Lucky? Unlucky? Or just stupid? Heebie jeebies after a very minor accident
02-26-19, 08:03 AM
#26
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Consider getting a fwd/rear facing mirror. It's not likely to save you, but it gives a tool in the event of similar events.
I highly recommend https://closecalldatabase.com/ any time there's a near miss, sideswipe, or incident of any kind. If you can get it on video, and it turns out the driver has a history of this behavior, it really makes a difference in convictions and more fitting punishment.
Also, don't forget your helmet, and I would agree with the mirror recommendation. I commute on a recumbent, and one of the downsides of the setup is that it's much more difficult to look back over my should in that position, so I have a left side mirror. I think I'll probably add a helmet mirror soon as well.
I highly recommend https://closecalldatabase.com/ any time there's a near miss, sideswipe, or incident of any kind. If you can get it on video, and it turns out the driver has a history of this behavior, it really makes a difference in convictions and more fitting punishment.
Also, don't forget your helmet, and I would agree with the mirror recommendation. I commute on a recumbent, and one of the downsides of the setup is that it's much more difficult to look back over my should in that position, so I have a left side mirror. I think I'll probably add a helmet mirror soon as well.
02-26-19, 08:05 AM
#27
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I think you were lucky.
I can only share my experience, which is that my glasses mounted mirror really helps. It allows me to see ahead and behind at the same time. When I see a vehicle approaching from behind I can veer further right if possible. But if the car drifts right with me and it looks kinda close, I will wave my left hand to the side behind me like a "get away from me" motion. That seems to work pretty well, but not always.
A couple of times in the last year when I didn't want to take my left hand off the bars I honked my AirZound airhorn. It worked once, and the car backed off...the other time it didn't and really, I don't expect it to.
With my helmet cam I can usually catch the license plate of the driver. I haven't followed up on a close brush yet by calling the police with the license plate, but if I had been touched, as you have been, I would.
I can only share my experience, which is that my glasses mounted mirror really helps. It allows me to see ahead and behind at the same time. When I see a vehicle approaching from behind I can veer further right if possible. But if the car drifts right with me and it looks kinda close, I will wave my left hand to the side behind me like a "get away from me" motion. That seems to work pretty well, but not always.
A couple of times in the last year when I didn't want to take my left hand off the bars I honked my AirZound airhorn. It worked once, and the car backed off...the other time it didn't and really, I don't expect it to.
With my helmet cam I can usually catch the license plate of the driver. I haven't followed up on a close brush yet by calling the police with the license plate, but if I had been touched, as you have been, I would.
https://closecalldatabase.com/
Cheers.
03-09-19, 10:07 PM
#28
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I have my focus at different levels depending on the conditions but riding by bike is overall risky so it's important to remain focused as much as possible when on the road, if I read your comment right.
1. A mirror, preferably a helmet mirror, which allows one to look behind them quicker, is all but a must in my book on most non-rez zone roads in the U.S. for a multitude of reasons.
In a case like yours, having a mirror I believe affords you or any other rider, the opportunity to better see drivers that want to place their short-term gain over your risk of an accident and safety.
2. I do use the Airzound for cars 360 degrees around me..if a car isn't moving over a lane to pass, I might press on it once in a while.
3. Another piece of advice and I might be overthinking it: Do a check on your rear lights from a rear P.O.V. (maybe more important in the shortest 2 months of daytime or so for your commute based on time given of incident). It almost requires someone else to ride your bike or in a secure or locked up to itself and taking a look 15-30 yards away, but find a balance between being noticeable & not hindering a driver's ability to properly see where you are in space. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but it's worth considering when you have the time.
I believe a mirror is far more important than the other two. Driver may have been impaired by a substance, in a hurry, etc.
Safe and happy riding and glad you were not considerably hurt.
1. A mirror, preferably a helmet mirror, which allows one to look behind them quicker, is all but a must in my book on most non-rez zone roads in the U.S. for a multitude of reasons.
