My car has just been side-swiped by a cyclist who ran a red light at a crossroads(as I was moving forward on green). Unfortunately there are no independent witnesses to the lights - however, the lights do appear to have red-light cameras.
Two questions;
1) Can I use the lack of a penalty notice (as I'm sure the lights were green) as evidence that the lights were in my favour? I've written to the council asking if the camera was operational.
2) Would a cyclist passing a red light trigger a camera, or do they only respond to cars?
any opinions appreciated....there's no suggestion of personal injury, however the cyclist is angling for money for repairs.
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1: Good idea and proof in itself!
2: I've never seen a push biker trigger the traffic cam, but could be wrong. For the rocrod I see push bikers abuse the traffic light sytem every day in their dozens.
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And a large number of motorised yobs also: be fair!
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Hello, If a Gatso, a sufficiently large metal object passing over the induction loop which is immediately after the stop line while the light is red will trigger the camera. There will be a second flash one second later. If it flashed you would have noticed, they are very bright even during the day. Many do now have video in them (if not all) this is relayed digitally to the national movement control centre. However, the data is not for use in incidents such as yours.
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Is there any damage to your vehicle?
Kevin...
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cyclists dont have insurance, my thought was that car drivers insuance foot the bill for accidents withthem regardless of blame. hope iam wrong.
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No, even when it's patently the car driver's fault they simply have to deny it and their insurance company sticks by them. Then it all comes out messily in court.
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Hi - thanks for all this. There was damage to my car - a long and deeply indented scratch along one door (gouged by the brake lever) which I would rather live with than take the insurance hit. Certainly no flash from the camera - but then of course I would need to know if it was operational. I would have accepted it as one of those things if the guy had simply apologised rather than insisting that he was in the right. I'm as prone to errors of judgement as the next man but in this particular case I have an absolutely clear memory of the lights changing to green before I moved off.
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Some cyclists do have insurance, although probably not the deliberate red light running sort.
There is a possible valid defense for the cyclist here. I'll not give it, as this is a public forum but I'd hope a broker would think of it.
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Dosn't matter whether he is insured or not-if it's his fault he has to pay up!!
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There is a possible valid defense for the cyclist here. I'll not give it, as this is a public forum but I'd hope a broker would think of it.
There is no defence for a driver of an emergency vehicle who causes an accident when going through a red light. I would be interested to here how a cyclist who does the same thing would have one.
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www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp
You could claim online if you have the cyclist's name and address. You fill in the forms online, and pay around £30-80 (depending on amount of claim)
and a court form gets sent to the cyclist asking them to state whether they accept the cliaim and will pay, or would rather dispute all or part, and they have a month to file a defence, then it will go to small claims court. I have used this 7 times now, usually against large useless corporations with 0870 callcentres such as utilities providers. If the cyclist doesn't respond within 14 days, you can have a judgment made by default.
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Thanks Ashok - that's useful info and I do have the name and address - although I don't think in the absence of more tangible proof or witnesses I'd take it further just in case - as slidingpillar implied - me being in the right doesn't mean that he was in the wrong. (oversimplified I know - but you get the idea). I'll report back if the council comes up with anything useful.....
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If the cyclist has home insurnace then he will almost certainly have cover for legal liability which should cover an accident he causes on his bike!
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Bikes do trigger camaras(speed) we regulaly trigger one in Germany near my house.
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>.Bikes do trigger camaras(speed) we regulaly trigger one in Germany near my house.<<
It depends entirely on what type of camera it is.
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>>It depends entirely on what type of camera it is.
Oh come on Adam, surely it depends on how fast you pedal. There again I would love to see you doing 30 on a bicycle, let alone 40!
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Are you trying to call me overweight?!?
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In Leeds it takes two of us riding abreast pedalling like nutters downhill with a following wind to set off the speed camera. This is on mountain bikes mind, and 40mph on one of those is frankly terrifying. Thank heavens for 5 inches of suspension for the potholes in the road!
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>>Are you trying to call me overweight?!?
Who mentioned weight? I remember the once and only time I hit 30mph on my mountain bike (according to the speedo). My eyes were streaming and it also felt too fast to be on 2 wheels on a busy public road going slightly downhill - hence never again. So to see you do 40mph would be something worth seeing. Go on give it a try to get to 30mph, I know you will find that difficult enough Adam.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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>>I was only joking Rog!
Adam, I was deadly serious! I feel sure many other BR's would love to see it as well. I would probably drive all the way from Kent just to see it.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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>>It depends entirely on what type of camera it is. Oh come on Adam, surely it depends on how fast you pedal. There again I would love to see you doing 30 on a bicycle, let alone 40! -- Roger I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
In Paignton, Devon, I slowed as a 40 became a 30, followed by a speed camera, only to see a cyclist hurtle past the speed camera at 40. (I had recorded him doing 40 according to my speedo, so probably more like 35.)
Leif
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Some cyclists do have insurance, although probably not the deliberate red light running sort. There is a possible valid defense for the cyclist here. I'll not give it, as this is a public forum but I'd hope a broker would think of it.
I can think of a possible legal reason for the cyclist doing what he did. Of course it depends on the exact circumstances and not being there I cannot say if it is valid.
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I can't think of any legal reasons that allow someone to jump a red light.
I suppose there is the possibility that he couldn't stop in time.
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If the junction is a minor road crossing a wide major road (there's one by me on the A56 that is 3 lanes in each direction plus filter lanes either side) Might it be possible for the lights to be green in favour of a cyclist as they begin accross the junction - and if they are slow for the lights to have changed in favour of crossing cars before they reach the other side...?
I seem to remember (but I haven't checked this) that I was taught that green light meens 'proceed if it is clear to do so'. If there is a cyclist on the junction then it wasn't clear to proceed.
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I can't think of any legal reasons that allow someone to jump a red light. I suppose there is the possibility that he couldn't stop in time.
Nor can I apart from an emergency, but then again, who in their right mind would jump a light on a push bike. But as Smallfish indicates there is at least one legal reason why a cyclist might be in the junction when opposing lights turn green.
Leif
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