POLL: Have you been involved in an accident with a automobile?

Brian Ratliff

I had a car pull out of a parallel parking spot right in front of me once (yes, I was riding vehicularly). I hit the right-front fender and went over the handlebars. Ironically, I bent the fork of my bike laterally, but my wheel remained unharmed. I built the wheel myself, so I must have done a good job.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the proper information from the driver and had to spend about $200 out of my pocket to buy, amongst other things, a new frame off eBay. I only got the person's name and phone number, but it was a cell phone number and without an address, a suit in small claims court cannot even be filed. Now I know to get at least the insurance information, if nothing else. Name and phone number doesn't help. I also found that the police do not care about an accident where there are no injuries and the dollar amount is in the low hundreds. Oh well, lessons learned.

JohnBrooking

Been riding for 3 years, and my only real road accident was not a collision, so I voted No. A car sped into my path and I went over the handlebars braking, but fortunately the only collision was me landing on the road! :eek: (Of course the bast*d did not stop! :mad: However, more than one other did slow down and look to see if I was okay, and one car actually stopped and asked.)

Other than that, it's only been a few ice wipeouts not involving any other vehicles.

oboeguy

Depends on what you call an accident. I've been doored by a car that pulled in front of me, which I think counts. I also had my handlebar dinged while in motion by the mirror of a car propelled by an octogenarian, and while I didn't crash I think it sorta counts. Also once I was once riding behind a buddy through an interesection, with a driver stopped at a stop sign only seeing him (somehow I stayed upright, with minimal damage to the bike no less). Finally my 100% it-was-an-accident, I was rearended by a car, oddly enough, occupied by a couple of ex-messengers (tacoed wheel).

sbhikes

On a bicycle I've never been involved in a collision, nor have I had an accident or involving a car in which we did not collide.

I've had two motorcycle accidents with cars, however. The first one their fault 100%, the second one my fault 100% (I basically did what the first one did to me.)

AndrewP

I havent had a collision with a car in the 21 years I have been in Montreal, but in the previous 12 years in Toronto I was hit 4 times.

Helmet Head

Dooring obviosly was the driver fault ...
Obviously?

Sure, the driver is required by law to look first, but any cyclist who rides in door zones assuming that drivers (not to mention backseat passengers) will obey that law, is, well, asking for it.

By the way, if you cycle into a door opened by a 10-year-old child, would you blame the kid?

NZLcyclist

blame the parent.... my mother was always looking for me, and told me when I could open the door.

noisebeam

A cyclist almost doored themselves on my car door about a year ago. As always I looked behind car down full length of BL before opening door and didn't see any cyclist. I opened door just as a cyclist appeared and they managed to swerved out of path of my door as I pulled it in. They cursed at me too with impact avoided by inches. My wife had gotten out of car first and she said as she stepped onto sidewalk the cyclist who was there hopped off curb (as she was now in the way) and swerved around the left side of my car. No way I could see them and if they were doored it would have been 100% their fault for hopping off sidewalk into door path. (i.e. not riding in a predicatable vehicular manner)

But I am sure they consider the close call 100% my fault because I am an a-hole car driver who doesn't watch for cyclists. If my wife wasn't there and saw what happened I wonder who the legal system would have found at fault if there had been an impact. I would have accurately claimed I didn't see them, they would have claimed I didn't check before opening door.

Al

genec

While the poll appears nearly tied... I am reading it as 22 accidents or multiple accidents riders to 12 non accident riders... almost 2:1 in "favor" of having had an accident.

Now what would be real nice is to know the history of the rider and accident in a quick poll.

There is a comprehensive survey on the web to gather this type of info... hopefully it will give us more data than the simple numbers now available to various advocates.

Access this survey at http://www.bicyclinglife.com/survey.htm

as of today 6225 respondents have participated in this survey.

Your data can only help make it as accurate as possible.

Thanks

Helmet Head

the cyclist who was there hopped off curb and swerved around the left side of my car.
Good example of how the transition from segregated (in this case cycling on a sidewalk) to integrated mode is often perilous, and one of the drawbacks of partial segregation (any system where cyclists are partially but not fully segregated from motorists) as compared to full integration: transitioning between the two can be hazardous.

noisebeam

There is a comprehensive survey on the web to gather this type of info... hopefully it will give us more data than the simple numbers now available to various advocates.

Access this survey at http://www.bicyclinglife.com/survey.htm

That was a great survey. I could nit pick about a few questions, but overall great. Thanks for the heads up.

