BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Hit once, in 2008, at 8:10 AM when a driver broadsided me while turning into a driveway. Bike was totaled, I broke a thumb, had a concussion, and had stitches on my face and my knee.

I rode a lot when I was a kid, and started riding a lot again in 2004. I average 3000 miles per year, between group rides, charity rides, and commuting.

I'd never been in an accident that was not my fault until last year, when I was coming down Rte 48 in Pitcairn to a stop light. The road there is three lanes, turning left, going straight, and turning right, and my lane, turning right was clear. The other two lanes were backed up waiting for the light. I was going say 15-20 mph when a car, coming from the opposite direction and crossing through a gap in the two backed up lanes, suddenly appeared in front of me, maybe 10-15 feet away. I slammed into the passenger side door, hitting my body from my shoulder down pretty evenly, bouncing off onto the street. I was badly winded and bruised but broke nothing and didn't hit my head. The ultimate result was fork was finished. Their insurance paid for a nice new frame.

Three times:

1. Hit by a cab, back when the East Side development was a car wash and a yellow cab HQ. Slow-motion broadside. The driver was apologetic, and I received a check from the cab company for damages.

2. Nearly broadsided during an alleycat, while riding with Brad, among others. I was unscathed, but bent my front wheel when I went into a curb trying to avoid a car going rather quickly in reverse.

3. Doored (does it count?) on Centre Avenue.

While in all three cases, the driver was at fault, I know I probably could have (and should have) avoided the incidents, too.

I've been riding for a very long time, and commuting regularly since the late 1990s.

After reading the other tread I am wondering how common are bike vs car accidents and is it a "only matter of time" kind of accident. I have only been riding since 2008 so I'm have yet to even have a significant close call.

hit once that i know of (i once arrived at work with a concussion and no really clear idea of how i got it. i don't believe it was a car accident, but i don't actually have any memory of it).

i was just leaving work and excited to get on a bike ride, so i immediately started hammering, and was headed down liberty outbound through the millvale intersection. going maybe 20 mph or so. a minivan turned in front of me, i slammed on the brakes but it was too late for them to do anything useful, and i bounced off the side, leading with my shoulder. sprained acromioclavicular joint, and remarkably no damage to the bike. the driver said he didn't see me.

I did not feel either was my "fault" but had I been more alert/ defensive they both could have been avoided.

this. if i had been paying proper attention, i believe i would've noticed the van intending to turn in front of me and would have been braking already. plus i remember considering swerving to avoid, but didn't remember what traffic was like behind me or in the oncoming lane (where i likely would had to have swerved). paying more attention might have spared me.

i've been riding in the city most every day for about 9 years now. this happened about 7.5 years ago. i feel strongly that experience has helped me avoid similar collisions.

been city riding for about 15 years, mostly in Pittsburgh. been hit once about 8 years ago. broken fib/tib.

I've been left crossed twice by inattentive drivers.

One was at the intersection of Aiken and Baum at night in the rain by a woman who was too old to be driving in the rain at night. I was unable to stop or otherwise avoid her. I hit her passenger side door with my left side.

The other was at 29th and Liberty, I was casually crossing the street when a woman talking on her blue tooth never stopped or looked and floored it on to Liberty to beat the oncoming traffic. I was already across the double yellow where she hit me and I broke her wind shield with my body. That one really rattled me. I was taken to the hospital on a stiff board and neck brace, had all sorts of xrays and scans done and I was fine. I was really lucky.

In both cases the drivers insurance paid up.

Hit once in 2008. Automobile passing too closely broke the passenger-side mirror off on me.

This was early morning (~6AM) outbound on 19 between Wexford and Warrendale. My fault extended to "putting myself in a position with no exit strategy", as I was riding right next to the construction zone. To be frank, it probably wouldn't have mattered if I had given myself more room, as I didn't notice the driver's proximity until it was far too late. I've been a lot better about checking my six since then, for some strange reason.

Riding since 2006, commuting part-time or more since 2007. Currently averaging 5K-7K miles per year.

Yes. I was a teenager, riding on a sidewalk and a car came out of an alley that crossed the sidewalk. The front of the car pushed my bike out from under me and I ended up on the hood against the windshield. He must have been stopping as he saw me.

I jumped off his car, scrambled for my bike and took off. I thought I was going to get in trouble! No harm done to me or the bike. I always take great care now crossing side streets and alleys though.

