In the news

I had an accident where a ped ran out at a crossing where I had a green traffic light. They were shocked and bruised, I had to have an op on my knee. I don't really want to rehash it but you're on the right track. They were put in the ambulance and I was questioned and breathalised before the policeman realised I had a pretty bad injury and was only walking and talking because of the adrenaline.

My own conclusion as I lay in the ambulance was wishing I had been going a bit slower and a bit further from the kerb. I would normally have been.

I avoid reading anything like that. Have to say in all my years motorcycling, the vast preponderance of my accidents have been entirely self inflicted. Being a twat has been a common theme. Fortunately only a tiny minority have involved other vehicles or exotic factors such as engines seizing mid corner.

Certainly don't think motorcycles are given the benefit of the doubt anymore than bicycles are though.

I still have scars from one of many such encounters... a few years ago being far from the kerb, nowhere near the crossing, and a very large lump darting in front of me. I literally bounced off the person, and got pretty knocked by it, and they shrugged and grunted at me.

I had already slowed down because of a car moments earlier, but the force the pedestrian accelerated their body to cross the road was enough to damage my kneecap.

I would have been going slower had it been a crossing. Since it wasn’t, there needed to be some other excuse why i was at fault whenever I recounted the event to someone.

In other news, Rory’s gone home

I've definitely had some responsibility for every one of mine!

Pic the graun are using is top lels

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mark e smiths long lost cousin ?

Plug from the Bash St Kids went on to go to Eton. Who knew?

A guy on a Brompton cycled full pelt into the side of my motorbike after jumping a red light.

tbf if I hadn't been moving he wouldn't have hit me ;)

In all seriousness though, when I went on a bikesafe(?) course, the police said that the vast majority of accidents happened at obvious risk spots like junctions where drivers pull out or turn without seeing the motorbike.

I never said all accidents were caused by speed!

Junctions are a danger, I'm always checking for recognition from drivers in junctions to try and mitigate the risk but there's always the odd ones. Handling T Junctions are key to survival for motorbikes in London. I find if I've not been riding for a while my observations suffer until I have a few little reminders and get back to speed. I don't enjoy it much but it's transport not sport for me, there's never any opportunity to relax and open the throttle in town.

Pretty much any accident you have on a motorcycle is caused by speed.

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He ought to appeal. And put in a counter claim. It's sounding more and more like anyone can step out immediately in front of a cyclist and get a successful claim against them.

I don't think he can counter claim, something to do with how long ago it was?

Pretty much any is not equal to all :)

https://twitter.com/RobHazeldean/status/1141756875031162882

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/commute

I will leave this here.

Blimey.

I'm wondering has Mr Briggs commented on this case?

Oh yeah, he loves to jump on any story about a cyclist and a pedestrian, especially before any of the facts are know and regularly makes himself look stupid.

presume the bankruptcy thing is to save actually having to pay out.

also interesting is the statement from the cyclist’s lawyers - in that the pedestrian in question was/is claiming £100,000 (?!) in damages [edit as per comment below - not damages, but costs]

https://levisolicitors.co.uk/news/our-client-robert-hazeldean/

In costs, not damages.
The damages awarded are £,4,300.
Costs awarded are £10,000.

aha! thanks for the correction, makes more sense now

Grim... Tory MP, who has preciously written to/called for the Met to take a ‘firmer grip’ on climate protesters, assaults a climate protester at Mansion House event

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/20/greenpeace-activists-target-philip-hammond-speech-in-climate-protest

Good shout. Also worth checking household and other policies. Our household policy covers some 3rd party liability and many cover legal expenses too.

Crash-for-cash, cycle edition coming soon.