tjspiel

Just wondering how many of us have had collisions and how many were pretty serious.

I wish I would have allowed multiple choice. I've had a few close calls and one minor collision.

My brother recently was injured very seriously, - fractured pelvis. A neighbor of mine was hurt fairly badly a couple of years ago. Needed some pins in his arm.

dynodonn 

I've never had a collision with a car while riding a bike, and I plan to keep it that way.

L.L. Zamenhof

I got right-hooked about 4 months into commuting (Jan 2011). It wasn't too bad for me. Front wheel was destroyed, but that was all the damage to the bike. I got a couple scratches on my right hand and left leg. The vehicle got much more damage from me hitting it. Caved in door, busted side mirror, major scratches.

Nothing since, other than a few close calls.

jyossarian

Every time I've been hit, it was either by a cabbie or limo driver.

El Gigante

I was doored when I was a mere lad many years ago. No damage to car or bike, but my shin hurt like hell where it clipped the side of the open door. Fast forward 30 years, to last month, and I was in a collision with a pedestrian who stepped out in front of me from between two parked cars. He never saw me coming, and I barely had time to get out half a "hey!" before I plowed into him. Neither of us was seriously injured, although I was off the bike for about 3 weeks while all the bumps, bruises, and pulled muscles healed. I didn't heed my own advise that day, (MSTDASY*) and certainly paid the price for letting my guard down.



*Make Sure The Dumb Ass Sees You...

though

A lot of right hooks and I had two more serius incidents. Luckily never crashed.

One was a car trying to make an U turn to left as I was closing to him. He was moving very slowly, I thought he is checking the road and must have seen me but he continued the turn slowly. I didn't want to swerve left in case there might be coming traffic on my back. So I braked but didn't have enough space. Seeing that I may crash his car I took out my right foot to front and kind of bumped my foot to his left headlamp to stop. Otherwise he might have crashed right into my leg. He looked confused and I continued.

Other was a car parked on the right side of the road. It was a two lane one way road. There were some cars parked on the right lane and one of them suddenly jumped on to the road. I don't know what his rush was but he actually came out of his parked space with his tyres screaming. It was very sudden and I was already next to his rear tyre. I swerved to left hoping there are no cars coming behind and I was almost squeezed to left curb by his car. He didn't even pull his foot from gas pedal, just sped away. I saw him stop at the lights down the road. I catched him there. Stopped right next to him. He doesn't even look at me, he was just staring front. He was a young guy. I knocked on his window to roll his window down. He did and I was so angry I just yelled at him for a minute or so then left the scene before the lights turned green.

canyoneagle

Many close calls, less so once I started using active lighting day or night.
One collision, back in 1986 on a solo training ride. I T-boned a car that pulled out of a residential parking lot and went up on the hood. My privates got impaled by my stem (my man unit was pierced all the way through, fortunately off center, or it would have been WAY worse). Not pleasant. Thankfully, that was my only impact, and I hope it remains as such. I did get a nice new fork and wheelset out of the deal, though......

devianb

Once. I was 10 riding my bike with no helmet on the sidewalk past an alley when a car was coming out. Car hit my leg and I fell down. Dusted myself off and and went on my way after reassuring the lady driver that I was indeed fine.

Digital_Cowboy

Back in December I was hit head on while I was sitting at a stop sign at a four-way stop. There was a van on my left going straight through the intersection, to my right was a BMW wanting to make a left turn. Instead of waiting for the van to clear the intersection Mr. BMW driver makes his turn short in front of the van and proceeds to turn into my lane.

Like you my front wheel was destroyed in the process, but knock wood I walked away without so much as a scratch. The "fool" claimed not to have "seen" me. Hmm four CatEye Uno's and a Stella 150l (150 Lumen) headlight on my helmet PLUS a reflective vest, and he claims not to have seen me.

Digital_Cowboy

Thus proving what I've said about how the "door prize" is just one of the dangers that on street, door zone bike lanes pose to cyclists. How many cyclists have to be injured and/or killed before cities/counties/states realize just how dangerous door zone bike lanes are?

ben4345

I don't understand them either. In Portland, you are required to use a bicycle lane if provided. But I am always hugging the far left of that lane just so I can increase my chances of evading that car door.