In a case like yours, having a mirror I believe affords you or any other rider, the opportunity to better see drivers that want to place their short-term gain over your risk of an accident and safety.
2. I do use the Airzound for cars 360 degrees around me..if a car isn't moving over a lane to pass, I might press on it once in a while.
3. Another piece of advice and I might be overthinking it: Do a check on your rear lights from a rear P.O.V. (maybe more important in the shortest 2 months of daytime or so for your commute based on time given of incident). It almost requires someone else to ride your bike or in a secure or locked up to itself and taking a look 15-30 yards away, but find a balance between being noticeable & not hindering a driver's ability to properly see where you are in space. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but it's worth considering when you have the time.
I believe a mirror is far more important than the other two. Driver may have been impaired by a substance, in a hurry, etc.
Safe and happy riding and glad you were not considerably hurt.
03-14-19, 11:00 PM
#29
Senior Member
Yesterday, I was riding along at about 5:00 o'clock, heading home from work. In my mind (or what passes for it), I was cataloging the times when I'd fallen off my bike--probably because I'd forgotten my helmet that day. All of a sudden, a car sideswipes me and takes off into the dusk.
This was, as you can imagine, a bit of a shock. But no injuries; my little finger is sore. Yet, while this was a fairly minor incident, I have to admit that it has disturbed my mind a bit. After all, my family probably wouldn't appreciate it if, some fine afternoon, I didn't make it home in my current, non-flattened, state.
So I'm wondering: Was I lucky it wasn't worse? Was I unlucky? Or was I just stupid? Granted, you weren't there. (I'm not sure I was all there myself.) It was a two lane road, fairly heavily traveled at that hour. Traffic starts to thin out and pick up in that area: the speed limit is 35mph. I've ridden the same stretch during the evening commute hundreds of times. I was a few feet from the right side of the lane, motorists were changing lanes to go around me. I was running two taillights and wearing a bright yellow jacket.
So give me the benefit of your advice. Should I look for an alternate route? There's a creek running perpendicular to my path that limits the options. The next road north is fairly busy at that hour. I can go further north, use a path over the creek, and avoid most of the traffic, but that probably lengthens my time by about half. Or would a mirror have helped--either by letting me see traffic behind me, or by sticking out a bit further and making my wider (or maybe by scraping up the motorists paint a bit)?
I took the same route home today, just because I didn't feel like it.
This was, as you can imagine, a bit of a shock. But no injuries; my little finger is sore. Yet, while this was a fairly minor incident, I have to admit that it has disturbed my mind a bit. After all, my family probably wouldn't appreciate it if, some fine afternoon, I didn't make it home in my current, non-flattened, state.
So I'm wondering: Was I lucky it wasn't worse? Was I unlucky? Or was I just stupid? Granted, you weren't there. (I'm not sure I was all there myself.) It was a two lane road, fairly heavily traveled at that hour. Traffic starts to thin out and pick up in that area: the speed limit is 35mph. I've ridden the same stretch during the evening commute hundreds of times. I was a few feet from the right side of the lane, motorists were changing lanes to go around me. I was running two taillights and wearing a bright yellow jacket.
So give me the benefit of your advice. Should I look for an alternate route? There's a creek running perpendicular to my path that limits the options. The next road north is fairly busy at that hour. I can go further north, use a path over the creek, and avoid most of the traffic, but that probably lengthens my time by about half. Or would a mirror have helped--either by letting me see traffic behind me, or by sticking out a bit further and making my wider (or maybe by scraping up the motorists paint a bit)?
I took the same route home today, just because I didn't feel like it.
Several of the roads that border, or are near, the town I live in. Are 30mph two-lane blacktops. That can get busy with rush-hour traffic. So, I sort of know the kind of road you are referring to.
03-20-19, 09:05 AM
#31
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switch to the longer, safer route
