A cyclist, who was left with injuries and a broken bike after being hit by a van driver who did not give way at a junction, is disappointed with the police action.
Rob McGibbon was cycling to work on the outskirts of Leeds when he was hit by a van driver. He sustained bruising to his right forearm, coccyx, right thigh, left calf and a cut on his right forearm.
His bike has been written off for a bent frame. There was also damage to the left crank, a broken saddle, pannier rack, light and mirror.
The van driver was sent on a driving improvement scheme for driving without due care and attention. The footage captured by Rob shows the van pulling out from a junction as he cycled past.
It “hardly seems a deterrent at all,” Rob told road.cc. “Operation SNAP do that for just a close pass, not running into someone.”
Rob also emphasises his visibility. He was travelling into the sun, and was travelling relatively slowly as he had just stopped at a pedestrian crossing.
“The weather was clear and dry. I had a front light and 3 rear lights, a fluorescent orange helmet, reflective gloves and a high vis cycle clip on the driver’s side. He still managed to drive into me. He stopped at the scene and was very apologetic.”
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
He was also disappointed by the response of the insurance company.
“A month on, I am left with a broken bike and no sign of a payout from the vehicle’s insurer. In fact, it took 3 weeks before they even acknowledged I had made a claim.”
The company that owned the van would not forward a claim reference to the cyclist after they had contacted the insurer.