Al

genec

Good example of how the transition from segregated (in this case cycling on a sidewalk) to integrated mode is often perilous, and one of the drawbacks of partial segregation (any system where cyclists are partially but not fully segregated from motorists) as compared to full integration: transitioning between the two can be hazardous.

Not really... there was a BL, so the cyclist on the sidewalk was totally out of place and then did a mid block curb jump to transition from one area to another.

Illustrates the versitility of bicycles, no doubt, but does nothing to show how a real transition with real paths should and would take place.

lilHinault

I'm guessing the time I was nailed coming home from work in heavy rain involved a car, for I really have no idea. It was written up as a hit and run by the cops.

Helmet Head

genec

Gene... okay, so it's not the greatest example, but I hope you're not denying that extra care needs to be take whenever transitioning from segregated facilities to integrated cycling because of the surprise factor.

Nope, no denial there... I have yet to see a bike path merge perfectly into a street. That's not to say it can't be done though.

I think the route 56 path attempts this on the short run from El Camino Real to where it runs parallel to 56, but even those transitions can be somewhat awkward... such as the one on Carmel Creek road.

I think there are only two ways to do it right, and both expensive. One would be a slip lane approach with narrow lanes for cyclists (to filter out cars) and have the path built as a hiway (which would really be totally cool). I still have that vision of a grade separated bike hiway that crisscrosses a town to allow for fast transition between main corners of the town on a bike. Exit signs and ramps and everything.

The other way to do it would be to have the path meet the street at right angles and and have full stop light control.

I saw this in Paris, and somewhere else... can't remember where. They actually had down sized stoplights for the path. Cyclists were just "other vehicles" with their own set of lights and sensors on their own road (the path) and the lights worked on a cycle just like all the other lights.

That latter solution makes the most sense... just treat cyclists like any other vehicle... and that is the problem that I see most often, cyclists are usually treated like pedestrians instead.

Hawkear

My only accident so far was a crazy woman intentionally ramming her car into me while I was stopped at the side of the road telling her to calm down.

ObscureRefMan

I will qualify my "More than once" vote as follows:
FIRST COLLISION: Around 18 years old. I was clearly in the wrong. I was on a busy street (one lane each way), and was passing between the cars that were stopped and the parked cars. Doing about 20 mph. One of the cars decided to pull into an open spot just as I was passing him. I hit the right side of his bumper with my left pedal (it got sheared off - thankfully, that wasn't my leg!). Flew over handle bars, nothing broken, but good amount of road rash.
SECOND COLLISION: Around 30 years old. Was on a major intersection (two lanes each way). Simply riding along, and a car "buzzed" me - its side view mirror brushed my left arm. No damage, just surprised.
THIRD COLLISION: Two years ago (age 42). While doing a charity ride with friends, was in a very suburban area. One lane each way, but narrow. Signaled for a left turn, and a panel truck hit my signaling arm. No damage, but very surprised and angry. Made chase, but fell behind when they went up a hill. Then had to gather up all the friends that followed, and head back to the designated route.

AverageCommuter

Only once, 23 years ago, when I was 15, on a sidewalk, where bikes don't belong. Blind alley, my fault for being on the sidewalk, their fault for stopping at the edge of the road instead of at the stop sign like the law requires.

B10Cycle

Once.

I was riding w/ someone at Hains Point in DC if you know the area. We were in the right hand lane (two lanes, all traffic flows same direction around the loop). I'm going slow (~15-16 mph). I was passing a row of front-in parking spaces. As I pass behind an SUV the back-up lights come on and immediately the driver starts coming back. She clearly didn't look for two reasons: 1) I was dead center behind her, she couldn't have missed me and 2)She was leaning out the window yelling to her friend. I can't get out of the way and get bumped. I was fine, just a scratch or two, and so was the bike. She gets out of the car and yells at me for hitting her. I was about to lose it on her when her friend's husband intervenes and apologizes for the woman and helped to get me on my way.

John E

29 years ago this November. I was descending a hill in west Los Angeles, and a motorist abruptly turned left across my path into a private driveway. Concussion, double facture of left clavicle, lacerations on chin and across left cheekbone. I immediately replaced my heavily padded vinyl "hairnet" helmet with a first-generation Bell Biker.

My car was hit by a bicyclist once. I had stopped at a 4-way stop sign and looked both ways, but as I started to pull into the intersection, a guy riding fast and on the wrong side of the road ran into my right front fender. Fortunately, no harm/no foul.

John Wilke

Yes ... I've been hit by a car twice.

