discosaurus

I was hit yesterday in a crosswalk. A kid in a Mustang broadsided me when he gunned it for a right turn. He said he didn't see me. I used to think that bikers only got hit doing stupid things, but in this case even though I wasn't riding with traffic (I mostly ride VC) I took extra caution to use the bike path and crosswalk properly.

There were no serious injuries, but I have a gnarly bruise on my thigh muscle that will keep me off the bike for about a week and off my feet for a few days. My bike is destroyed--crank shaft bent, rear wheel mangled, and rear derailleur broken. The poor kid has a dent in his bumper. I'm well on my way to becoming a bitter car-hating cyclist.

Yes, I was wearing a helmet and no, I didn't hit my head.

larue

he's paying for your bike right?

Dchiefransom

You were walking your bike?

Helmet Head

If you weren't walking, how fast were you going?

kb0tnv

Why were you riding in the "CrossWALK"? I never ride a bike in one. Most people don't expect cyclists to be there. That is why they have those little pictures of people walking. I don't mean to be down on you...just want to find out why. I live in St. Louis and ride V.C. all the time. My only accident was when a kid ran into me... I tried moving out of the way but he ran at me and didn't see me. I now fear peds more than cars...simply because peds you really never can predict their movement. I am trying to find places I can ride away from people. Where was your accident at? I mainly commute to work from Northy County (Ferguson / Florissant) to Olivette (Olive and I170). Hope you heal up quickly.

Keep Cycling,

CitiZen

What does "ride V.C." mean?

kb0tnv

Vehicular Cycling = V.C. (Same flow as traffic - but ride on right side, Follow all stop signs, lights etc. Take the lane when necessary etc...)

Keep Cycling,

kf5nd

Crosswalks are damn dangerous places ! I stay out of them and stay in the traffic lane whenever possible, which is 99% of the time.

powers2b

His insureance company will gladly write you a check for a new bike.
Sorry to hear about your leg.
Heal quickly and ride.

Enjoy

sggoodri

This type of collision is a big problem for pedestrians, especially elderly pedestrians who cannot jump out of the way and who get injured more easily and seriously.

It is even more likely for cyclists, though, because we arrive at the intersection more quickly than do pedestrians and are therefore more likely to surprise the right-turning driver.

The corollary of this is that although we do need more vigorous education and enforcement of drivers to promote safer right turns, we can't expect sidewalk-type bike paths (that facilitate contra-flow travel at junctions) to be as safe as normal roadway cycling.

discosaurus

I was riding at walking speed. I don't think it's necessary to dismount and walk the bike if you ride at walking speed. I would have been hit in this case whether I was walking my bike, walking myself, or riding as I was. I had the signal, I was moving very slowly, and he hit the gas when I was already in front of his car. I could have prevented it by riding with traffic, but for my situation I think I did everything right. Also, I was riding with my dad who crossed just ahead of me. Clearly he was paying NO attention if he didn't see TWO cyclists.

He is paying for my bike which will probably have to be replaced. It's a 10 year old Schwinn MTB with a bunch of obsolete parts so I think the bike shop will have to write it off as totaled. I'm going to take the check and use it toward an entry-level Giant hybrid since I feel I'm due for a new, nicer bike. I'm billing him for a new helmet too.

drroebuck

I'm going through this myself. Nothing from your bike is safe and therefore salvageable. Have your LBS write up a nice estimate for the value of the bike. Include everything: helmet, pedals, bottle cages, whatever. You should be able to get something nicer than an entry-level hybrid.

operator

Incorrect. If you're crossing as a pedestrian, you have to dismount and walk your bike across. You can't have the best of both worlds when cycling.

Regardless of whether he was in the wrong, you were doing something wrong also. I can see this turning into another Ringo fiasco.

kf5nd

If you have to use a crosswalk, this is what I do...

Walk across, don't ride.

Push the bike WAY out in front of you, use it like a signal flag (or a bullfighter's cape?), so if the driver messes up, he'll take it out, not you.

AndrewP

If you were crossing the street from a bike path I think it is reasonable to ride across. Drivers of cars are not expected to get out of their cars and push them across intersections, although that would save a lot of lives and injuries.

discosaurus

I agree. Since I was riding a bike path, not a sidewalk, I don't think that I should have had to push my bike through the intersection.