I was hit in the arly 90's. I was making a right from Walnut onto Aiken. There was a car coming from 5th on Aiken, with it's right turn signal on. The car started to make the right turn, and I made my right on red. A few feet farther, I started moving left and hit the front fender of that car.

Mostly my fault I figure.

Surprising things. First, the car did not hit my bike. It hit me. Second, neither me, the bike, nor the late model Cadillac was damaged. (Although I felt a little shakey and unsure for a bit.)

The woman driving the caddy would not have stopped had her passenger not insisted on it. She refused to give her insurance info. I was tempted to get her plate number, call the police, and go to the ER to get checked out (I really was surpised that I could get up and walk and nothing was broken.)

But in the end, I just figured I'd learn from my error and move on.

Less now than in last century, but it used to be if I were goig anywhere betwen 10pm and 2 am on a Friday or Saturday, I would get my ass off the street rather than be passed by a car.

Any car at those hours can be assumed to be driven by a drunkard. I mean, so drunk that the police would take the driver to the emergency room.

Think about it- probably about 1 in 200 or 300 cars are being driven by someone who can't really walk. It's a helluva chance to take. (See: "Cars hitting buildings")

I was bummed that the lights on Liberty in Bloomfield go to flashing yellow during these danger hours. It used to be I could wait on aside street for a red light on Liberty, then get three or four blocks in before I had to pull over to let the drunkards pass. With flashing yellows, the cars (that is, the drukard-driven cars) come steadily and it is like a war zone.

I ride most places I travel. Probably only comes out to about 30-40 miles per week, but a good proportion of those are during some dangerous times, either from rush hour or from drunks.

Where I live, Oakland, I face the prospects of rooky drivers who are also rooky drunks.

I was doored on Frew St in spring 2000 and rode away with only a bruise and minor damage to my bike. The car had to be towed. (I didn't own a helmet at the time.)

Since then I've ridden probably around 30-40k miles without a collision with a car. There have been a few close calls, enough that I figure I'll probably be hit eventually.

I was hit when I was 14 years old riding my bike up a little hill coming home from a friend's house. I was hit by a passing station wagon and thrown about 30 feet off the bike coming to a very soft landing in a field. This was 1974 so you can imagine what a brusier my steel bike was, but it was pretty smashed up. Took a year for my parents to get me another bike.

About four or five years ago I was riding up Hulton road out of Oakmont village and was nearing the country club when I felt an impact on my left hand and handlebar. A smallish white car thought it would be fun to "buzz" a cyclist--or maybe they were trying to hit me, I don't know--but thank god for the mirrors on new cars which are designed to fold in (so they can fit more cars on the boats from overseas). I screamed some choice words at the car as they roared off and just kept pedaling up the hill; never even got off the bike. I rode 45 more miles that day.

I did get the last laugh though, because a couple of seconds after the car raced away up the hill I had to move to avoid something bouncing down the road. It turned out to be the mirror insert from their side mirror.

I also realize I was extremely lucky both times, especially since my good friend Bob Noll is still recovering from being hit by that gold car on Washington Blvd. Memorial day weekend. Either of these incidents could have gone the other way. On the other hand, I ride a lot, never had anything else I would even consider a close call.

Three times.

First time I was going down Bates toward the Boulevard of the Allies and made a left turn onto Semple when a car going the wrong way down the street was approaching the intersection. I hit the bumper and ended up on the hood of the car. I was a bit bruised and shaken up but relatively alright. The young girl who was driving was really upset. Her insurance paid for the few broken things on my bike.

Second time. Headed north on Washington Blvd. going 30mph just past the u-haul place when a car parked on the side of the road facing north attempted to make a u-turn to head south. I swerved to the left hand lane and tried to brake but slammed into the front wheel well and flew over the car landed in the street I think in on-coming traffic. I didn't stay to figure out and ran off the road. A few seconds later my legs hurt so bad there was no way I was standing up. Not too badly hurt but I think my wrist may bother me for ever. Amazingly the driver didn't flee because she didn't have a license. The car she was driving was insured and that insurance paid for everything.

Edit: Although I said I wasn't hurt very bad I should say that it took me three months to get back to my normal riding/racing. I guess I just count not very bad as not having life long injuries.

