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Council deputy leader left-hooked by white van man – while riding in emergency cycle lane

Incident involving Brighton & Hove councillor happened on pop-up cycle lane in Hove, East Sussex

The deputy leader of Brighton & Hove City Council was left-hooked by the driver of a white van as she rode on a segregated bike lane on Old Shoreham Road in Hove. 

Green Party politician Hannah Clare said she fell on her side as a result of the incident which happened at around 10.30 yesterday morning by a Shell petrol station (pictured above), reports The Argus.

She said: “I am still alive after a white van driver decided that a cycle lane was actually a white van man lane and I am a silly cyclist who didn’t realise that.

“The car turned into the lane going into the petrol station and hit me – I fell on my side, but did not fall to the floor.

“They did not shout to see if I was OK,” she added.

“However, another driver did when I reached the traffic lights.”

Councillor Clare wasn’t the only local politician to have encountered an aggressive motorist while out on a bike ride this week.

On Tuesday, we reported how Labour councillor Jo Rigby, who has consistently called on Tory-controlled Wandsworth Council, said she was “done with cycling” after she was driven at by a motorist near Wandsworth Common railway station and had a drink thrown at her.

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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28 comments

Avatar
Sussexcyclist | 3 years ago
4 likes

The incident happned in Hove, which is not in West Sussex. There are 2 separate cycle schemes on the same road (which do not join up!). The West Sussex section is being scrapped for no good reason.

No plans to scrap the section which is in Brighton & Hove, as far as I am aware.

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Jack Sexty replied to Sussexcyclist | 3 years ago
1 like

Apologies for this, story amended. 

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FrankH | 3 years ago
2 likes
Quote:

She said: “I am still alive after a white van driver decided that a cycle lane was actually a white van man lane and I am a silly cyclist who didn’t realise that.

“The car turned into the lane going into the petrol station and hit me – I fell on my side, but did not fall to the floor.

I'm confused. Was the white van driver driving a car, or what? And she fell on her side but her side (apparently) didn't hit the floor?

Strange.

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Rendel Harris replied to FrankH | 3 years ago
2 likes
FrankH wrote:
Quote:

She said: “I am still alive after a white van driver decided that a cycle lane was actually a white van man lane and I am a silly cyclist who didn’t realise that.

“The car turned into the lane going into the petrol station and hit me – I fell on my side, but did not fall to the floor.

I'm confused. Was the white van driver driving a car, or what? And she fell on her side but her side (apparently) didn't hit the floor?

Strange.

I was hit from behind when sitting on my motorcycle at a red light by a driver whose explanation was "I thought the light was going to turn green" (!) - I went down on my left knee and hip but managed to get the bike back up without sprawling across the road, didn't make it any less scary.

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

"Am I really the first commenter in this thread to ask if she was wearing hi-vis? I don't wear a helmet either, but always put a hi-vis vest on. On Brighton's roads I'd rather look a tw4t than not be seen at all for precisely this reason."

Argus comments (of which most have been deleted !)

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Secret_squirrel replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

Cue flaming replies in 5..4..3..2..1.  surprise

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
12 likes

Was the van driver wearing glasses?

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Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
0 likes

Van driver or car driver? Who knows?

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
6 likes

Another one that made me laff:-

Quote:

I just went by car from Dyke Road to West Hove.
There was one cyclist going the same way which turned off at the Drive. In the reverse not one.
OSR cult cyclist lanes are not justified.
On my return there was was a funeral cortege that joined at Boundary Road with horses slowing everyone down.
It was quite humbling to see both sides of traffic slowing down in respect and people walking, doing so as well as it passed.
Meanwhile a female cyclist was determined to go about her way and flew past everyone near B&Q. No slowing down from her.
I wonder if it was this one who loves selfies in this article?

Them bastard invisible cyclists who only turn visible to be disrespectful to a funeral cortege. 

