A cyclist who was left with multiple serious injuries sustained in a crash caused by a close passing motorist has claimed that the “majority of drivers do not know the rules concerning cyclists on the road”, and says that she now feels “scared” when riding her bike.
Alexia Hall was cycling on Langton Road in Tunbridge Wells, just outside the Spa Hotel, at around 9.30am on Monday 15 December when a driver close passed her at speed, forcing her to the edge of the road, where she hit a pothole.
The 40-year-old mother-of-two, with no space to manoeuvre, lost control of her bike and crashed.
She suffered a broken rib, a jaw fracture, bruising, a bloodied chin, and other facial injuries in the crash, and was taken to hospital by ambulance after being assisted by some passers-by. The driver, however, failed to stop at the scene.
Kent Police are currently investigating the incident, but speaking to road.cc on Friday, Alexia confirmed there have been no updates so far.
Cyclist Alexia Hall in hospital after crashing following a close pass by a driver in Tunbridge Wells (credit: Alexia Hall)
“I hit the pothole that was on the road to avoid the car that overtook me on the right,” she tells road.cc. “The car was right next to me, so I couldn’t move right and was pushed towards the kerb.
“I don’t remember exactly how I fell, just that I suddenly couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe or call for help at first. It was really scary. If I had fallen slightly differently, I could have gone under the car.”
While the close passing motorist carried on driving, three members of the public stopped to help the stricken cyclist, including two women travelling in a car who witnessed the crash, as well as an older man, who called for the ambulance.
However, Alexia says she was unable to speak at the time, and thus failed to obtain their contact details. The cyclist is now calling for any potential witnesses to come forward and share any information they may have with Kent Police.
Since being discharged from hospital on Monday evening, Alexia has returned for further X-rays and checks, while she also underwent emergency dental treatment this week after breaking a tooth in the crash.
“I’m still in lots of pain,” she told road.cc. “But it could have been so much worse.”
“The injuries are having an enormous impact on my life, I cannot go to work and I’m mainly self-employed, so it is going to be a very tough Christmas,” the 40-year-old continued, adding that her injuries have made it difficult to care for her two children, aged seven and 10.
Alexia also says the crash has made her “really scared” of cycling on the roads again. The 40-year-old says she has relied on cycling as her primary mode of transportation for years, and previously owned a cargo bike to take her children to school.
Alexia Hall with her daughters (credit: Alexia Hall)
However, she admits to road.cc that a combination of poor driving, a lack of awareness among motorists of the Highway Code’s rules on cyclists, and terrible road conditions has made cycling increasingly dangerous in the UK.
According to the Highway Code, motorists should leave at least 1.5m space when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
However, Italian-born Alexia, who has lived in the UK for 14 years, notes that British drivers tend to be more impatient and likely to give less space to people on bikes than their European counterparts.
“I’m left feeling really scared of cycling, and I do rely on my bike a lot since I only share a car with other people, I don’t own my own,” she tells road.cc.
“Cars go very fast and pass too close. People see someone on a bike and get annoyed. I’ve been shouted at many times just for cycling on the road. It’s terrifying.”
She called on drivers to better understand the rules of the road surrounding cyclists, and also pointed out that the poor state of the UK’s roads has made navigating them increasingly dangerous for people on bikes.
“I think that the majority of drivers do not know the rules on cyclists on the road, especially the 1.5m space you need to give to overtake a cyclist,” she says.
“It is very scary and too many cyclists die or get very badly injured because of both drivers and horrible road conditions.
“Potholes are incredibly dangerous, and I’m pretty sure we all pay enough in road and council taxes to deserve safe roads.”