Video: London cyclist sent flying as motorist drives through mini-roundabout

A motorist in South London has filmed the moment a cyclist negotiating a mini-roundabout was sent flying from their bike after another driver approached the junction without slowing down, and apparently without seeing the rider.

The driver of the car with the dashcam recording the footage on Sunday stops at the broken line at the Whitehorse Road entrance to the roundabout in Thornton Heath.

But to the right, another motorist doesn’t even appear to brake as she enters the junction from Whitehorse Lane and, before driving across the white-painted circle that denotes the mini-roundabout, hits the cyclist.

The rider is tossed onto the bonnet of the silver car by the impact before landing on the ground, while the motorist gets out to check on their condition then returns to the vehicle, possibly to retrieve a mobile phone.

The extent of the cyclist’s injuries is unclear. While they are able to move their upper body, they remain seated on the ground. The driver posting the footage to YouTube has not said if it has been passed to the police.

The incident bears the hallmarks of the type of SMIDSY – Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You – collsion or near miss that is all too familiar to cyclists on Britain’s roads, and also highlights that contrary to the rules of the road, many drivers negotiate mini-roundabouts as though they were normal junctions.

Under Rule 185 of the Highway Code, drivers are told:

When reaching the roundabout you should

give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights
check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining
watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all
look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off.

Rule 187 says that at roundabouts, motorists must “In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to … cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout. Allow them to do so.”

Mini-roundabouts are governed specifically by Rule 188, which says: “Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass round the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so. Remember, there is less space to manoeuvre and less time to signal. Avoid making U-turns at mini-roundabouts. Beware of others doing this.”