[Travel] Teacher who was staring at her phone and hit by a cyclist win compensation.

[Blue Valkyrie]

Cyclist clearly did the unexpected in cycling through a green light.

If they had waited for the red light before proceding then the pedestrian would have been expecting them.

 

[OzMike]

Time our cyclists were compelled to take out insurance against such eventualalities now, especially following this verdict, whereby road users are responsible for others actions regardless of who is deemed at fault. A major lesson to be learnt here.

Why quote the whole thing when we would have read it at the beginning of the thread and got the story.
I never understand doing this, live and let lunch I suppose.

 

[OzMike]

Cyclists, bloody carbuncle for other road users, but in this case I am on his side.
She probably turned up in court in tight snug fitting 'yoga' pants, reading financial reports with a heavily made up face, looking over horn rimmed glasses.............would work for me..

 

[Deleted member 22389]

YOUR responsibility if YOU are "turning in" the Highway Code does state that pedestrians should be given right of way by motorists if crossing junctions whilst the motorist is making left or right turns at road junctions, a rule that a lot of drivers tend to ignore and I say this as a driver who gets quite pi**ed off with other drivers when I am crossing at junctions as a pedestrian.

On both occasions I had already started my turn, that leaves me hanging with half my car in the main road because I have to stop. Pedestrians need to stop and pay attention when crossing.

 

[golddene]

Why quote the whole thing when we would have read it at the beginning of the thread and got the story.
I never understand doing this, live and let lunch I suppose.

Sorry laziness is the reason, I normally go to the massive effort of scrolling down to read responses to others quotes, realise now how arduous this can be and have duelly noted this for future reference. I apologise profusely.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Should be illegal looking at phone and walking at the same time, totally irresponsible....

 

[Chicken Run]

It is prohibitively expensive for something that is in actuality very low risk - Some could afford it for sure, but considering children are allowed to cycle on the road and it's a very important mode of transport for those on lower incomes, forcing cyclists to be insured would be a net bad for society.

So what happens (as did to a mate of mine) a cyclist at speed and not colliding with anything smacks into the side of a stationary car causing circa £650 (T Reeve) of damage and doesn’t feel compelled to pay for the damage?

 

[golddene]

On both occasions I had already started my turn, that leaves me hanging with half my car in the main road because I have to stop. Pedestrians need to stop and pay attention when crossing.

I understand your argument but I tend to watch out for pedestrians crossing at junctions and invariably give them priority even if it holds me up or indeed others following me in traffic are held up for the few seconds it takes for people to cross junctions. Have you never felt a little frustrated when trying to cross a side road especially in inclement weather when you have to stop to allow a person in a nice warm dry environment to pass in front of you? The world would be a much nicer place if people weren't so selfish and considered others just a little more!

 

[OzMike]

Sorry laziness is the reason, I normally go to the massive effort of scrolling down to read responses to others quotes, realise now how arduous this can be and have duelly noted this for future reference. I apologise profusely.

I understand.

 

[OzMike]

Walking without due care and attention.

 

[portlock seagull]

Judges eh? Like the people they represent, half are completely irrational. Not the first wrong decision ones made and not the last. Cyclist can count himself unlucky and best he just tries to move on from the injustice like many others who’ve left a crown court.

 

[highflyer]

Can anyone tell me why cyclists SHOULDN’T have insurance?

Should pedestrians have insurance? As discussed above, the blame was split 50:50, and she only won compensation because she does yoga and works in the city. Had it been the other way round, he'd have been suing her we presume.

When I cycle in London it is pedestrians, not cars, that worry me most. They are completely unpredictable, and regularly act like utter dicks. I spend most of the time swearing and cursing at them until I get where I am going, park the bike and then, inevitably, step straight out into a cycle lane without looking...

 

[brightn'ove]

So what happens (as did to a mate of mine) a cyclist at speed and not colliding with anything smacks into the side of a stationary car causing circa £650 (T Reeve) of damage and doesn’t feel compelled to pay for the damage?

So let’s take tens of thousands of cyclists off the roads because a bit of paintwork got scratched.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Extraordinary. I am not a cyclist and indeed not overly fond of them at all times, but this seems utterly ridiculous. Surely the lady in question should be given the Darwin award as she didn't look, and the cyclist was not travelling very fast either.

No. Because, this...

That said, that the cyclist was able to shout, hit his air horn wanker but not able to just brake and stop does suggest he was reckless.

I wouldn't normally disagree, I tend toward team cyclist as a rule but if he were 'travelling at 10-15 mph', he could have stopped as quickly as shouting an parping his horn. Obviously the pedestrian didn't help proceedings but it does sound like he didn't have much intention of slowing down....

This for me. If he was travelling at a suitable speed for the circumstances, then if he had time to move his hand to the horn, he equally had time to brake.

His defence is that there was 'clear carriageway, although there were pedestrians about to step (from the carriageway) onto the pavement'. If this were genuinely true - that some pedestrians (the lady in question included) had all but crossed the road, leaving the way clear for him to speed through - then WHY was he sounding his horn at all? To 'hurry them along'?

 

[Stat Brother]

It's slightly worrying that a pedestrian can sue a cyclist despite taking no responsibility for her own safety - That said, that the cyclist was able to shout, hit his air horn wanker but not able to just brake and stop does suggest he was reckless. Some people do the rep of cyclists no favours....

That is the only part of the article that gives more pause for thought.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

So what happens (as did to a mate of mine) a cyclist at speed and not colliding with anything smacks into the side of a stationary car causing circa £650 (T Reeve) of damage and doesn’t feel compelled to pay for the damage?

Happened to me in London, the cyclist rode off without any chance of me stopping them and no means of identification for me to inform the authorities. Generally, outside of London, cyclists are ok, but for anyone that has driven in the capital will know what a total liability cyclists are to themselves and other road users.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Have to say that if mobile phones are deemed to be a distraction to drivers, then so they should be for cyclists and pedestrians. I have experienced both pedestrians and cyclists not taking due care and attention on roads. It’s no wonder there are accidents. The mobile phone has a lot to answer for in our society. For all it’s good, it’s inappropriate use or use at inappropriate times is a big price to pay.
This case or the judge seem, however, to be oddball.

 

[Tokyohands]

Well this just empowers the ever growing hoard of smart phone zombies. I don't think anyone should've had to pay compensation here as it sounds like they were both being twats. The judge should've bollocked them both and thrown it out.

 

[Springal]

Surprised people are struggling with this. Just because a pedestrian does something, does not absolve someone in a car or on a bike of blame. Otherwise next time someone crosses the road causing me to slow down to change direction I might as well just keep going and plough through them. After all it is their fault right?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Surprised people are struggling with this. Just because a pedestrian does something, does not absolve someone in a car or on a bike of blame. Otherwise next time someone crosses the road causing me to slow down to change direction I might as well just keep going and plough through them. After all it is their fault right?

Indeed. Would these people fly down a residential street at 30mph, with parked cars both sides, without a care in the world, because if a little kid steps out between the cars it would be their own fault anyway?

(That's rhetorical, btw...)