call the school. No one wants a kid to get ran over, and reminding them to be careful won't hurt.

LakieLady why can't they pay attention to the road
MyDh There is a hedge so i couldn't see her until I was at the junction and she was on the path probably 2ft back so had time to stop herself she just wasn't looking

I don't see what it's got to do with the school. It happened out of school hours. Most schools do bike safety classes and the child has probably already done that. Accidents happen. I suspect the child will be more aware now.

Yes, you should tell the school. Kids are risky on bikes.

So you were completely stopped and she kept moving, digging her handle bars into your car? Just wanting to make sure I understand.

Tabby that's what I'm not sure about. Just thinking I could ask them to put something about being a bit more careful in a news letter or assembly as there are always kids in the road and at my junction they often seem to just file across blindly

TheVanguard yes I saw her moving along with plenty of time to stop herself when I'd already stopped, she has scratched the length my front passenger door

If there was a hedge, how did you see her feet? I'm totally confused. I would say that if you see a cyclist, particularly a child, approaching a junction from a covered path, then you stop as there is every likelihood they won't see you. As the driver of a vehicle that will cause the most harm it makers sense. Not saying the child shouldn't have looked but you have a responsibilty here too.

I don't see what it's got to do with the school.

everything, where else do you expect to be able to teach the kids about safety?

You call the school if you witness any bullying or rude behaviour, and biking safely is just as important.

Angus it's a tall hedge so you can't see the path until you get to it, I pulled up to the junction when I looked to the left and she was coming along riding her bike as if it was a balance bike on the path far enough back to see me and not just ride into me, then a few seconds later she hit me

I couldn't agree more with Argus.

I'm not totally, wholly supporting the child here- I mean, nobody wants handlebars digging into their car. And she didn't seem too bothered. Cheeky. From a safety point of view, you're the one who can do more harm.
But as a cyclist and a parent, I feel drivers just need to dial it back when they see a kid on a bike or kids on a family bike in the same way you would for a person pushing a buggy.

I’d definitely report it to the school highlighting it’s not just the damaged to your car but this junction is a safety issue due to pupils not paying attention when crossing

It pains me to point this out, but if you are a pedestrian crossing a side road you have priority. And while you should look, out of self--preservation (and it's not much consolation being in the right if you are squashed by a car) you don't have to.

As for the girl on the bike, it's not the school's responsibility to teach road safety. What you could potentially do OP is find your local Facebook group and post about the incident there. It is possible that someone will come forward and say it was their child but you'll have let people know there is a problem. It sounds from your OP that she had forgotten to steer or brake or both! So perhaps a bikeability course wouldn't go amiss.

Anyway, that's what insurance is for. It's just that none of us wants to claim because we know our premiums go up. Which is a ludicrous state of affairs. I don't think it's going to change though.

I would raise it with the school for sure.

YANBU

Absolutely tell the school.

TheVanguard absolutely I always approach the junction with extra caution at school let out time. I had already began to stop before she was visible

Just to add, my comment isn't directed at you. I mean, you were stopped and doing no harm. Just sitting there. But I always worry about drivers when I cycle because they can be so aggressive (so can cyclists, God knows!) and vehicles are so intimidating. One tap and you can be killed on the spot.
My brother's neighbour's boy was killed a few days ago, riding his bike in a cul-de-sac, just outside his family home. Hit by a car driving into the cul-de-sac at 10MPH. No helmet.

So you were stopped and she hit you, please tell the school so at they can give a road safety talk, coz had you not have already stopped that could have been so much worse.