flatpopely
Prog Rock/Moderator
And against the AUP. Feel free to carry on and enjoy a free holiday.With the wording and intention of physical harm in his statement I consider my reply entirely justified
And against the AUP. Feel free to carry on and enjoy a free holiday.With the wording and intention of physical harm in his statement I consider my reply entirely justified
How does your friend know the driver’s letter was ‘gushing’ and ‘self serving’ if he refused to read it? And if the police judge that the objective of improving road safety is better served by driver education rather than punishment, that’s a justifiable decision IMV. You and your friend may wish for retribution but if the circumstances show that it was a genuine error, what is there to punish?Apparently she did a lot of crying & wrote a gushing self serving letter to my friend, he refused to see it or meet her for obvious reasons. To rub salt in his wounds further the police also sent him a patronising letter as to how ‘driver education’ was more important than ‘prosecution’.
Cyclist knocked off bike, nearly killed, among other things he suffered the following:
Fractured Skull
Broken Elbow
Compound Fracture of the tib/fib, 7 pieces below the knee. Had to wear a cage for 18months & was off work for over a year.
Suffers from panic attacks & has had 6 months of therapy
Has life changing injuries, leg still wonky, cannot fully extend arm.
He’s had a pretty terrible two years, thankfully he was a member of British Cycling which offer superb 3rd party insurance so he & his employer were able to claim against drivers insurance for injury & loss of earnings.
Police, on informing his wife of situation wanted to know if he was wearing hi-viz which I find pretty appalling but there you go.
So, driver admitted responsibility, police were at the scene etc. What do you think is a far outcome in terms of criminal action? Here are 3 options:
A) 6 points, fine
B) Driving Ban, fine
C) Driver awareness course, no fine
5 years ago whilst walking on Sutton Bank I was on the right side of the road, two cyclists coming downhill missed me by inches, they were travelling faster than I would have in a car. Had they hit me, doesn't bear thinking about. What did stike me is they were not riding in consideration of other road users (me as a pedestrian) or their ability to anticipate the need to stop in an emergancy.
You're right, sending drivers to jail doesn't reduce harm. I suspect lifetime driving bans would be far more effective.How does your friend know the driver’s letter was ‘gushing’ and ‘self serving’ if he refused to read it? And if the police judge that the objective of improving road safety is better served by driver education rather than punishment, that’s a justifiable decision IMV. You and your friend may wish for retribution but if the circumstances show that it was a genuine error, what is there to punish?
Doesn't make my experience invalid though, does it?Once very 5 years? Happens to me with a car every single time I go for a bike ride.
Did the Police give a reason they would not prosecute? You were involved in an RTA and injured, surely the van driver had a case to answer.The police often want nothing to do with it. I was knocked off and hurt quite badly (no actual broken bones) a few years ago by some idiot in a van who didn’t look before joining a roundabout. The police didn’t press charges, but I lawyered-up and hobbled away with £6k without having to attend court (i.e. the drivers side knew damn well he’d lose as he was so clearly in the wrong they settled out of court). Police not interested; no points, no penalties, he will still be driving with a clean license.
That's unusual if you have witnesses, which I assume you did of you got the payout, although you often have to get the witness details yourself. IIRC, you were pretty badly knocked about and the process can require one to be a bit stubborn and committed to see it through.The police often want nothing to do with it. I was knocked off and hurt quite badly (no actual broken bones) a few years ago by some idiot in a van who didn’t look before joining a roundabout. The police didn’t press charges, but I lawyered-up and hobbled away with £6k without having to attend court (i.e. the drivers side knew damn well he’d lose as he was so clearly in the wrong they settled out of court). Police not interested; no points, no penalties, he will still be driving with a clean license.
No, just statistically insignificant.Doesn't make my experience invalid though, does it?
Would you now and are you? I guess you need to review the posts too.
^^this. I cycle, albeit not regularly, and I use my anticipation skills (learned as a driver) to read the road and the moves of the other drivers. It's not infallible, obvs, but I've avoided a number of potential 'situations' just by not being in the place where it might have happened. Whenever I read about a cyclist being killed by a lorry turning left, I wonder whether the cyclist could have helped themselves by not moving up the blind side of a lorry at a junction. IME lorry drivers aren't like BMW drivers - they do tend to use their indicators, and otherwise signal their intentions by their road positioning. You need to learn to read the signs.I think it does help to cycle defensively / carefully. For example over the last 10 years ive had NO run ins with drivers, and thats London.
You type very quickly my friend !. Would have taken me 30 mins to compose that. Yes, blindside cycling involving vans / lorries is a big problem me thinks^^this. I cycle, albeit not regularly, and I use my anticipation skills (learned as a driver) to read the road and the moves of the other drivers. It's not infallible, obvs, but I've avoided a number of potential 'situations' just by not being in the place where it might have happened. Whenever I read about a cyclist being killed by a lorry turning left, I wonder whether the cyclist could have helped themselves by not moving up the blind side of a lorry at a junction. IME lorry drivers aren't like BMW drivers - they do tend to use their indicators, and otherwise signal their intentions by their road positioning. You need to learn to read the signs.
Did the Police give a reason they would not prosecute? You were involved in an RTA and injured, surely the van driver had a case to answer.
What is?No I wouldn't and I am. Hilarious, isn't it?
It never went to court. The police decided that a driver awareness course was sufficient.
PS I do resent the police for this. The very fact the drivers side settled out of court for almost our whole claim proved that it was legitimate. IIRC I might have taken another £500 had I gone through the ordeal of a court appearance (I didn’t want to, I was just too stressed and annoyed by the whole thing to worry about that low a figure). Had they thought they could win they’d have fought it. I was using a no-win/no-fee lawyer (Slater Gordon), so I assume they actually paid out a lot more than I eventually saw.