How's that for Olympic Legacy?

"White vans" are a menace, they should all be forced by insurers to have on-board black boxes and cameras.

Lifetime bans from driving wouldn't go amiss either.

Apparently it was a white Astra, not a van. The story has been upated.

Press are reporting that it was a woman driver, so the WVM theory is out of the window. SMIDSY, as in sorry mate, I couldn't be arsed to look properly so just shot out as there was nothing smaller than a Range Rover in my line of vision.

Fingers crossed Brad makes a full recovery.

This was so nearly me a week ago. Approaching a junction whilst on a main road during the late afternoon (yellow Night Vision jacket and lights on), a driver sees me coming and decides to come out of a side road anyway, causing me to run into his front wheel.

When I ask if he has eyes, he actually has the temerity to reply, "Do you?"!!! So I was at fault for him disobeying the Give Way markings, for him driving out in front of me, and for causing a collision? Unbelievable. Luckily for him, I had a flight to catch after getting home for dinner or I would have called the police.

The kind of driver who disobey the law "because it's only a cyclist" need to be eradicated. Obviously it's too early to say if the driver was entirely at fault as in my case, but if Brad had a support van behind him the odds are that he was clearly visible. I do hope he was wearing reflectives and had lights on though. We don't want bad drivers getting off on a technicality.

There are SO many crap drivers our there, it's a wonder there aren't more incidents! What's needed are two things .... Much tougher driving instruction before anyone gets a licence, and much tougher sentences and fines for poor driving ... as that's the only things which will make bad drivers think at least once ..... but maybe never twice .... as they clearly lack the brain power (as exemplified by the tale above re the driver who pulled out in front of the guy)!

@antmills - there are so many crap riders out there as well. Good drivers and pedestrians have to constantly be on the lookout for crap riders doing stuff such as the following - disobeying traffic lights, mounting pavements, weaving through stationary traffic, no hand signals, poor road positioning when turning, lack of lane discipline on roundabouts, and the list goes on. I believe that riders should also have instruction regarding riding on the highway. When I'm riding I look out for bad driving and when I'm driving I look out for bad riding. I'm not saying I'm perfect - but I'm pretty close ;)

Why not link the punishment for careless or dangerous driving to the severity of injury caused to the victim? That way the fine/ban/sentence if you cause an accident is likely to be much higher if the injured party is a vulnerable road user like a cyclist, pedestrian or mobility scooter user.

The other thing on this that really gets my goat is the ethusiasm the police show for prosecuting speeding offences when there's no victim compared to their disinterest in prosecuting dirvers in cases like this. As you may have guessed I recently got caught by a mobile speed camera doing 37mph in an 30mph zone, the van was stationed about 100m from the end of a 40mph zone & had to attend a course costing £80. I accepted it was a fair cop ;_) but what really p****ed me off at the time was that I'd got knocked off in traffic by someone opening their car door without looking a few weeks prior to having to go to this course & despite the driver's insurance company admitting liability immediately the local police showed no interest in prosecuting the even though there's no defence in law for opening a car door into the path of another vehicle.

I would hope the driver get's prosecuted in this case, no doubt they are genuinely upset at causing this accident but until the police begin prosecuting this sort of thing regularly it just becomes a bit of an insurance issue & the only pain for the drive is a higher premiums for a few years.

@pj101

I often hear that argument about cyclists going through red lights and mounting pavments, but the difference is this, if a cyclists goes through a red light or over a pavement theres not much chance he/she are going to kill anybody.

If a car goes through a red light or mounts a pavement there's a good chance they can kill someone and end their life.

Bit of a daft comparison you are making really, as ive never known a cyclist to inflict more damage to a car in an accident.

@pj101

Absolutely nothing wrong with "weaving through stationary traffic" it's perfectly legal & a good way of getting yourself into a safer, more visible position when in heavy traffic - to put that into the same bracket as charging along ther pavement or jumping red lights is laughable...

Having spent five years commuting on a bike on busy roads day and night, my opinion is that a few things need to happen to rid the road of disregard for other road users and the lives of them.

Segregation of road users just is not the answer. It creates 'them and us' attitudes and a conflict mindset. Cycle lanes.... I don't agree with them for this reason. It can give the cyclist a false sense of security and often inflate their feeling of position and right on the road, as well as be a source of frustration for others when the see sections of roads they cannot use. It's not right but it is simply a fact of the matter. Integrate road users and make everyone feel they have as much right as the next person to be there.

But along with this legislation also has to change to give every road user that same status on the road. The law HAS to be utterly explicit and it has to say 'If you injure or kill another road user, regardless of their mode of transport, due to operating your vehicle without due care and attention you will be subject to these judicial sentences and punishments'. And it has to apply to everyone. This sentencing at the discretion of judges is no deterrent or incentive for people to drive more carefully. If you get into/ onto your vehicle every time KNOWING that if you drive with deliberate disregard for someone's life will result in a jail term then I'm pretty sure you'd see a big improvement in the courtesy shown to one another on roads. From all users.

It's my view and I accept people will utterly disagree with me, and I'm not saying this was the cause of Wiggin's accident either, but it relates to the experience of others, and myself, here. Both in terms of been on the receiving end of bad driving, total disregard for one's life and atrocious behaviour from the likes of fellow cyclists to name but a few.

Something has to change to make people at least curb their total lack of regard for the life of others on the roads.

Apparently the driver, Mrs Armstrong, said she was very sorry....

