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news
Motorist hits 12-year-old cyclist (Sussex Police YouTube still)Video: Sussex Police use CCTV footage of motorist knocking 12-year-old girl off bike in safety campaign
Sussex Police are using CCTV footage showing a 12-year-old cyclist being hit by a car as she waits at a junction as part of a new road safety campaign urging drivers to watch out for people on bikes and cyclists to take care around pedestrians.
The footage was taken in 2012 on the A259 in Chichester at the junction with Bognor Road. Luckily, the girl on the bike escaped with nothing more than bumps and bruises.
The motorist, a 41-year-old man, was convicted of driving without due care and attention and was given three points on his licence and ordered to pay £85 costs, an £85 fine and a £20 victim surcharge.
Sergeant Carl Knapp of Sussex Police said: "Fortunately in this case the cyclist escaped with bumps and bruises but it could have been a lot worse.
"Despite being just a few yards away, the car driver completely failed to look for the cyclist.
"It shows how dangerous any one of us can be if we fail to spot and take on board all of the other road users near us.
"This footage shows a car driver to blame but there have equally been incidents where cyclists have been knocked down after pulling in front of vehicles without looking.
"My message to all road users is look once, look twice and then look a third time if you have to - whatever you need to do to make sure you keep yourself and other people safe.
"70% of collisions where cyclists suffer serious harm or are killed happen at junctions.
"I would urge all road users to reflect on this and to take that opportunity to double check their view at junctions before passing through.
"Whether you have right of way or not, by getting a good understanding of the other road users and their position and speed, you are better placed to anticipate and take avoiding action where necessary."
Sussex Police say that four cyclists were killed in East and West Sussex last year, with 145 seriously injured.
The police force has also issued safety advice for both drivers and cyclists:
Safety tips for drivers:
- Look out for cyclists, especially when turning - make eye contact if possible so they know you've seen them
- Use your indicators and signal your intentions so that cyclists can react
- Give cyclists plenty of space when overtaking them, leaving as much room as you would give a car. If there isn't sufficient space to pass, hold back. Remember that cyclists may need to manoeuvre suddenly if the road is poor, it's windy or if a car door is opened
- Always check for cyclists when you open your car door
- Advanced stop lines allow cyclists to get to the front and increase their visibility. You must stop at the first white line reached if the lights are amber or red and allow cyclists time and space to move off when the green signal shows.
Safety tips for cyclists:
- Ride positively, decisively and well clear of the kerb - look and signal to show drivers what you plan to do and make eye contact where possible so you know drivers have seen you
- Avoid riding up the inside of large vehicles, like lorries or buses, where you might not be seen
- Always use lights after dark or when visibility is poor
- Wearing light coloured or reflective clothing during the day and reflective clothing and/or accessories in the dark increases your visibility
- Wear a correctly fitted cycle helmet that is securely fastened and conforms to current regulations.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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71 comments
[[[[[ Thanx, USH, for clarifying...seems like some folks have difficulty seeing what's in front of their noses, rather like the driver in this video.
P.R.
Goodness me. I think that the police officer in question is making some general observations, addressed to 'all road users' encouraging everybody to be alert and aware of others around them, followed by the police force's (i.e. his employer's) guidance for both drivers AND cyclists on how one can take steps to reduce the chance of road accidents. The guidance (and it is guidance) given to all parties seems reasonable. I don't see anything 'outrageous' resembling 'vomit' or 'rubbish' coming from a 'tosser' in any of that. But then I'm not either of you, and I probably have lower blood pressure. Enjoy your ranting and stay safe on the roads - I'm giving up getting involved in this kind of shite again, sticking to the technical articles and bike reviews from now on.
Lawks a' mercy, but I do believe that the policeman was a' addressing o' the cyclists. Or do you be under the folksy impression that he was telling motorists to wear helmets and day-glo tabards?
You could have knocked me down with a motor car.
As mentioned its amazing how hard it is to get your license revoked, have half a beer more and lose it, hit a cyclist and get three points and pass part of the blame onto the cyclist.
That's a nasty collision.
Still, pleasing to see mostly good advice for once. Looking multiple times is critical. About time we had a campaign to get education about saccadic masking into driver training and testing.
Obviously the two usual red herrings make an appearance - it seems there's no chance of research overturning the tide of opinion there.
I know it's probably been discussed on here many times, but I always have issues with the police issuing guidance on reflective clothing and helmets. It can't help but put people off. Why don't they give the same advice to pedestrians?
Also, why is that person still driving? That's such a terrible bit of driving that I can't even begin to imagine why they didn't just have their license removed.
I have no problem with them advising that you should try to be as visible as possible and that might include you considering what you wear. That's good advice.
Helmets provide almost no benefit to road safety whatsoever. Advocating their use is based on voodoo science. They have though become some kind of four leaf clover or rabbits' foot for the superstitious. Religious trinkets like a St Christopher medals are perhaps less popular than they were. I had one as kid and my mum was always there to give me a spalsh of Holy Water on my way out of the house. A double splash for races single splash for ordinary cycling and club runs.
These oldy worldy superstitions have now been replaced by the wearing of a helmet. They even have their own set of blessed miracles to report.
The more life changes, the more it stays the same.
Actually, it seems that they are now doing just that. Only this morning Kent Police issued Twitter advice to pedestrians to wear bright or reflective clothing under the hashtag #playyourpart. They have been given a right beasting about it too.
Oh they've started down that road now too:
https://twitter.com/kent_police/status/461379517400223744
Why is it the Police feel it is appropriate to call for high viz and helmets yet never infrastructure and space for cycling?
Perhaps for similar reasons that rather than address the root cause of acquisitive crime first regardless of cost (poverty, inequality of wealth, drug addiction, a general feeling of disenfranchisement with wider society, nihilistic thrill seeking etc etc..) plod will recommend that to reduce the risk of being burgled you should maybe lock your doors, get a dog or some security lighting etc.
How about punishing the crimes appropriately so that there is a disincentive to do them? In the driving case: Automatic ban for ANY driving offence with the duration dependent on the severity of the offence. Need for retest in any situation that resulted in injury. Confiscation and crushing of vehicles if un-licensed, uninsured, convicted of dangerous driving or death caused.
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