What to do in the event of an accident?

Away With The Fairies

I've been cycling for about 9 months now and thankfully never had an accident or fall.

But came very close today when a driver was turning left and I was cycling going ahead and they came so close to hitting me. I didn't break any red lights or anything, so don't know how they came so close to me.

This was my first real scare though. And made me realize afterwards that I don't know what to do if I ever did get into an accident with a driver.

Am I allowed to get their insurance details and claim of them? How does it all work?

Seth Brundle

You were "left hooked" and you will probably encounter it again unfortunately.
You could report it to gardai but little will come of it without a video (don't know if you got a reg).
If the worst came to the worst and you were hit then you would be entitled to sue for damages through their insurance. Damages could include a medical check up (if necessary) or bike repairs or clothes replacement, etc.
Don't think too much about it. If it happens get the drivers reg, name and insurance details. Id also recomment fetting some photos.
When you get home, write down everything you can think of before you forget it all.
But don't approach cycling with a mindset of what to do if it happens. Approach cycling with a mindset of making sure you're doing all you can do make sure that it doesn't happen (as much as you can!)

magicbastarder

one thing to try is that if you have your phone with you, stop and make a voice recording of the reg, etc., when it's fresh in your mind.

Away With The Fairies

I didn't even think to get the car reg today.

bobbyy gee

buy action camera stick it on top of your helmet

Beasty

Any injuries involving a motor vehicle and the incident has to be reported to the Gardai

dermabrasion

Thought if there is a road traffic accident in which there is an injury, you are obliged to call the Gardaí

Wesser

As a cyclist... should i have insurance in case i damage something in an accident?

Away With The Fairies

Wesser wrote: »

As a cyclist... should i have insurance in case i damage something in an accident?

This is a very good question. Is there such a thing as insurance for cyclists?

Seth Brundle

There are a few companies that offer insurance such as
https://bikmo.ie/
https://ucompare.ie/bicycle-insurance
https://www.bicycleinsurance.ie/

My own bike is covered under my home insurance as a specified item.

As I'm in a club, I need to have Cycling Ireland membership. One of the benefits from membership is Personal Accident and Public Liability insurance:
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/membership/insurance
Cycling Ireland membership also offers a discount on Bikemo insurance rates.

Wesser

Im enquiring about third party cover really.... not bicycle theft cover.....

Seth Brundle

Wesser wrote: »

Im enquiring about third party cover really.... not bicycle theft cover.....

Possibly the Third Party Public Liability part of the Cycling ireland insurance ould suit you.
What have you in mind?

kirving

Yes, you probably should.

Breaking a mirror on a new car can cost well over €1000 to replace, and even a small scratch can cost close to that.

magicbastarder

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Possibly the Third Party Public Liability part of the Cycling ireland insurance ould suit you.
What have you in mind?

i'm no a member of CI, so fuzzy on the details - but does the CI insurance only apply when racing or training?
if you're clearly commuting when an incident occurs, will it cover you?

s1ippy

Even if you get a description of the car, a business up the road might have security footage and have caught the driver on it. Gardaí possibly won't stretch so far as to investigate them, but there's nothing stopping you requesting to take a look at it. Even then, chances of conviction etc are slim but if the lads on twitter are to be believed there are plenty FCNs etc given out even for close passes.

I do agree with the posters who say that going to great lengths to avoid any sort of incident is the best policy.

I was in a sh!t area yesterday and I'd been having an incredibly nice cycle all day. A cunt in an Audi did a punishment pass on me in an area of road with traffic calming measures (outside a public playground) where, had he waited less than one second, there would have been ample room to overtake. These nasty pricks jolt you into reality and make you realise that however enjoyable, liberating and healthy for you cycling is, the road is full of lunatics who probably want to kill you. Act accordingly.

Ps a camera is highly recommended

Irish_peppa

In the case of an accident with a car, is it always the drivers fault even if they drove with due care? Ie If i passed a cyclist with proper distance of 1.5. They hit a pothole or swerve out and clip my mirror and fall, or possibly they broke a red light and t boned my car. Is the driver in any way culpable as he was in the car or once the driver is careful and observes road rules they cant be sued even if they did no wrong?

Seth Brundle

magicbastarder wrote: »

i'm no a member of CI, so fuzzy on the details - but does the CI insurance only apply when racing or training?
if you're clearly commuting when an incident occurs, will it cover you?

Just reading the policy document, it seems to cover club related activities only
(could commuting be considered "training"?)
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/downloads/summary%20of%20cover%20cycling%20ireland%20full(2).pdf

Seth Brundle

Irish_peppa wrote: »

In the case of an accident with a car, is it always the drivers fault even if they drove with due care? Ie If i passed a cyclist with proper distance of 1.5. They hit a pothole or swerve out and clip my mirror and fall, or possibly they broke a red light and t boned my car. Is the driver in any way culpable as he was in the car or once the driver is careful and observes road rules they cant be sued even if they did no wrong?

