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I cycled in this morning, 5 miles to a satellite office, rural area, on one of only 3 roundabouts in a 30 mile radius a pickup pulled straight out on me.
I thought he might so I'd started slowing already and was watching him, then braked as hard as possible and swerved as much as I could without throwing myself off. I also screamed many obscenities. We touched (just), at about his drivers door. He kept going, slowed but wouldn't stop, then drove off, despite my gesticulation. I hit the kerb in all the comotion, bars twisted on steerer, flat tyre, suspect pinch flat.
Rang 101, my only option is to attend the only manned station in the county, nearly 25 miles away. I have the reg. no and have checked DVLA, it's correct.
Should I bother? Wheel appears true and fine, think I just pinched the tube, only concern is if stem scored steerer tube.
I probably should, but it's a load of hassle which I could do without at the moment, and having been at fault in a collision whilst driving (with another car) less than a fortnight ago which I'm still feeling guilty about, my judgement is probably clouded somewhat in sympathy for the driver. I was the SMIDSY guy in the collision I had.
They've committed an absolute offence, so the police might be slightly bothered - I'd report it.
Leaving the scene of an accident seems to be the one they actually give a shit about.
Report it.
always report it, at least in Sussex reports stay in file for a while so if the same reg keeps coming up they will do something about it.
Please, on behalf of all of us, report it!
Better to report now than wait until you are actually killed to death.
report to police and your insurers British cycling/CTC
We touched (just), at about his drivers door. He kept going, slowed but wouldn't stop, then drove off
So, a hit and run then?
Report it, not for you, for the sake of everyone.
Assuming you got a decent look at the driver and could reliably identify them?
Probably, mid 50's bloke not that tall with not very much grey hair I think.
Even if it comes to nothing it's still a shot across the bows for the driver, may even make them think twice in future.
Why bother with the insurers? I can't see what possible input they would have here?report to police and your insurers British cycling/CTC
Report it. If it was just someone pulling out, fair enough, but if you've come off or damaged your bike due to it, get them reported.
Report it.
Round here the police have legs and/or cars so they're able to leave the station and come to your house to take a statement.
Apparently round here they don't - wouldn't even record it or give me an incident number or anything of the sort. Told me I could go the police station in town, but it's technically unmanned and it was pot luck if I'd find anyone.
I'd try 101 again, or check online. Presumably systems vary, but when I last reported a driver here I downloaded the relevant forms and posted it in (not that I ever heard back!)
If they won't even give you a report number on the phone, I wonder if they're actually following correct procedures as they certainly should do that.
Even if it comes to nothing it's still a shot across the bows for the driver, may even make them think twice in future.
This.
Given the circumstances and given that it would be your word against his, I imagine that the Police would not be able or willing to charge him with careless driving or similar. They might be more able and willing to charge him for leaving the scene of an accident, but given that you say you 'just touched' he will probably be able to get away with it by lying and saying that there was no contact (assuming no marks left on his vehicle as evidence).
Despite all that, reporting him and forcing him to have to deal with the Police when they make their enquiries, might make him change his behaviour and be a bit more careful in future. If it doesn't, I would still think it would be good to do: if that driver is involved in another incident, your report (and any others like it) might tip the balance when the Police have to decide whether to seek a prosecution.
Carol Boardman was killed by a hit and run driver. If we don't report these incidents and let drivers like that get away with it, it just tacitly accepts poor standards of driving and road safety, which ultimately mean more fatal accidents involving cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
As for feeling guilty about having made a mistake yourself when driving, don't. You did not leave the scene of the accident - instead you have faced up to the fact that you made a mistake (like we all do) and you have probably learned from that mistake and will be a better driver for it, which is the complete opposite of the driver who knocked you off this morning.
Apparently round here they don't - wouldn't even record it or give me an incident number or anything of the sort. Told me I could go the police station in town, but it's technically unmanned and it was pot luck if I'd find anyone.
Report that to one of the nationals. Like the guardian. They'll love that.
And what slowster said.
Needs reporting as an Rta rather than 'an incident' - only Rta's are counted in traffic data.
Which police force?
Report it.
Nothing will happen, but it helps with the statistics. They worse they look, the more likely things will change.
I'd report it for sure, they may go and pay a visit and see his paint on car is scratched exactly where you say he hit you?
I'd bug the Police as well, our local police force did nothing when i was involved in a hit and run and suffered broken ribs, even though independent witness called them and gave all details, they never even got in touch to take a statement. I went into station and lodged a complaint and still nothing.
Few weeks later i did 34 in a 30 (despite last sign i could see being 40) strangely enough they were really interested in pursuing that....
No brainer. Report it.
It's West Mercia Police for the record.
I was at work all day with no way of getting to station. Put a new tube in, straightened bars, attempted to bike home, got a thorn puncture, so ended up ringing my girlfriend to fetch me.
Looked online, turns out the only manned station in the county is only open until 6.30pm, and no time to get there before closing.
So rang 101 again, this time they said I should have been given a reference number and that contrary to what I was told, I don't have to report to the station within 24hrs.
They have now taken all the details, given me a reference number, and said I've got to report to the station ASAP to complete an RTC booklet.
Is the pickup related to a company? If the company isn't just a sole trader / self employed guy, report the driver to the company maybe. Though always a chance the company boss is the driver.
No signwriting or the like. Every man and his dog has a twin cab pickup around here, almost more common than cars.
core - Member
Apparently round here they don't - wouldn't even record it or give me an incident number or anything of the sort. Told me I could go the police station in town, but it's technically unmanned and it was pot luck if I'd find anyone.
Once you have reported the incident, write to your MP to complain about the blatant gaps in local policing, don't forget to CC the responsible police and crime commissioner.
It's all connected, a hard to contact, disinterested force isn't an effective one and thus shite drivers and antisocial dickheads get away with their behaviour because nobody reports it...
[quote=core ]It's West Mercia Police for the record.
Ah - also my police force, so I wondered why you couldn't do what I did. It appears because you're reporting a RTC whilst I was reporting dangerous driving. The difference being that an RTC is something which you're legally required to report if you haven't exchanged details (if you're driving a motorised vehicle) and you're required to report it in person at a police station. Therefore the system is set up such that you have to make such a report at a police station, even though as a cyclist you've no legal obligation to do so. From the sounds of things they're still a bit confused, because given there is no legal obligation on you to report in person at a police station, you should be able to report the crime anyway without having to do that - there certainly isn't any obligation for you to report within 24 hours.
So it might be worth speaking to them again and making it very clear that you were riding a bicycle so have no legal obligation to report the incident and that you're simply reporting it because the driver didn't stop. Point out that there is no legal obligation for you to attend a police station and ask nicely whether there is a different way to report the crime (given that it [b]is[/b] possible to report dangerous driving by filling in a form and sending it in).
You could of course report it as dangerous driving, but without an independent witness or camera footage there is no point as they won't investigate.
Similar happened to me. Idiot came out of a junction without stopping, on the wrong side of the road. He hit me, scraped my pedal along his front bumper, he just drove around me and sped off.
I reported it to Police along with the make, model and reg of the car. I also told them where he worked (previously seen his car at his place of work).
They asked him about it, he denied even being there, so they dropped it. 5 minutes to check the damage on his car or his clocking records at work would have shown he was lying...