Lucky Days and Car Accidents…
Posted: March 18th, 2008 by JustinI’ve always felt as though I’m a very lucky individual. Not in the go-to-Vegas-and-win-a-million sense, but things usually work out pretty well (I certainly hope that I haven’t cursed myself). Luck aside, I also can’t rule Karma out of the picture. Like most people, I’d like to think that I have accumulated more good Karma than bad throughout my 25 years. Well, yesterday I cashed the biggest karmic paycheck of my life.
What started out as a beautiful, crisp, and sunny early-spring day changed quickly when I glanced in my rearview mirror only to see it filled with the fast-approaching grill and headlights of a Dodge pickup. There was what felt like a micro-second between the realization that I was about to be hit and the impact which vaulted me up onto the hood of the truck, thankfully not underneath. After slamming the back of my helmeted head down on the hood, the truck catapulted me toward the shoulder of the road where I somehow managed to land on my feet. Elapse time for the whole operation couldn’t have been more than a second, but seemed both shorter and longer. As I made my way curbside I began the bodily evaluation; legs: working order–left calf’s a little sore, arms: check, core: bit of soreness in middle back–otherwise fine, head: definitely rang my bell but stayed conscious and only feeling a little fuzzy. At this point I was amazed at all the worse I was feeling after being rear-ended by a truck doing somewhere in the vicinity of 35mph. Now, that’s what I call luck.
As I write this I’m feeling quite conflicted about the idea of commuting–my confidence has been shaken. I certainly don’t want to give it up, but I’ve also taken quite a few precautions to minimize risk. Today, for instance, I was wearing my heinously-bright yellow jacket, and riding smack-ass in the middle of the right-most of two lanes. You’d think someone wearing a vivid yellow jacket riding on a moderately traveled straightaway would be visible?
Like many of you, I have always felt that driving should not be considered a right, but rather a privilege that must be earned. A more experience and education intensive licensing program, like those in many European countries, would make the roads exponentially safer for all. I also believe the elderly should be required to pass a physical and eye exam bi-yearly (or similar) in order to retain their license. Yesterday’s experience has only further solidified these ideas, as the older gentleman who hit me “just took his eyes off the road for a second” and “didn’t see” me despite every other driver on the road’s ability to plainly see what was about to transpire.
So what have I learned from this experience? Wear a damn helmet, and no matter how repulsively geeky a mirror might be, they are a really good idea. While a mirror obviously didn’t prevent my accident, I still knew what was happening behind me. As for helmets, I’m pretty certain I would be in bad shape right now had I been without. Seeing folks on the road without a helmet, which seems to be done for status or fashion, pains me immensely. Accidents happen and they can be totally out of your control, wearing a helmet may be the difference between walking away–or not.
Wear a helmet, please, I beg you.
–Justin Steiner
March 24th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I got nicked by a ‘gentleman’ recently on Peachtree Road here in Atlanta. For some reason, my buddy and I were riding in town instead of driving out to trails. The driver had seen us riding on the sidewalk and road alternately. We had passed him at a light on the sidewalk. Then when he came up on us on the road in the next few blocks he accelerated and dove his car at me. My buddy was behind me and saw this maneuver. The driver hit my bar-end with his mirror. I recovered without falling and we caught him at the next light.
He was not repentant and said that I had no right to run the light and should be at home or off the road or both.
The police said that since no one was hurt there was nothing he could do, but that we should be careful.
The driver left of course.
I’m still mad as hell. I figure if I kicked off his mirror, they’d arrest me. But no charges for attempted murder.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Beav - Holy cow! I’m sorry, and this is assuredly the absolute wrong attitude to take - but I would have dragged the guy out of the car and kicked his butt! And yeah, I would have been charged - but man! I’m normally a pretty calm, if enthusiastic, individual. I commute in 2-3 times a week; last year, I was commuting in daily. As I was headed home, I biked (on the right, of course) past a car that was stopped at a red light - the light changed green, I went through. He sped up, passed me, then cut me off as he pulled into a parking spot. I mean - cut me off where I had to slam on the brakes. I confronted the little jerk and got into a yelling match — he was upset that I had passed him on the right!!! I yelled at him — “I’m a bicyclist, you jerk - where do you want me to be?!?!?”
And the reason I love riding in is because it’s a stress reliever ……!!!
