Was I on the wrong? (Knocking cyclist off bike)

[PapayaMarmalade]

I was driving in London this week, and paused to wait for a gap before I turned right off a single lane two way 20mph road.

As I turned, a lime bike came whizzing down the centre of the road from behind me on my right hand side - I didn’t see them and knocked them off. They were probably on the central dotted line or maybe slightly over on the wrong side of the road. They got up and sped off before I even had my wits together to pull over and check if they were okay.

It shook me up and I realise I should have rechecked my right hand mirror again before turning - I just wasn’t anticipating a cyclist overtaking me on my right hand side.

Whilst I should have been more careful to recheck my mirror, was I legally in the wrong?

Diagram attached hopefully

Every single bike needs to have a licence plate and pay a road users' tax-see if it makes them more responsible.

Many of them-more of them than not-are a menace and I would be happy to see the lot of them banned, followed by a bonfire of the bikes in every public market place.

That's my rulin' and it it can't be improved upon.

Firstly, thanks for the epic diagram, I absolutely love the lime bike edited in. Chef kiss.
I'd say in this instance your insurer isn't going to be too happy, you absolutely need to check and recheck your mirrors before any maneuver, precisely because hazards develop so quickly and so unexpectedly.

They should have to take a serious cycling proficiency test. Every bloody one of them.

There was a case years ago where the facts were similar except it was a car overtaking a car in front turning right. Both convicted of careless driving.

So both OP and cyclist partly at fault.

In the event of any claim the court/insurers can argue about the proportion of blame to each party.

As a daily cyclist and every other day motorist, that’s not a cycling move I’d make. I assume most drivers don’t check their mirrors properly. This makes me wonder whether you were indicating. So many drivers just don’t indicate as they forget that cyclists and pedestrians rely on them doing so, not just other motorists.

If you had checked your mirrors and were moving, and he weaved through to over take you he would be in the wrong.

Both of you were in the wrong but I wouldn't worry too much. Clearly the cyclist was okay if they sped off. I'm not surprised you are shaken up and it's easily done sometimes.
I expect you'll be paranoid about checking your mirrors now.

@PapayaMarmalade yes, you were legally in the wrong. This happens to motorbike riders all the time. You should have re-checked your mirror before manoeuvring right.

I similarly haven't lived there for 30 years and accompanied a group of 25 Y5 & Y6 children on a day visit there in June. Crossing roads - at PELICAN crossings - was an absolute nightmare with bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters completely ignoring the red lights and ploughing on through regardless.

Nobody should overtake a vehicle indicating to turn right - common sense dictates that.

Do you mean that motorbikes are entitled to overtake on the right a car signalling right and positioned to turn?

when i took my motorcycle test we were always taught to do a "life saver"..(a quick glance over shoulder of which way you was turning to make sure it was safe to turn)..makes me shudder when i see motorcyclists turning without this manouerve...any how maybe you have learnt a valuable life lesson..theres always a prick chancing their luck...always check your mirrors..

If it went to court then the outcome would probably be 50/50. You are both at fault.

You probably should have rechecked your mirror/blind spot but cyclists these days are literally a law onto themselves, they don’t think the rules of the road apply to them and the number of accidents caused by cyclists around my area (similar to what happened to you/going through red lights or green men/ trying to overtake faster cars etc) is just increasing day to day. I also find cyclists so aggressive!!

I can’t see how you are at fault here. The cyclist is acting as a road user on a road and has overtaken you when they shouldn’t overtake and you’ve turned performing the correct manoeuvre. If the cyclist was a car and performed the same manoeuvre you wouldn’t be at fault.

must have been awful.

You were in the wrong, cyclists are allowed to filter past traffic and are expected to do it on the right. You failed to adequately check your mirrors or your blind spot. It's good you are shaken up you will be more careful next time.

I think you were right. Dashcam for next time OP! I feel so reassured for having one.

So vulnerable that they overtook a car on the right hand side which was indicating to turn right? This is natural selection doing its thing.

Always remember SMIDSY when it comes to cyclists and motorbikes passing.

You are so right. I drive and cycle (but live rurally). It had never occurred to me before but so much of what guides my behaviour when I am cycling is what I have learned from driving a car (not least the Highway Code). And in this situation the cyclist was an absolute bellend.

90% of cyclists in London seem to think red lights don’t apply to them. If you have the temerity to point out that, in fact, they do, you just get a mouthful of expletives back.

There’s rarely a police officer in sight and, on the rare occasions they happen to be passing in a car, they simply ignore even the most egregious behaviour. So the bike wankers know they can get away with it.

It’s worrying, but no doubt it’ll take someone dying needlessly before anyone in power sits up and takes notice of what’s obvious to the rest of us.

Sorry but how is the OP in the wrong
2 lane road sitting in correct position to turn right , indicating , waiting for a gap to turn and the prat on the bike goes up the middle of the road

I just hear my dad every time

mirror, signal, manoeuvre

I almost knocked a person of a bike many many years ago, early morning, winter, was about 5.30 ish and dark, they had no lights on (but had high vis on) and was approaching a mini roundabout, I spotted them just in time - they had no lights on, but they absolutely had right of way.

It was kind of a blessing for me as that close of a near miss, that would have been completely my fault, still builds knots in my stomach. So ya I'm keen to check all directions but I think it's just habit. It's not a proper stare to the left up down right mirrors check again before I signal to turn, it's just hindsight and a general habit of looking each way real quick for people/bikes/morons overtaking etc

The blind spot is the bit you can’t see out of any windows and mirror. Looking over your shoulder helps because as things are moving they don’t often stay in the totally blind spot for long - but even turning around there’s likely to be an area you can’t see at all!