It is not always the drivers fault and although any driver can be sued (or have a claim lodged against them) it may not necessarily be a succesful claim.

magicbastarder

Irish_peppa wrote: »

In the case of an accident with a car, is it always the drivers fault even if they drove with due care? Ie If i passed a cyclist with proper distance of 1.5. They hit a pothole or swerve out and clip my mirror and fall, or possibly they broke a red light and t boned my car. Is the driver in any way culpable as he was in the car or once the driver is careful and observes road rules they cant be sued even if they did no wrong?

what you're referring to is called strict liability or presumed liability, and it's not used in ireland.

https://www.bikelaw.com/2018/06/the-case-for-strict-liability-in-our-biking-laws/

it operates where the driver is presumed liable until proven otherwise.

kenmm

The problem is, when shock sinks in, you forget a lot of what should be done. There is a very lucky taxi driver out there to this day who doesn't have a bump in his premiums after sending me over the bonnet on Harold's cross road.

I thought I was covered as I had a witness, no joy as didn't get his number saves properly, forgot to take photo of the reg etc. Shock left me a complete mess.

This is probably the first time I've been able to think about it without getting really pissed off tbh (4 years ago).

It's rare something bad happens, and as someone said, practice better technique to avoid these situations.

kenmm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Just reading the policy document, it seems to cover club related activities only
(could commuting be considered "training"?)
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/downloads/summary%20of%20cover%20cycling%20ireland%20full(2).pdf

I was always under the impression that any use of the bike can be considered training.

Car policies in a lot of countries you need to specify commuting, I don't think the CI insurance excludes commuting explicitly. Therefore you use the bike to cycle to work so you can get fitter, right?

Edit: the mention the daily excercise aspect of cycling as part of the commute on the website, so the implication is potentially there:
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/disciplines/advocacy

Seth Brundle

kenmm wrote: »

I was always under the impression that any use of the bike can be considered training.

Car policies in a lot of countries you need to specify commuting, I don't think the CI insurance excludes commuting explicitly. Therefore you use the bike to cycle to work so you can get fitter, right?

I use that logic myself but whether it would stand up to a half decent barrister is another thing. The specific wording is:

The cover applies to all activities of the Club including:
• Fund raising, training, competitions, CI approval works
• Open days
• Club competitions
• Worldwide trips and tours etc. (Excluding USA/Canada) We would recommend that travel insurance is taken out for traveling abroad.
...
The policy excludes:
• Any activity not approved by CI.
Participation in any event not under CI guidelines.

kenmm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I use that logic myself but whether it would stand up to a half decent barrister is another thing. The specific wording is:

It's so weak. It's not explicitly excluded by the first part, but the second part dies give them the ability to suddenly say commuting is 'not approved' (although I suspect this is just for unofficial races and the like where CI don't make any money from it).

CramCycle

magicbastarder wrote: »

i'm no a member of CI, so fuzzy on the details - but does the CI insurance only apply when racing or training?
if you're clearly commuting when an incident occurs, will it cover you?

I train on my commute

eeeee

I use my commute for training too. That's covered.

Eamonnator

Collisions between cars and bicycles and indeed collisions between any vehicle and pedestrian should be referred to as such.
I think it trivialises and absolves blame, when these collisions are referred to as accidents. An accident is when you stub your toe on the leg of the bed in the dark. When a motorist left hooks a cyclist and sends the cyclist into the ditch, that a collision. When a motorist, without warning opens a car door in the path of a cyclist, that is not an accident, it is a collision.
Okay, rant over.

kenmm

CramCycle wrote: »

I train on my commute

I commute on my train.

Does that count? :pac:

Wildly Boaring

Eamonnator wrote: »

Collisions between cars and bicycles and indeed collisions between any vehicle and pedestrian should be referred to as such.
.

TII (NRA) refused to call them accidents when I was dealing with them
Collisions or Incidents

boombang

It might not be what the OP is asking for. But once you have recorded the necessary details I would get a sugary drink and sit down for five minutes. Being in an accident can cause quite a rush of adrenalin and I think it's good to let yourself settle before you head on your way. There's a tendency to jump up and declare yourself "grand" and want to cycle on, but you should take it easy for a while.

kenmm

boombang wrote: »

It might not be what the OP is asking for. But once you have recorded the necessary details I would get a sugary drink and sit down for five minutes. Being in an accident can cause quite a rush of adrenalin and I think it's good to let yourself settle before you head on your way. There's a tendency to jump up and declare yourself "grand" and want to cycle on, but you should take it easy for a while.

Yep exactly this.
Done the same, even after having someone help me clean up the blood/ waited 20 mins. Got to work and sat like a zombie for 2 hours totally out of it! Very weird.

beauf

kenmm wrote: »

The problem is, when shock sinks in, you forget a lot of what should be done. There is a very lucky taxi driver out there to this day who doesn't have a bump in his premiums after sending me over the bonnet on Harold's cross road.

I thought I was covered as I had a witness, no joy as didn't get his number saves properly, forgot to take photo of the reg etc. Shock left me a complete mess.

This is probably the first time I've been able to think about it without getting really pissed off tbh (4 years ago).

It's rare something bad happens, and as someone said, practice better technique to avoid these situations.

Very similar situation here I should have called the cops only thought to check CCTV a week later and no one had it.

You do the whole jump up I'm grand. It's only the next day you feel like you've been hit by a train, and become aware of injuries. Like whiplash. Notice damage on the bike etc..

Get witnesses details etc. Really you can't trivialise it for the driver either. It's usually bad habits and they won't change if they have no repercussions for doing it.