Seb71

Two minor collisions and one close call. Only the bicycle was damaged (different bicycles).

rekmeyata

Car turned right in front of me so she could park, so I took out her side window with my head, which was helmeted, then I was thrown onto the pavement which in turn dislocated my shoulder. But I was riding within 3 days, and that was only because my bike turned into a pretzel and it needed to be replaced.

krobinson103

Does being rear ended by a 10 tonne dump truck on a motorcycle count? Crusing along and I had to slow for a cleaning machine and the other lane was blocked by faster traffic. Truck plows into the bike making a heck of mess because he was driving too fast, too close. Insurance sorted out the damages and leathers and armor made sure I was unhurt. If I had been wearing cycling gear.... different story.

Steely Dan

does being hit by a city bus count? If so, then yes.

It was fairly serious because my beloved bike was killed, but I miraculously walled away with some minor cuts, bruises, and fractures - no hospital time, but I was off the bike for about 3 weeks to allow the fractures to heal up.

ItsJustMe

I voted "no actual contact" though the one incident that I had I did have contact but no injuries at all, in fact I wasn't knocked down. I veered enough to mostly avoid contact and just pushed off the front bumper with my gloved hand.
This was in dawn light, fairly bright out but not daytime. I was running a 500 lumen front light with full green reflective gear, the car just pulled out from a "yield" where I had the right-of-way. The driver was actually a guy from work and was pretty shaken up about it. I honestly didn't even stop or get very upset, I just pushed off and when he stopped, I had to put a foot down to steady, then I just kept riding. He caught up about 1/2 mile later with his window down, I didn't know who it was and figured he was going to blame me for existing, but he apologized.

kvnrvn

Left cross two weeks ago. Traveling down a bike lane while traffic in the lane was stopped. A van travelling the opposite direction tried to get through a small gap to turn into a parking lot. He saw me coming and stopped directly in front of me. Couldn't stop in time and rammed the side of his van. Bruised shoulder, no bike damage. Big dent in the side of the van. He probably couldn't see me since the stalled traffic was blocking his view.

ItsJustMe

As I've said many times, "I didn't see you" is not an excuse, it's an admission of being incompetent to operate a vehicle on public roads.

fietsbob

Someone opened the door as I turned the corner after climbing,
[It was San Francisco]
so, .. very little momentum, at the time. '87ish..

Andy_K 

I've had one incident with actual contact with a vehicle that actually ended up being fairly minor (just needed a new front wheel and a long conversation with my wife). I had another incident in which I managed to stop before hitting the car that right-hooked me but in the process flipped myself over the handlebars and slammed into the pavement, spraining both elbows pretty badly. I rode home that day, but by dinner time couldn't get food to my mouth without help and ended up being off the bike for about three months while my elbows healed.

Andy_K 

This is what I don't understand about all the city folks saying that the suburbs are worse for biking. Out here our bike lanes run almost exclusively along the curb, not beside parked cars. Bike lanes like that work. Bike lanes next to parked cars suck.

BTW, about the law forcing you to use a bike lane where one exists....

We'd probably lose quite a few cases, but I think cyclists should push this particular issue with regard to door zone bike lanes.

genec

Been hit 3 different times... one was a left hook, behind me, so I didn't see it... bent the rear triangle of the bike and the rear wheel... bruises and scratches to me. One was a right hook... tweaked fork and front wheel... minor scratches for me. The last was a motorist who stopped and then went at a stop sign. I had ROW and was moving at over 20MPH. Big dent in the front fender of the car, pretzeled the bike... I was taken unconscious to the hospital, woke up several hours later. Held for observation, later had facial surgery for large gashes and did physical therapy... the latter for my back. BTW the motorist was ticketed for failing to yield ROW and the police were very cooperative.

HardyWeinberg

Kept me off the bike more because the bike was mangled than me but I did have a year of chiropractor followups

ckaspar

"Oooh, I get a shiny new fork and wheel set and I can pee in three directions." Sorry, I cringed when I read the post and had to make a joke or I would be dwelling on it all day and imaging the pain.

**And now back to our regularly scheduled program**

groovestew

Plate with 9 screws in my wrist thanks to a collision back in September. Bike totaled, still putting together a new one.