HereNT

Actually, here you do get the bost of both worlds. If you are on a sidewalk or crosswalk moving at walking speed, then you have all the rights of a pedestrian...

larue

I don't agree with that at all, when riding on bike paths that connect across the street and use a crosswalk it is silly to think you have to dismount and walk across. Also in Florida where I live bikes are legal on the sidewalk, it's called a sideWALK but I'm not required to walk my bike am I?
I've seen too man pedestrians have to run across a crosswalk for fear of cars going, and on my bike crossing a crosswalk the light still doesn't last long enough.
This guy did no wrong, it's clearly the fault of the motorist so give him a break.

discosaurus

The comparable bike to mine is the Schwinn Frontier, which retails for about $250. If they can't find the parts to fix my bike, the bike shop will write it up as totaled and quote the Frontier value to the insurance company. Unfortunately, even with all the extras (helmet, water bottle cage, lights, rack) I doubt that will cover a very expensive new bike.

The one I'm eyeing is the Giant Cypress. I think it's a fine bike for me, and only $50 more.

Ohio Trekker

Typically around here the MUP's have stop signs that specify, "Stop Walk Bike". When riding with the kids, if there are cars in either direction, we do stop and walk, if there are no cars, we slow and ride. Legal, probably not, practical, completely. We always discuss these intersections on the MUPs as well as when we are riding roads in/with traffic. Our discussions about riding circumstances have made them very safe and defensive riders and I am very confident and comfortable with their decision making skills.

In this case, i would say, whether discosaurus, was riding correctly or not does not negate the fact that the driver should have looked before making the turn, and if he hit a cyclist, he would have hit a pedestrian and is fully to blame for the result of his actions.

We are not talking about a bike messenger in a hurry using the cross walk to beat the red, we are talking about someone who was crossing a street in a "protected" zone when he was assaulted.

Helmet Head

Bike paths are great.
Steets are great.
Where bike paths meet streets... anything but great...
This thread is about yet another example of why.

Yes, motorists should be more careful, but, bottom line, motorists are primarily concerned with other vehicular traffic. That's where their focus us, that's their biggest threat, and that's what their mostly aware of. Of course, the amount of focus and awareness varies from driver to driver, but the point is that at a bike path/crosswalk crossing of a street, some probably-higher-than-most-cyclists-would-like-to-think-about percentage of motorists are simply not paying attention to the crosswalk. You can argue "but they should" all the way to the grave, but that's not going to change. Human nature is human nature. That which directly threatens the motorist... another motor vehicle... is going to be their priority. That's primal. And some only have enough band width for one priority...

Bike path crossings of streets can be extremely dangerous, and should be treated by the cyclist accordingly. Did you have the legal right-of-way? Of course. Should you have been more careful, perhaps walking the bike and only when you knew it was clear without assuming you were seen? Only if you want to avoid this type of collision...

Serge

kb0tnv

Which bike path were you on? Grant's Trail? There are bike paths that actually tell riders to dismount when crossing the street. The ones I have seen are in IL. Thanks for telling us more about your issue. Hope you get a good bike out of the deal!

Keep Cycling,

Helmet Head

Bike path road crossings at crosswalks are inherently dangerous.

Riding along a quiet bike path it is easy for the cyclist to get into a relaxed and perhaps oblivious frame of mind. When he gets to the crossing and sees the "safe" crosswalk with big wide white stripes delineating his right-of-way, it's easy to continue without much of a change in mentality. That's what makes it dangerous, because at such crossings the cyclist is well advised to be hyper alert.

Serge

discosaurus

I was riding one of the mysterious bike paths in OFallon. I say mysterious because many of them stop and start in odd and secret places, and often they are just sidewalks widened and paved into bike paths. The stretch I was riding was one of those. The ones that aren't covered with litter, rocks, and broken glass are poorly maintained and overgrown with weeds. I think the city just laid them out to say "Hey look! OFallon has a bike path! and then they forgot they existed." I prefer the road most of the time, and after this I'll be riding strictly on the road.

kb0tnv

So your in O'Fallon MO. A kid was killed in O'Fallon IL when riding on the sidewalk. The driver was pulling into some fast food place and nailed him as the biker and the car collided. Sorry to hear that they have such poor cycling facilities. Sadly it takes these kind of incidents to start some change... There are many places that have the cycling infastructure. St. Louis now has 20 miles of downtown marked lanes, sharrows etc... Their is a goal to get 600 miles of trails connected..."The River Ring" is what it will be called. Just sad that they can't work with the roads we have... but even they can't keep the roads in decent shape. I am constantly having to change my commute because of the road being littered with pot holes. If only people got a clue that heavy cars are to blame...bikes don't put that kind of load on the roads. Glad to hear you will be on the road. Take Care!

Keep Cycling,