Did you see the accident opposite CPT this morning? (18 January)

[Mamma Mia]

binary_star Wrote:

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> Bit early for me, I'm usually there for about 8

> but I will keep a lookout for the car (and coming

> home too). What a nasty piece of work hitting your

> son and not stopping. Just out of interest, are

> you looking for financial compensation for the

> damage to the bike?

He's a student on a gap year so the money to repair his bike would come in handy although not the main issue, to be honest. He was on his way to work so probably wiped out his pay for the day. He's not complaining about it. That's life. He'll just suck it up. He has learnt that he needs to approach junctions cautiously to avoid potential collisions with careless motorists which has been a useful lesson for him.

Edited to say that I am a car driver myself so that was not an attack on motorists in general.

[Pearson]

This has a positive outcome:

"He has learnt that he needs to approach junctions cautiously to avoid potential collisions with careless motorists which has been a useful lesson for him"

Easily forgotten by all (drivers, cyclist and pedestrians)

and i include myself in all of those categories.

[binary_star]

Good outlook Pearson. It does annoy me a bit that the onus is on the cyclist to modify their behaviour in order to compensate for bad driving, but he will be safer for it. The driver should also learn not to pull out at a junction without looking though. He obviously didn't care enough to stop when he hit the OP's son, so the actual act of causing an accident and possibly injuring someone clearly wasn't lesson enough, which for any normal person would have been. I think he should financially compensate you for any damage, just for the principle. But we don't live in an ideal world, and I've been in similar situations where I was just glad to have come away unscathed.

The good thing is that your son is ok and he has learned a lesson that will ultimately make him safer.

[Loz]

When my father taught me to drive he told me the concept of "Defensive Driving". It's quite simple - assume that everyone else on the road (car, bike, pedestrian, whatever) is an idiot.

It is really quite effective. And is easily applicable to whatever mode of transport you want.

[DJKillaQueen]

Also driving away from he scene of an accident is a criminal offence. Ireegardless of the right or wrong the driver should have stopped and there's no excuse for not doing so.

[Twirly]

Loz Wrote:

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> When my father taught me to drive he told me the

> concept of "Defensive Driving". It's quite simple

> - assume that everyone else on the road (car,

> bike, pedestrian, whatever) is an idiot.

>

> It is really quite effective. And is easily

> applicable to whatever mode of transport you want.

Couldn't agree more. In fact, it's a good policy to apply to virtually any area of life!

Mamma Mia - glad your son is OK, seems to have learnt a valuable lesson, even if it's a shame that it's necessary. Hope you manage to track this driver down and the police have a word and his driving skills improve.

[Mamma Mia]

I've been researching cycling courses on his behalf as I think he would benefit from having an instructor to advise him how to approach busy roundabouts and junctions etc in heavy traffic. Not being a cyclist myself I am unable to pass this kind of knowledge onto him. I have found details for the Accompanied Cycling course run by Southwark. Has anyone tried this course? Did you find it useful? Not sure he will agree to it but I'll have a go.

[Siduhe]

I did the Adult Bikability Training offered by Southwark Council via Cycling Instructor Ltd (not sure if they still do this with all the budget cuts). It was fab and a huge boost to my confidence - we focused entirely on dealing with heavy traffic as that was what made me most nervous. If it's the same thing, definitely worth doing.

[Mamma Mia]

Siduhe Wrote:

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> I did the Adult Bikability Training offered by

> Southwark Council via Cycling Instructor Ltd (not

> sure if they still do this with all the budget

> cuts). It was fab and a huge boost to my

> confidence - we focused entirely on dealing with

> heavy traffic as that was what made me most

> nervous. If it's the same thing, definitely worth

> doing.

Was it a two-hour one-to-one course?

[Jah Lush]

Apologies Mamma Mia if I misread you original post and I hope your son is OK.

[Mamma Mia]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Apologies Mamma Mia if I misread you original post

> and I hope your son is OK.

No worries Jah. It did sound a bit confusing.

[Siduhe]

Mamma Mia Wrote:

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> Was it a two-hour one-to-one course?

Yes - see here http://www.cyclinginstructor.com/cyclinginstructor.nsf/%28$Category1%29/6627A293DE39FDCC802571CD0059876B?OpenDocument

My trainer was Helena.

[ianr]

>I've been researching cycling courses on his behalf as I think he would benefit from having an

>instructor to advise him how to approach busy roundabouts and junctions etc in heavy traffic.

I think what's been said about defensive riding hits the mark. To think what might happen if the road-user you can see acts as if they can't see you or are not going to be considerate to you; or if what you can't see contains a possible hazard. What's happened to him could well be very useful experience.