Muppet Wrote my Bike Off

Well.....

I was approaching a set of lights today at about 20mph with (what I thought was) a safe distance between myself and the car in front

As the car crossed the line, the lights turned to amber and he decided to do such a harsh emergency stop that he ended up swerving into the cycle lane to his left and came to a stop completely in the "Cycle" area in front of the car stop line....

I braked as hard as I could and around 1.5 meters from hitting him had to give the front brake a proper fistful causing my rear wheel to lift to about 90 degrees... Funny really, I had time to think, oh my god this is gonna go one of two ways, its gonna come back down square and just hurt my bum when the suspension bottoms out or its gonna REALLY hurt...

Unfortunately, it was the latter as the bike went over to the left down on its side as I kissed his rear bumper with my head

Bike looking like a write off but only for cosmetics.... knackered knee and cant move my head without whinging like a 2 year old lol.

Got fully comp insurance so will be claiming for:

Bike
Helmet (no visible damage but its had a knock so needs replacing)
Jacket (marked but did its job)
Pants (marked but did their job)
Boots (marked but did their job)
Injured Knee
Injured neck

Luckily I work in the insurance industry so was smart enough to take a shed load of pics of the scene (other driver didnt and could not get away fast enough after the incident).

When he got out of the car, I asked what the heck he was playing at and he replied that "he couldnt see the lights due to sunshine until he was at the line and they changed to amber so he HAD to stop...)

Even though I was behind him, I am going to pursue under highway code legislation because:

He did not perform sufficient checks according to the Highway code to ensure that as the light changed to amber, it was safer for him and other road users to come to a halt as opposed to continuing

He performed an unjustified emergency stop i.e. had he not done so, there was an above average risk of injury to himself or other persons



Well, wish me luck, I will post my full email to my insurance with pictures etc tomorrow (reg's will be blocked out to protect the innocent etc etc lol).

At the end of the day, although she was ace, she was only plastic, metal and rubber and I will be ok soon enough... Could have been sooooooo much worse

On a plus note, there was a pub at the cross roads and after I had dealt with the police (and had permission off my insurance) I pushed the bike in to the car park and a completely random pair of blokes were sat outside, they told me to sit down, asked what I was drinking and bought me a pint!!!!!! Now that restores faith in humanity if nothing else does.....

[Paul the 6th]

feck - get well soon dude. Hopefully the insurance will sort everything smoothly. Maybe worth hanging fire on posting stuff on public forums while the claim/insurance investigation is on-going? Just a thought

Good thinking.... I will post my insurance letter after its all sorted... so in the typical ways of the insurance industry, you will hear from me in exactly 4 years 7 months 15 days and 2 hours lol

On a side note girls and boys, I was so uncomfortable in all my gear because it was so warm....

That gear most certainly saved me from more serious injuries. No matter what the weather, get it worn!!!!

Your mum will thank those of you lucky enough to still have one!

RIP mum, today is one of those days I REALLY wish you were still around to say "it will be ok son" and give me a cuddle!

Feck me 40 years old and still miss my my mum.... Soft assed git (note to self, DO NOT drink whiskey whilst feeling shaken up).

Glad you're reasonably ok dude, I've seen people do this countless times at traffic lights, it's perfectly ok to carry on at traffic lights at the point of no return if it turns to an amber light.

I hit a BMW up the back once going downhill in the rain on a clear dual carriageway, driver worked for BMW and it was a company car, he stood on the brakes and I was in a mk4 escort at the time, locked up then pumped the brakes trying to stop, I was gonna go through the amber light too as it was a 40mph road so stopping in the rain was dangerous.

Scratched his bumper, fecked my escort up, but the funny thing was the bloke wouldn't get out his car at first cos I was raging lol

Hurt in places I forgot I had this morning lol

gws

[timwilky]

I have been in the reverse situation. As I approached a set of traffic lights at 60, they started to change so I came to a halt at the line. The car behind me didn't and wrote his car, my bike and left shoulder off.

He initially insisted that I had stopped unnecessarily, fortunately I had overtaken a queue in the left hand lane and the 3 drivers at the front all gave witness statements that at the time I had overtaken them the light were in the process of changing.

6 weeks to settle the claim and get my full valuation and 4 years to settle the PI claim. I am still in pain every day 12 years later, so my advice to all bikers always ride as if you are invisible, just because you are in the right doesn't mean it isn't going to hurt. A little bit of caution and continual situation analysis (the what ifs) save you from a heck of a lot of grief.

Good luck

[PyroUK]

Damn thats unlucky! I didnt realise you could do that with the claim, i hope it all works out for you and GWS!!

I nearly had a similar situation to TW, i was approaching lights at a T junc, heading across the "top" of the t, as they were changing and slowing down. Thankfully i checked my mirrors before coming to a halt and a car was heading straight to my rear at 30mph. had to pin the throttle and cross the lines down the other road just as a cop car was passing. Thankfully i moved far enough out the way but the other car nearly ploughed straight in to the cops. They pulled me over for a statement but that was it.

Sorry to hear, get well soon!