Third time. Butler street around 55th ish street 7am driver of a mini-van made a right hand turn onto a side street while I was next to him. I just leaned on the side of the van and turned with him. He realized I hit his car and didn't turn too sharp though. I don't think I put a foot down told him I was ok and continued to work. I think that one was probably my fault although I dont' remember seeing a turn signal. Driver was very appologetic.

I've been riding for 6 years I would say I average 5-7000 miles but don't keep track.

@Jeff:I did get the last laugh though, because a couple of seconds after the car raced away up the hill I had to move to avoid something bouncing down the road. It turned out to be the mirror insert from their side mirror.

Ha! I, too, am a member of the "car came off second best" mirror removal club. In my case, the entire mirror assembly was knocked off the passenger door. (I'm glad I was riding a 'bent that day...the seat frame ate much of the impact, rather than my kidney or ribs...)

When a car hits you and its the cars fault does their insurance cover the replacement of your bike.

Yes. That's how it should work.

I have not yet had a bike-on-moving-car collision of any sort (knocks on wood).

* I've toppled onto parked cars a time or two. Case in point: Once I was squeezed into a parked car on northbound Perry in that narrow stretch through West View by traffic that wouldn't let me take the lane and HAD to get past me.

* I've ditched rather than collide with something, many occasions. Most cases, a my fault for being there in the first place situation.

* I got clobbered head-on by two kids on a bicycle once, documented in the Art of Falling thread from a while back.

* This is not counting various solo wrecks (sandpiles, trees, holes in the road, whatever).

I'm usually pretty observant about what's coming up behind me, despite not having a mirror. The Columbus incident gives me the heebie-jeebies, though. There's no way you can protect yourself against that.

I've only been "hit" by a car once but it was so minor I don't really count it. It was on Pocusset near the big 5 way intersection, the guy hit me with his mirror trying to squeeze past. This was probably 1994 so I don't really remember the details - it didn't knock me off the bike, though I'm sure there were a lot of choice words exchanged. Hopefully that goes down in history as my only car/bike incident, but I've got a lot of riding yet to do.

Closest call was a passing car that scraped its side along my handlebar while it was passing too close, eastbound on Forbes just past Braddock. I'd like to imagine the squealing rubber left a mark. I stayed upright, though, and the driver sped off. But I only bike a few hundred miles a year on roads.

Oh! Almost forgot!

An aircraft carrier sized SUV folded its passenger mirror on my left arm one day on Washington Blvd (back when I used to ride occasionally on that street).

I don't believe they were even aware of it.

About three years ago I was riding inbound on Penn by the scrapyard (just before 33rd). The road is really wide there, and I was in the shoulder/parking/whatever lane, passing a line of slow/stopped traffic, when a car turned left at 33rd through that line of stopped cars. I hit near the front wheel and flew spectacularly over the hood of the car. The impact bent my steel downtube almost 90 degrees. Injuries included road rash and a messed up shoulder. I also split my helmet nearly in half, but didn't suffer any real head injury. The guy who hit me (well, technically I hit him) was cool and stayed around till the police/ambulance arrived.

The police report said I was illegally overtaking traffic on the right, so I didn't get any insurance money for the bike. I'm still not sure that I was totally at fault, given the width of the road there (it's practically another lane), but I could have easily avoided the crash with more careful riding.

The thing I remember most clearly is how insanely fast it happened. 20 mph doesn't always feel that fast when you're riding, but when something suddenly appears in front of you, there's not a lot of time to react. The result has been that I'm a dramatically safer rider since it happened.

Never hit. Husband tells me that I will get hit and that it is only a matter of time. This is the main reason that I have only ridden twice in the past month. I have nearly been hit three times, but I always ride a lot slower than I am able and I assume that every driver is going to hit me.

never been hit, been buzzed a couple of time, once where I ended wrecking but never been hit or hit a car, part of this I chalk up to the fact that im 6'2 375 pounds and ride a giant bright orange Diamond back response. so I realize I am almost invisible and have ride as defensive as I can.

I've been riding for about 6-7 years total and I ride just about every day, multiple short trips. I was hit once two years ago.

It was completely the driver's fault and the policeman took a good report. I had a broken arm, sprained ankle (the worst of it all), a cracked helmet and a totally busted bicycle.

I can recall 4, but I've had a few more "single vehicle accidents". All have been at low speeds.

1. I tried slipping through gridlock on murray ave, got clipped by a left turning car (barely), somehow stayed upright and kept peddling. Nasty scrape.

