postman pat
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so what is your point
Cyclist in collision with car - damage!
- Thread starter emeralds
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so what is your point
I'm sorry folks but there appear to be attempts to trivialise this very serious situation. There is an anti cyclist mentality out there in that the immediate assumption is always that the cyclist is in the wrong. Mr Burgess tells us that he is a cyclist and actively involved in campaigning for cycling, however, he too fell foul of the rabble and assumed the guilt of a possibly innocent cyclist. As for the ridiculous ramblings of RonnieB I think they are so absurd as to not justify further response
What on earth are you talking about?
What I'm talking about Purple is the immediate jumping to conclusions as to the guilt of a cyclist without knowing the full facts. Regarding RonnieB and tax for cyclists, I have heard all this before and consider such ramblings to be just that and an attempt to justify the anti cyclist mentality that exists on our roads
Who jumped to conclusions? The OP outlined a scenario in which the cyclist was in the wrong. There's no conclusion to jump to as their culpability was established by the OP in the first post. There is no anti cyclist bias there.
I agree that some motorists have an anti-cycling bias just as some cyclists have an anti-motorist bias. Many of us both cycle and drive. None of that is pertinent to or informs this discussion.
Some people are racist/bigoted/xenophobic but that doesn't mean that a poster asking about the insurance implications of being hit by a motorist who is insured in a different country is racist etc., they are simply asking for information about a particular scenario. The posters views on broader issues cannot be determined by such limited information. The same applies here.
Basically you are waaayyyy to sensitive about this issue and it seems to be you who holds the one-eyed views.
I agree with you about the bizarre viewpoints on here and the way the thread turned.
I once cycled into a stationary vehicle, that was parked, and buckled my front wheel, I've no idea if I damaged the car, don't think so, but I had to walk home and it was a very long way. And I got an awful shock, should have sued the owner for 10K based on what some claim on here. I was just glad I didn't injure myself.
The OP didn't start this thread over concerns about road safety in general. They started it about a specific incident. Describing a story they relate as an urban myth is very offensive and directly implies that they are telling lies. That's a totally inappropriate comment to make and you should withdraw it and apologies.
You seem to believe that cyclists don't crash into parked cars. Can you clarify if that's the case and if you believe that cyclists ever crash into cars?
We have all seen cyclists behaving in a dangerous manner which could cause harm to them and massive distress to other road users. Suggesting otherwise is facile. The fact that motorists do the same thing does not negate bad behaviour by cyclists or their responsibility to act safely and obey the law.
postman pat
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all i can say is i"d love to be as clever as as rainyday
Pat
Pat
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mercman
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Postman Pat is so darn correct. I do believe that cyclists do need to become more aware of other road users. Maybe a good practical course of respect for other road users might be appropriate. In the last few months, I have heard of cyclists in this country having some very severe accidents -- all caused by their own mistakes.
In a perfect world, roads and streets used in the main by cyclists would be fantastic. But in this country we have a system of reducing motor tax to ensure that people take up driving. Damn Green Party brought this in and was the commencement of the downturn, creating a shortfall of around €5 billion per year. Oh if we had that money now, we simply would be a better society. But we don't live in a perfect world do we ??
Brendan Burgess
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Hi Pat
Like anyone else, he gets some stuff right and some stuff wrong.
He refers to "urban myths about cyclists running into parked cars.". These are not myths. Cyclists do crash into parked cars. I have seen it myself. I narrowly missed a car myself once, and it was my own fault.
This is a very good point which most motorists would not have thought of. Many motorists are jealous of us cyclists because we can sail past them while they are stuck in traffic. They should be thanking us for not making the traffic worse.
Can I clarify if you see any need for a 'practical course of respect' for many drivers, or is it just cyclists that you see faults in? Can I clarify if you've heard about cyclists being killed by motor vehicles in this country - were these 'all caused by their own mistakes'?
Excuse me? A €5bn shortfall from motor tax? Motor tax brings in about €100m per month - where did you get this €5bn figure from?
Ah here.
He referred to urban myths about cyclists running into parked cars and getting €10k insurance payouts as a result.
I'm pretty sure that the same penalties for leaving the scene of an accident apply to cyclists and car drivers.
Can I clarify it is just cyclists that need "a programme where they learn good road manners", or would the same apply to many drivers as well?
Brendan Burgess
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That is not what you said your post, even if that was what you meant. That probably is an urban myth alright.
I agree.
A woman was awarded €71’00 the other day in a case she brought against a tile retailer for falling on tiles they installed in her own kitchen.
She did hurt herself badly and the tiles were, it seems, not suitable for kitchen floors as they were slippery when wet (even though, according to the supplier, thousands of square feet of them were installed in other kitchens all over the country).
An award of €10k for a crash between a car and a bicycle, if the cyclist was injured, seems very likely. As the motorist is the only one who is insured, and therefore the only one who can pay up, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if damaged were awarded against them.
I didn't want to point out that, but that's the way it works.
I know a student girl, at fault, had an accident with a car, she went to A&E, had a tiny mark on her knee and got a few grand in court. This is not an urban myth.
It also works with whiplash and drivers. Just so neither cyclists nor drivers think it's all one sided.
Brendan Burgess
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How do you mean whiplash and drivers?
So the judge is awarding damages because it's against an insurance company? I have heard this before. But presumably the cyclist must allege some sort of negligence on the driver's part.
Crashing into a properly parked or stopped car, should not give rise to a successful claim.
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