 

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Captain Badger replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
2 likes
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

Another one that made me laff:-

Quote:

I just went by car from Dyke Road to West Hove.
There was one cyclist going the same way which turned off at the Drive. In the reverse not one.
OSR cult cyclist lanes are not justified.
On my return there was was a funeral cortege that joined at Boundary Road with horses slowing everyone down.
It was quite humbling to see both sides of traffic slowing down in respect and people walking, doing so as well as it passed.
Meanwhile a female cyclist was determined to go about her way and flew past everyone near B&Q. No slowing down from her.
I wonder if it was this one who loves selfies in this article?

Them bastard invisible cyclists who only turn visible to be disrespectful to a funeral cortege. 

OSR cult cyclist - wtf's that?

 

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Hirsute replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
3 likes

One Sided Rule

Oh Shit Run

Old School Rules

(I think they mean Old Shoreham Road - maybe the cult is naked photography and semi naked sunbathing)

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brooksby replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
2 likes
Captain Badger wrote:

OSR cult cyclist - wtf's that?

The first few pages of google results are all D&D campaigns...

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Captain Badger replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
6 likes
brooksby wrote:

...

The first few pages of google results are all D&D campaigns...

 

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Captain Badger replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
6 likes

Just don't look too closely at the fork.....

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wycombewheeler replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
3 likes
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

On my return there was was a funeral cortege that joined at Boundary Road with horses slowing everyone down.

one more of the acceptable reasons to slow traffic down, unlike avoiding the risk of turning living cyclists into dead ones.

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Captain Badger replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
4 likes
hirsute wrote:

"Am I really the first commenter in this thread to ask if she was wearing hi-vis? I don't wear a helmet either, but always put a hi-vis vest on. On Brighton's roads I'd rather look a tw4t than not be seen at all for precisely this reason."

Argus comments (of which most have been deleted !)

Where n earth do these people get their ideas? Drivers apparently aren't able to see normal people, they can only see tw4ts.....

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Rendel Harris replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
5 likes
hirsute wrote:

"Am I really the first commenter in this thread to ask if she was wearing hi-vis? I don't wear a helmet either, but always put a hi-vis vest on. On Brighton's roads I'd rather look a tw4t than not be seen at all for precisely this reason."

Argus comments (of which most have been deleted !)

Daily Mail comment, "This is what happens when you introduce cycle scheme without consultation" - 'cos if the van driver had been consulted he would have obeyed the Highway Code?

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wtjs replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

 I don't wear a helmet either

I hesitate to start this one again, but this stance is incomprehensible to at least some of us. Despite being aware of the risk, and taking care, I went down hard on my right side due to ice up on Beacon Fell, Lancashire, on Christmas Eve. Straight down onto hip and shoulder, which must have taken almost all the hit, but I must have bashed my head a bit because the first thing I remember afterwards was saying to someone who must have come up to me: I'll just walk down this bit. I don't remember actually getting up- that's Traumatic Brain Injury. Other injuries pretty painful, and it took me over 3 weeks to recover fully.

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Simon E replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
2 likes
wtjs wrote:

 I don't wear a helmet either

I hesitate to start this one again, but this stance is incomprehensible to at least some of us.

It's not their fault that you don't comprehend something.

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wtjs replied to Simon E | 3 years ago
1 like

Or mine, that you don't.

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ChrisB200SX replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
0 likes
wtjs wrote:

 I don't wear a helmet either

I hesitate to start this one again, but this stance is incomprehensible to at least some of us. Despite being aware of the risk, and taking care, I went down hard on my right side due to ice up on Beacon Fell, Lancashire, on Christmas Eve. Straight down onto hip and shoulder, which must have taken almost all the hit, but I must have bashed my head a bit because the first thing I remember afterwards was saying to someone who must have come up to me: I'll just walk down this bit. I don't remember actually getting up- that's Traumatic Brain Injury. Other injuries pretty painful, and it took me over 3 weeks to recover fully.

Nonsense.
People don't remember all sorts mundane and immemorable tasks.
I've had two TBIs from cars colliding with me. The latter I was totally unconscious for a while. I remember getting up very clearly and the immediate aftermath of both clear as day.
Not remembering something doesn't mean you've suffered a brain injury.

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wtjs replied to ChrisB200SX | 3 years ago
0 likes

I've had two TBIs from cars colliding with me. 