2. I went straight through the turn lane at bayard and neville, flipped over a left turning behemoth of a station wagon driven by a 16-year-old and nearly landed on all fours (I kept thinking on the walk home that next time I'll stick the landing.)

3. I had a small headlight, dark street cloths and no reflectors so a unitarian made a U-turn on ellsworth and kissed me with their Outback's passenger side.

4. The most recent was an SUV right turn off of 5th and into me at ruskin; leg almost run over by the right rear wheel.

I was wearing a helmet for #4, only.

I was broadsided last summer, but it was at very low speed so injuries were just bruises and road rash. I was in stop and go traffic moving up to a traffic light on Becks Run road. I was in the middle of the lane moving up with the cars in front of me when a woman drove around the cars behind me (crossing the double yellow line) and cut quickly into the gap between the cars – failing to notice the bicyclist wearing the bright neon yellow who was occupying said gap (me). I probably could have avoided the wreck had I filtered up the right side like a d*ck, but I thought I would wait my turn.

6 times in total. Twice at work while messengering. Once on my way to work and once on my way home before I moved back to ny for a few years. Hit once and doored once since I moved back in '05. I'd say half of the time it was at least partially my fault. The other half was 100% shitty drivers.

4 years riding, never been hit.

Only once before I moved here (1989-2001). Was hit (from behind) two weeks after moving here, left hooked 2 years later and then right hooked a year after that.

Haven't been since then but it's simply a matter of time.

i got hit by a 64 chevy impala in 1968 bent the frame on my bike the ladys insurance company bought me a new bike it happened on route 65 i landed on my shoulder was sore for a couple of days those 64 impalas were big cars

Not yet, knock wood. 10 yrs commuting here, several before that messengering. Lots of back road training miles. Many many close calls.

It's not inevitable. I don't buy it.

@Quizbot It's not inevitable. I don't buy it.

When I've been hit, it was either very minor, or I was partly at fault. So I'm thinking Q-Bot is right, a person can be safe and lucky.

I've biked for more year than yo mama has been alive, and I've never been doored. My brother got doored badon the only hill in town when I was 12, so I've been aware.

And lucky. Very lucky.

Luck trumps skill.

Ok quizbot.. This makes me feel a lot better to know that you have been riding a long time and never hit.

Riding long time, never been hit by a car. I am more of a single vehicle accident waiting to happen.

I was hit by a runner once. I was passing a runner who was running on the right shoulder, with traffic, and he turned left to cross traffic right into me without so much as looking. If I had been a car he would be dead. Taco'd a wheel and smacked my head off the road. Before helmets were invented. Jerk didn't even stop to ask if I was ok. I have abhorred running and runners ever since.

I do not accept that being hit by a car is inevitable. I haven't been in a car accident in 20 years either.

As I was reading this thread, I was suprised at the number of riders that see being hit as inevitable. I am glad to see that there are a few who don't feel that way, I was beginning to think I was naive (and that may still be true...).

I agree that it is not inevitable. My guess is that safe, careful, predictable riding has the same the results as safe, careful predictable driving. Your chance of an accident isn't zero, but it's a lot less than 100%.

I think it has less to do with safe and predictable and more to do with watching your ass.

I wonder if they could add a car-bike accident input in the car free calculator? We might have 144,000 miles without a car-bike accident. It seems like it would be a good statistic to track.

In order to survive, you need to develop 4 dimensional awareness. Use all your senses to maintain a continual sphere of awareness of what is around you. Cyclists uniquely need to be aware not only of what cars and peds are doing, but also of road surface, sun angle and glare, truly a sphere.

Then once you develop that sense of what is around you, you need to process that out several seconds into the future, what others can do, what they might do, what they will probably do, and what your response will be in any event. Time is the 4th D that will keep you alive.

I figure there is something like 1 in 10 or so chance of an accident for a cyclist in a given year, based on reported statistics (there were about 51,000 bicycle accidents in 2009 and a few hundred thousand regular cyclists -- many more if you include occasional riders).

So if you never experience an accident in a lifetime of riding you are unusual but not extraordinary. Same goes for car accidents.

On the other hand, if you are in accidents much more frequently than that, you might want to examine your riding habits.

I think 1 in 10 is grossly inaccurate. If the mode share for bikes in the US is 1% then 3M is a better estimate of the number of cyclists, which makes the injury rate more like 1 in 60.

