I’m trying to figure out what the best way to go from here is. On the 10th I got cut off - car turned into me causing me to veer right and hit a curb (flying 10-15’, hitting asphalt, damaged bike, me, etc). What happened to me or my bike though isn’t the issue here, the issue is how can we be better perpared for other’s carelessness?
I just replied to someone on the forum about riding in a certain area and that it might not be “safe”, but where I was last week, it advertises itself as “bike safe” and “bike friendly”. Problem is, it’s not the bikes we need to worry about, it’s not even the cars, it’s the drivers in the cars who for one reason or another, don’t care, don’t pay attention, or just are having a bad day.
How do other cyclists, specifically those who’ve been hit, forced off the road and crashed, etc. deal with it afterwards?
I’ve got a friend who rides with a gun (he has a license to carry). I’m thinking of adding a camera to the aero bars so if this happened again, I’d at least be able to prove it…if the cop even wrote something down on paper…but it’s just frustrating and was curious to see what others did.
< how can we be better perpared for other’s carelessness? >>
I was the victim of an inattentive driver, left leg broken in 10 places and still in phys therapy 2+ yrs later. Probably won’t ever run below 9 min miles although cycling seems to be fine. Tear in rotator cuff and shoulder also problems but generally ok.
Took me two full years to get comfortable riding again, white trucks still scare me, darkened windows scare me and in general intersections scare me. Some conversations about PSTD with someone who understands it also helped.
My most helpful solution is riding in a group - I feel safer, I think drivers see groups better, I know someone is around if there’s an accident. That is not always practical for me, especially as I ride mid mornings when most of my friends are at work, yesterday I rode 2 hrs alone.
I don’t listen to music, I look over my shoulder a lot, I watch vehicles at intersections, but there’s only so much you can do if a driver is impaired, inattentive or texting on a cell phone. The rewards even with the risks are still greater than avoiding risk and just sitting on the couch.
Gun is not the answer though, I agree with that. A frame pump upside the head, however, might be another story…
Cut off several times too.
You gotta lean into the car if you don’t have away out. Curb is bad!
HAve this exit-plan ready when you ride.
Which brings me to:
Always have a plan B at intersections.
Otherwise:
No headphones, no new equipment on hard or “busy” rides.
Riding super defensively in urban areas. If a car looks “sketchy”, I slow down and look for an exit.
I only turn it up on the open road or on a circuit where I know it has light traffic and I can only make right turns at each and every intersection.
If you think you only have to watch for cars you are wrong. Pedestrians and even fellow cyclists can bring you down too.
That is why group riding doesn’t really help where I ride.
On the rides around here there are always “drop-ins” who can’t ride a straight line… or packed too much Testo in the morning.
I only go out as a group with a limited number of “friends” I know to have “good habits” and ride responsibly (not running lights, slowing down at intersections etc. pp.).
We do get “Testos” latching on for a “squirt challenge”, but normally just ignore them, since they blow through the first red light we encounter.
Otherwise:
Head always on a swivel.
Experience certainly helps (to some extend).
Hope you heal well and don’t give up riding on the road.
Thankfully, I had a deputy show up who knew our local laws and how to apply them. He cited the teenage driver who was using her cell phone for “distracted driving.” Also thankfully, her parents had very good insurance. So I bought the farm … literally. With the insurance settlement, I moved out to the country where I can do 50 mile rides and count the number of cars I see on one hand.
I still do plenty of group rides in town with my friends. I feel like my antennae are more sensitive now. My eyes are always roving. When training, I always use a mirror to see behind, too.
I feel the opposite from SP in AZ regarding riding in groups. I see too much bad group riding behavior and I don’t like to be a part of that. I think it aggravates drivers and makes them more hostile towards cyclists. When I ride alone, I stay as far to the right as possible, but I’ll claim the lane if I need to for safety. I signal my intentions. I try to be very considerate of motorists.
I’m always astounded at the riders I see on roads I wouldn’t ever consider riding on. They’ll say they have a right to ride there. Well … sure they do. That doesn’t mean it isn’t stupid. I pick my routes carefully and alway take the road less traveled.
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“How do other cyclists, specifically those who’ve been hit, forced off the road and crashed, etc. deal with it afterwards?”
Excellent question, and one ask frequently on this forum and is important enough that it begs a considered response each time it is asked as the answer may literally save the life of a fellow Slowtwitcher.
First, You mention some couontermeasures such as a camera or a gun. These are neither practical as an effective countermeasure nor as a means of defense, both could represent a significant hazard to the user and to others in the area in the event of a gun, which in most areas, thankfully, isn’t lawful for carry.
Your greatest ally is a high degree of situational awareness. Good cyclists do know the routes they commonly ride, the traffic patterns, the “hot” spots where lanes merge, cars come into lanes, cars turn onto and off of the route. They know the best hours to ride these routes for minimal interaction with traffic. They ride defensively by asserting their position in the road but not provoking motorists by doing so- a delicate balancing act. They are also courteous to drivers even while being assertive and do not react to drivers who attempt to provoke them. Drivers always win. Whether in a collision, a court case or an argument that ends with police intervening, drivers always win.
