2015-01-09 Rider down Shefford, Beds.

Posted on
  • Today I went to work by car and was involved in a collision with a cyclist.

    A big shock , horrible, horrible moment.

    Was still dark, around 7:15am, I entered a roundabout and had an almight bang to my door/window. I exited the rbt and parked up, to investigate. There I see a young cyclist lying in the road - paper delivery lad, around 16.

    I just felt sick.

    He got up and I checked him over, dragged his bike to the middle of the roundabout. Couple of other motorists stopped to help and leave their details.

    Thank goodness, he seemed ok apart from a sore ankle and grazed elbow.

    No helmet.
    No lights front or back, though he did have a high viz vest on, but I certainly didn't see him in the dark and I remember looking right.

    He just slammed into my door. Thank goodness I wasn't a second or two later or he could have gone under the car.

    We called his folks, who live just round the corner, they were there in a couple of mins.

    His dad is a police accident investigator - what the heck! And his son it tearing around the neighbourhood on an unlit bike in the dark without a helmet. Unbelievable, he must have known, yet still gave his son a bollocking.

    I think they both got the message.

    A comparitively minor prang, but it shook me up bad, knowing what could have happened. So many kids are out delivering papers in the dark with no lights or helmets - keep a good lookout folks, go safe.

  • 'So many kids are out delivering papers in the dark'. Where do you live, 1956? Seriously, I haven't seen a paper delivered by a kid on a bike since the late 80s.

    Joking aside, must have been a horrid moment for you. Glad the lad's OK. Perhaps he was hugging the kerb tightly enough for even a good look right by you at the give way may have meant he was sort of behind you (dep on the road angle approaching the roundabout.). A lot of people are somehow made to think it's their duty to ride in the gutter, and a lot of drivers don't help that myth from dying off by driving as if cycles should be out of their way.

  • skulls, there's plenty of paper delivery teenagers around villages in teh shires.

    Had a near miss or two with these, plus people cycling to work for 6am shift change in their grey overalls...

    it's scary out there

  • They're there, you just can't see them!

  • Helmets are optional, lights are not. Glad the paper lad was okay though. Hopefully, he'll get some lights on his bike.

  • hmmmm.....

  • Post a reply
    • Bold
    • Italics
    • Link
    • Image
    • List
    • Quote
    • code
    • Preview
About

2015-01-09 Rider down Shefford, Beds.

Posted by Avatar for GrahamLaming @GrahamLaming

Actions