I think it has less to do with safe and predictable and more to do with watching your ass.

It's both, and what edmonds59 says is also quite accurate.

I'll even take that a bit further, that sometimes you *need* to get a bit edgy about it. I'm aware of cars behind me, and get a little left of comfortable to make sure they see me. This, of course, is done with plenty of space between me and them; I am *not* advocating swerving in front of people. I think of it less in terms of closing distance as closing time, at least 4 seconds ahead of them, I get just a bit left of my usual line to catch their attention, and then move back to my normal line. Similar to if an oncoming car started to weave towards the center line, then corrected. I don't do this all the time, only if I feel that their vision is occluded by glare, sunlight in general, dimness of light. I don't do this at night.

The point is to catch their attention, and get them to slow down while there's still time.

Hey, it's a rough, back of the envelope, calculation. I'd be happy to get within an order of magnitude of the right number. And, by the way, 1% modal share sounds like a rounded approximate figure to me.

Another way to estimate is this -- next time you're in a group of say 10 or more riders, ask about accidents. You'll probably end up with a good estimate of accident likelihood by asking riders like yourself -- which is, I guess, part of the point of this thread.

Read Brad's post in the other thread. The only way for him to avoid getting hit was to not be riding at night when drunks are on the road.

A friend of mine was rear-ended in broad daylight on a wide open road, while riding in a small group. The car was being driven by an elderly man who "didn't see her." There's nothing she could possibly have done to avoid that.

"Inevitable" may be too strong a word, but "likely" is appropriate if you ride a decent amount (like over a hundred hours a year, for years on end).

I'll also add you're still safer riding a bike at 15 mph than driving a car at 65 mph.

Of course 1% is an estimate, but I've seen it published in various places as 0.9% and 1%, based on census data - it's not completely made up.

The accident numbers are obviously estimates as well, so there is plenty of room for error. But, 1 in 10 paints a pretty bleak picture compared to 1 in 50.

I wasn't there, but how about the large Don Parker ride, Memorial Day 2010? How many red armbands were there? Of about 80 riders? Everyone had a black armband but those who'd been hit wore a red one.

link to big picture

Edit: I see people in that who I know were hit, but cannot see their armband, saltm513/StefM, for one.

As I stated in a recent post, I haven't had an accident on my bike in 30 years. That's a vey good thing. To the best of my recollection, I've had three accidents involving cars. One dooring. One where I was forced into the back of a parked car (at least in my memory it was forced....). The final a case where I came upon an uncontrolled intersection (two one way streets, neither had a stop sign - pretty common in Wisconsin in my youth). I was coming down what in Pittsburgh would be a very small grade, but in that area was something of a hill. I was too intent on enjoying the speed to pay attention to a car approaching the upcoming intersection from my left. In my teenaged naivete, I presumed he would stop for me. He didn't. I was able to grab the brakes without really locking them, and slide to a somewhat controlled stop with the assistance of his rear quarter panel. I still bear a small scar from where the brake lever jammed my upper thigh (I was in shorts). Hurt like hell for a week or two, but no other injury to me or the bike. Had never heard of a bike helmet at the time, so certainly wasn't wearing one. I've been lucky. I assume it is a matter of time before I get hit. I don't see it as an entirely fatalistic viewpoint. Sometimes it's as simple as playing the odds. I haven't had a recordable car accident since 1999, but I assume the law of averages will catch up with me on that before too long. Idiots are everywhere. Sooner or later they'll find me, no matter how careful I am being.

Only been riding/commuting seriously since August '11 and I've only had one near-crash coming down Forbes Ave from Sq. Hill. Vehicle pulling out of their drive way. I saw them. I thought they saw me. And they pulled out in front. Now I go the posted speed limit down hills.

In regards to jona's 51,000 cyclists statistic, it's best to put that into context. here's the link to the NHTSA publication in real-person words. First thing to note is that only 630 cyclists were killed, 13% of which were under the age of 16. And 20% of the 51k non-death vehicle accidents were under 16 as well.

Something else to note is the role alcohol plays in some of these accidents.

Over one-fourth (28%) of the pedalcyclists killed in 2009 had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher, and nearly onefourth (24%) had a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher.

Lesson: It pays to be aware of your surroundings. And if you do get hit by a car, the data seem to indicate it doesn't mean you'll be killed. Hooray.