Additionally, empathy toward drivers is important. While this seems counterintuitive (“Let’s get those nasty, car driving, pollution making, gas guzzling nare-do-wells!”) it is very important. Drivers, through little fault of their own, are poorly equipped to deal with cyclists on the road. They have received no formal instruction about how to interact with cyclists, they do not know how we will behave on the road, they don’t know what laws do or don’t apply and they are often unnerved by us even being in the road. Has a motorist ever shouted, “Get up on the sidewalk with that thing where you belong!” at you? Ever cyclist has experienced that. The driver did not recieve a block of instruction in driver’s ed that taught them appropriate interaction with cyclists “sharing the road”.
I’ll echo what some of the others have said about riding defensively and situational awareness. I have been hit once by an inattentive driver (luckily I wasn’t hurt) and have also had a bad crash where I was seriously hurt. I am always looking ahead at intersections, driveways, car doors etc and I try to ride on less travelled roads whenever possible. It is hard getting your head screwed back on straight after going through something like that but the best thing is to get back out there and ride. Even if a road is “safe” just try to be aware of everything around you at all times. Good luck.
Once on my commute home while waiting at a stoplight, the driver in the car next to me sneezed, and I said “bless you”. He smiled and waved back, and when the light turned green, he let me go ahead of him (there was a car parked in the bike lane ahead and he could tell I had to go out into traffic to get around it). Not that there’s a moral to that story, I just think it’s a nice little anecdote.
I live and ride in a busy city (DC), and I find that drivers are usually trying to cooperate with bikers, even if just to avoid getting in an accident. Don’t look for trouble, and trouble won’t find you - its kept me crash-free for as long as I’ve been riding knock on wood. There are mistakes like misjudging stopping distances, how fast a cyclist is going, or how much room he/she needs; but, in all except the most extreme of road rage cases, the cyclist is not inculpable. The onus is on both the driver and the cyclist to remain safe on the roads.
“How do other cyclists, specifically those who’ve been hit, forced off the road and crashed, etc. deal with it afterwards?”
Excellent question, and one asked frequently on this forum and is important enough that it begs a considered response each time it is asked as the answer may literally save the life of a fellow Slowtwitcher.”****
In that light, I respectfully suggest that this is a time for introspection having recently bounced off the side of a car going around 25 mph. My wreck never should have happened and was a cross between the Law of Big Numbers, Murphy’s Law, Shit Happens, and anything and everything will occur sooner or later. Or, it was a million in one shot - but of course, a million in one shot happens probably a million times a day. Otherwise stated, its not if, its when, and its our job to reduce those odds as much as possible.
I was lucky and walked away with road rash and some sprained body parts. I didn’t miss a workout but had to ride the trainer for about 6 weeks because I couldn’t change a flat if I had to.
While the wreck involved a completely ridiculous and unpredictable act by the driver it was ultimately my fault because I made a bad judgment call and stayed down on the bars and momentarily took my eyes off him because I consciously decided he was harmless and that I would be past him in 2 seconds. If I had been shown a video tape of what I was going to ride into before I went down the street and asked the question whether I should have come up out of the tribars while passing the car I would have said no given the totality of the circumstances and the infinitesimal chance of an accident. Oops, the car was hard but the concrete was harder.
It took me about 3 days to decide I screwed up. The first 3 days it was his fault and in a comparative negligence state a cold and conservative assessment still puts it 85% on his shoulders. But a cooler mind revealed I was not adequately allowing for irrational behavior. When I returned to the road (without any trepidation for some reason) it became even more obvious that I had been setting myself up for a completely random and irrational accident for about the past 5000 miles. My riding style was just too aggressive in retrospect. The changes I have made in my riding are very small but I think they are extremely significant in terms of increased safety.
I do not ascribe to you any of my defects that led to my wreck. I went into detail merely to make you think about your riding style if it is appropriate to do so. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.
Ride long, ride hard, and be safe. Oh yeah, buy Ti, you can ride it home after the accident. Best.
If you think you only have to watch for cars you are wrong. Pedestrians and even fellow cyclists can bring you down too.
Good point on the pedestrians.
I avoided a pedestrian ( clipped his shoulder , I think ) and went down at 35-40km/hr on Boxing Day.
Tore ( left ) adductor longus , gracilis ,damaged inguinal ligament and ring , lower abs and left hip-flexor. Minimal road rash ,but did have a concussion requiring a night in the hospital. Still can’t run properly , but have started 2 weeks ago. Feels like I am running with a gut , which I don’t have.
To answer the OP and as has been said previously:
ride defensively.
do Not use aerobars near intersections or in environments that “could” require emergency manoevers.
be considerate to drivers , do not hog the lane , but also do not squeeze yourself into a tight space. Allow space for movement , if required.
Always wear a helmet and never wear headphones unless in the middle of nowhere and even then on low with only one ear plugged in.
I live and train in one of the most densely populated cities / countries in the world and have a fair amount of experience riding in traffic.