Get well soon Wiggo!Happened to me on Monday afternoon. A woman pulled out without giving way, cutting across my path as I was cruising along at about 22 mph. I smashed into the side of her car, hitting my shoulder and head.I got the default "you just came batting along out of nowhere, I didn't see you!" response. I asked her if she'd admit that to the police to which her male passenger started to get slightly aggressive and intimidating. To be fair, she was apologetic and contrite. There were witnesses but in the shock and confusion I just wanted to get out of there. I decided to phone the police afterwards but only had a partial reg number. I'm now off work with a fractured collar bone and wished I'd made a claim against her insurance. Not for the money but to hike up her premium to make her think twice and hopefully price her off the road. It's really shaken me up and I'm not sure if I want to return to the sport. Attitudes in this country towards cyclists stink.A.

Hope you make a quick and full recovery Andrew.

Whilst I'm not excusing the driver's actions in Wiggo's case, I cant help thinking the placement of the road sign in the above photo is hardly sensible, assuming that's the exit of the garage we're seeing. It would be far better situated AFTER the exit, preventing any hint of obstructed vision.

Watch out if you're cycling/driving or walking in Luton Bedfordshire: virtually everyone ignores Give Way signs. I'm constantly having to dodge cars coming out of side turnings or onto roundabouts, or going through red lights. Today I was almost run over, and I was in the middle of the pavement!

Cycle lanes alongside roads are hopeless, as you have to give way at every side road, unlike riding on the road, where at least legally, you have right of way. Plus they are usually pavements which run too close to people's drives, so they don't have a chance to see you before pullong out!

The incident took place at 18:00 pm so it would have been dark ... Wiggo would have had lights, so how could anyone fail to see him?

Wishing Bradley a speedy recovery. His injuries are painful, and finger joints take FOREVER to heal.

Andrew, that sucks, but I think that attitude is universal. A lot of people think we are a self-righteous and high-and-mighty lot, but I find that most real cyclists are pretty cool and easy going. I had the misfortune of the same type of thing about 20 years ago. Luckily, I was not injured too badly, but I still have scars on my face from the incident.

You should have filed a report just to help you deal with the medical bills, because you will have some. The accident trauma will probably affect her enough to be more aware, but you need to recover physically. A car and a bike can be replaced, but fixing a person is much more difficult and costly.

When I see someone about to pull out, I make sure to slow down until I make eye contact. I find that if I can look them in the eye, then I know they are aware of my presence and won't be stupid. However, if they never make eye contact with me, I will sometimes come to a complete stop until they go, because I know they are oblivious.

@ anyone saying a cyclist hitting someone won't kill them, a cyclist hitting a pedestrian at over 15 mph can actually kill the pedestrian. I have seen this happen. We need to obey the laws as much as anyone. Running lights or stop signs is dangerous, which is why the law is there. Sure, if a car hits a bike that ran the red light, the bike won't really hurt anyone, but now there's an accident and someone risked a life unnecessarily. Weaving through traffic is plain stupid. While whitelining is legal, it should be practiced with caution. After all, who cares who was correct when you're dead?

My prediction is the car driver will get off scot-free like the coach driver who killed two cyclists two years ago: "Didn't see him, Your Honour; must have been blinded by the sun."

Know that junction and garage well and its an accident blackspot. Possibly the worst designed junction and the worst place to put a petrol station in the North west. It doesnt help that people seem to spend more time looking at a mobile screen than they do looking out of the windscreen these days. When was the last time the police gave a damn about mobile phone use in the car.

I hope Bradley and His trainer are well, and recover without permanent injury.

I was in a similar accident when a woman driver decided to cut across me at a junction, she had to stop as the side road she was hoping to go down was blocked with traffic,she knew exactly what she was doing as we briefly had eye contact, I slammed into her car and now have permanent spinal injuries.

This was 12 years ago and has totally ruined my life,I pursued her in the courts and received a 50/50 decision as she said I had gone through a RED LIGHT and was on drugs or something!

The court system failed me as her insurance firm paid out for a top barrister, but I fought hard and the judge accepted that she had taken my right of way, I got £3500 and my solicitors firm got £10,000..............Tramadol daily and only able to manage a little bit of cycling for fun although it hurts........drivers need to understand how this behaviour affects cyclists.

Interesting article here for anyone who has a thing about dangerous cyclists: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607. Apparently 99% of pedestrians injured in road accidents managed it without a cyclist being involved. (Yes I know it would be wonderful if the figure was 100%). Nuff said...

@Daithi I'm afraid you will find the Police do not prosecute people, that is the job of the Crown Prosecution Service and the Courts. Speak to any Police Officer and I'm sure you will find that they also are annoyed that alot of cases are not taken to court or sufficient punishments handed out.

When there is a incident between two road users it is almost impossible to determine who is at fault as it is a case of one persons word against the others unless you happen to have a raft of witnesses all willing to give up their time to give statements and attend court. Perhaps if the average Joe Bloggs were willing to do this rather than walk on by and claim they didn't see anything then more cases would end up in court.

Hope Bradley recovers fully and swiftly!

@ArtattackI don't think it's a daft comment at all. It puts someone in a position they're not meant to be in and causes other people to be on the lookout for them and take evasive action. I've not for once said that a cyclist jumping a light or being on a pavement can inflict the same damage as a car doing likewise. What I've said is it's stupid and means that other people have to be on the lookout for said stupid people.@mcj78I've not put anything in the same bracket as anything else. I've just list bad behaviours that can be dangerous to other people and cause accidents.The bike might not cause the damage, the vehicle swerving to avoid the bike will though. I think the highway code should be obeyed by all on the highway.

We're following this story with interest because we're running a campaign to get the UK to #keepcycling this winter. What do you want to celebrate or change about it? Head to keepcycling.n0tice.com to share your thoughts on it and inspire others to stay on their bikes.

Get well soon Bradley!