Unfortunately, it appears they have affected your critical faculties and your insight. It's your 'nonsense', sadly, that is nonsense. In the bad old days of crappy Bond books, and other tripe fiction, people would be hit over the head, be unconscious for a while and then get back into action saying it 'was only a bit of concussion'. Now we know better- bashes to the brain don't do it any good; people don't lose consciousness or fail to remember things immediately after heading footballs, but do it a lot and trouble is heading your way. There are degrees of TBI. Wise people take reasonable steps to reduce their chances.

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wycombewheeler replied to ChrisB200SX | 3 years ago
0 likes
ChrisB200SX wrote:
wtjs wrote:

 ........, but I must have bashed my head a bit because the first thing I remember afterwards was saying to someone who must have come up to me: I'll just walk down this bit. I don't remember actually getting up- 

Nonsense. .....

Not sure what the nonsense here is, sounds like pretty textbook concussion, which is about all I'd expect a helmet to protect me from, maybe also a grazed ear.

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Rendel Harris replied to ChrisB200SX | 3 years ago
0 likes

[/quote] Nonsense. People don't remember all sorts mundane and immemorable tasks. I've had two TBIs from cars colliding with me. The latter I was totally unconscious for a while. I remember getting up very clearly and the immediate aftermath of both clear as day. Not remembering something doesn't mean you've suffered a brain injury.[/quote]

Somewhat solipsistic, just because it's your experience doesn't mean it's everybody's. I was knocked out in a rugby game once and the next thing I remember was being in an ambulance; subsequent enquiry revealed I got up almost straight away, insisted I was OK, played the last twenty minutes and then keeled over in the changing room. Can't remember a thing about it.

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wtjs replied to ChrisB200SX | 3 years ago
0 likes

If you are of the opinion that your brain would not have been affected by your skull hitting the ground unprotected, rather than this helmet taking the hit, you may be more right than you think.

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
0 likes
wtjs wrote:

 I don't wear a helmet either

I hesitate to start this one again, but this stance is incomprehensible to at least some of us. Despite being aware of the risk, and taking care, I went down hard on my right side due to ice up on Beacon Fell, Lancashire, on Christmas Eve. Straight down onto hip and shoulder, which must have taken almost all the hit, but I must have bashed my head a bit because the first thing I remember afterwards was saying to someone who must have come up to me: I'll just walk down this bit. I don't remember actually getting up- that's Traumatic Brain Injury. Other injuries pretty painful, and it took me over 3 weeks to recover fully.

Are you sure you ever recovered?
I mean, by your own admission you can't comprehend a very simple personal choice that someone has made.
It appears that you could still be suffering that brain injury you seem to have self-diagnosed.

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wtjs replied to ChrisB200SX | 3 years ago
0 likes

It appears that you could still be suffering that brain injury you seem to have self-diagnosed.

You mean the one you say I didn't have?

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Captain Badger replied to wtjs | 3 years ago
3 likes
wtjs wrote:

 I don't wear a helmet either

I hesitate to start this one again, but this stance is incomprehensible to at least some of us. Despite being aware of the risk, and taking care, I went down hard on my right side due to ice up on Beacon Fell, Lancashire, on Christmas Eve. Straight down onto hip and shoulder, which must have taken almost all the hit, but I must have bashed my head a bit because the first thing I remember afterwards was saying to someone who must have come up to me: I'll just walk down this bit. I don't remember actually getting up- that's Traumatic Brain Injury. Other injuries pretty painful, and it took me over 3 weeks to recover fully.

This particular rider wasn't mountainbiking, and didn't fall off. They were hit and knocked off by an inattentive driver. This could also happen to pedestrians - in fact extrapolating from casualty figures many more people get hit when walking than riding. And of course, many more people still are injured in cars. 

Any rational view of wearing lids would review the environment in association with the activity, and therefore if you are engaging any activity around cars, you "should" wear a lid.

Personally I always do wear a lid whilst riding - even when riding up and down my drive to check brakes/gears, but that's merely habit, and I'm not about to pretend that I'm always taking a rational/moral/considered decision in doing so. 

Last of all, my understanding is that lids do not provide protection against concussive brain injury. I'm not going to plant my flag on this per se, but this might be worth a read

 

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