And Justin - Thank god you’re OK! That’s the thing that worries me most, whether I’m biking, driving or walking with my kids by the road - not that I’m going to screw up, but that the other idiots out there will ….
Wick
March 27th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Sorry Beav but hoping on an off the sidewalk is just bad form and is illegal in most places. There is no excuse for what the driver did but you weren’t exactly innocent of not breaking the law yourself, albeit a rather minor infraction compared to assault with a deadly weapon that the supposed “gentleman” did to you.
Mattwick, I had something very similar happen to me. The best part was the guy recklessly passed and cut me off only to get stuck in total gridlock that was obviously ahead. When I smacked and pushed off his car with my hand to avoid the hit, he got out of his car to confront me. After a couple of words he he told me to “get the F off the road and onto the sidewalk where I ‘Belong’.” That all he needed to say because those are the trigger words that make make me go totally bizerk (Its happened before). With my cleated feet, I then kicked his brand new $75,000 car with all my might and sprinted off into the gridlock. I’m not proud of what I did but if anybody deserved it was this @ss. I was having a totally pleasant ride up until that point too and was near the end of about 40 miles.
I’ve ridden many tens of thousands of miles and was never actually hit until around 4 months ago and then I got hit twice in 5 days. Both were minor taps that caused not damage to me nor my bike but I was totally in the right both times. One hit even got the cops out and the cop agreed with me that I was in the right and gave a summons to the other driver (I don’t hear that too often).
The lesson hear is to ALWAYS ride within the bounds of the law so to never give the driver any reason to blame you for what happens in a crash. There are places where cyclists may break the law to maintain safety like going through red lights when there is no one coming but always do so with courtesy and in this case after coming to a complete stop.
My only question to Justin is, did the frame get bent at all and if so is it salvageable?
March 31st, 2008 at 10:46 am
I don’t agree mirrors are important. I rode with one for a while and found it more of a distraction than anything else. Statistically speaking, you’re going to get hit by somebody turning left or right into your path. For those, a mirror is not needed, only due diligence and a little intuition. Being a distraction, the mirror can interfere with being more diligent with what’s going on in front of you. I decided if I was going to get hit from behind there won’t be much I can do about it. And in fact it happened while I was sitting at a stop light. I saw it coming but there was nothing I could do about it. You even said it yourself it didn’t help prevent your collision. I got rid of mine. They are no more necessary than reflectors on your wheels.
Tim
March 31st, 2008 at 11:34 am
Tim,
Thanks for sharing your opinion. I have to state that, in my opinion, mirrors are part of responsible road use. When you’re driving a car, riding a motorcycle, or riding a bicycle its standard operating procedure to check your mirrors periodically so that you know what’s happening behind you. I agree with you that mirrors can be distracting if used improperly, but that’s no fault of the mirror. Let me ask you; When/if you drive an automobile, do you remove the mirrors?
Justin
March 31st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I am sorry for your misfortune. I have been hit twice. I was t-boned by a women running a light. I had some hang time. I cleared three lanes of traffic pedal and toeclip still on my foot(pedal sheared on impact) and landed on my head without a helmet. I was told if it were not for my college books in my backpack to support my neck, I would be dead. So five broken toes, 27 stitches, and one super mangled Stumpjumper later I WILL never ride without a helmet again.
I had some apprehension about riding in traffic again, but I have some great friends. They pooled their resources and built me a bike and took me to philly to get over new fear of cars.
David
ps If anyone goes to Boulder, CO area be careful on the canyon roads. I swear drivers out there made a game of clipping cyclists with their mirrors, my bro has been clipped too many times to count.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Please say I’m wrong but motorists belieive they own the road. At the start of every one of my negative confrontations with hydrocarbon fueled or fuelled cars, vans, or buses, a light goes off in my head. It says,”no need for violence-let cooler heads prevail.” Once again luck/karma has nothing to do with it. Maintain poise and ride out the storm. Most likely, a motorist always thinks the law is on their side. By the time they blow up on you, you have the upper hand. And by using common sense and civility (a.k.a. common courtesy of the road) there is no other way to lay the blame other than to state the truth and stick to it. I know how to ride and if I’m in the wrong I will either bolt like Michael or tell my would- be- assassin,”easy there Super Tiger!” Ride like there is no tomorrow. Live life and embrace death. This message brought to you by the world’s worst driver. Cheers!