First time when I was 18 years old (17 years ago). Was out testing a *brand new* set of sew up wheels and was approaching a gas station on my right. There was an on comming car starting to turn left into the gas station ... I kept telling myself "He sees me" .... " HE SEES ME" ... "HE'S GOTTA SEE ME ! " . Being a newby at the time I couldn't believe he didn't see me right in front of him .... BAM! up on the windshield I went. Good bye new wheels (which the driver paid for).

Second time was this past august ... got run over from behind on a country road, almost got killed. The whole story is posted here "Run down from behind". Still recovering from that one.

John Wilke
Milwaukee

Roody

CrimsonEclipse

Thrice:

1. at 11 years old, car side swiped me pulling out of a mall driveway.
Damage: Bike, substantial. Me: minor physical.

2. at 13 years old, hit by drunk driver.
Damage: Bike, total. Me, hospital for a week, wheel chair for a month, cast for 6 months.
Compound fracture of the lower leg, road rash, landed in ant pile.
Guy knew cop, no charges. Davie cops are scum.

3. at 28 years old, hit by stupid driver with PERMANANTLY suspended license.
Damage: Bike, substantial. Me: minor physical.
Hit and run, cop knew the guy, was later demoted for lack of follow up
Davie cops are REALLY scum.

CE

ollo_ollo

Had a similar one earlier this Summer John E: Was doing about 20, in middle of RH lane on a flat, 3 lane, one way street. Lady test driving a MiniVan overtook me on the left then before she was fully past abruptly braked hard & turned right into driveway of the car lot trapping me between her & a parked car on our right. The right rear panel of her van was scraped by my left barend & the back of my right hand struck the mirror of the parked car & tore the strap off my glove. I managed to stay up & turn with her. Really bad scrape & bruise on my right hand (I saw the mirror coming but was braking hard with both hands & just took the hit) Could have been hurt a lot worse if I'd gone down. Only other time, at age 12, I rode into the rear of a new cadillac that stopped in front of me while I was looking back & yelling something at a friend. Don

chicharron

One time, about 20 years ago a car full of teenagers pulled thier car along side of me, and the guy in the passenger seat opened the door on me on purpose. I went flying over the handlebars. No witnesses. then about the same time in my life, a constuction worker tried to get me to stop with a hand held stop sign while a cement truck backed out onto the street. Well, being young and going fast on my ten speed Italian road bike, I did not want to stop. so, I went around him. About three blocks later, a station wagon appeared besides me, and the same construcion worker was driving it, and he ran me off the road, got out, and hit me up the side of the head, anc called me names. No witnesses.

HillaryRose

Three times for me as well.

first: About four years ago, I was hit by a drunk driver while I was on my way to work. I was going through an intersection where I had the green light. He had the red but just kept going. He must have been slowing down/trying to stop, but the force was enough to throw me off my bike and send me sailing about fifteen feet. Car was the guy's friend's minivan. Guy was hauled away in cuffs by the police. Bike damage- substantial. It was theoretically fixed, but it never rode quite right after that and I soon replaced it. Damages to me- rather severe bruises all over my body, but nothing serious. Oh, yeah, and I lost about three days of my life when I had to go to court as a witness to his dui case.

second: On my way home from work, at about five in the evening, this lady driving a honking big suv cut me off, making a right turn into a parking space. I slamed on my brakes just barely in time so I wasn't hit dead on. But the recumbent that I was riding at the time, the back wheel popped up and basically threw me into the side of her suv. And then somehow, this suv ran over my foot with its rear wheel. I don't know how or why it didn't break my foot. This suv was one of the really huge ones, a lincoln navigator or something like that and must have weighed a ton. Damage to bike, zip. Damage to me- a bruise on my forearm. And the fact that even to this day, two years later, I'm too scared to go down that street. That was also when I stoped riding the 'bent.

Third time- I was stopped at a four way stop, just waiting for the other cars to go through so I could take my turn when this woman driving a minivan rear ends me. She'd been pulling out of the convenience store and must have been juggling a soda and her cell phone or something while rolling to a stop. It threw me off the bike to the ground. I wasn't hurt other than a tiny bit of road rash on my knee, but the bike had to have its back wheel trued.

Three minor incidents in as many years is not a good track record, but I think I've learned my lesson. In all three cases, I had been just assuming that the cars were going to do what they were supposed to do- stop at stop lights and signs, use their turn signals, etc. Now, I cycle more defensively, more alertly. I now know that I can't count on them to see me or to do the right thing when they do.

I've also been hit by a car while I was pedestrian, and honestly, that was far more frightening than any of my bike accidents. I was also hurt worse, ending up with a small part of my arm that was numb for several months, where I'd hit the pavement and gotten a bruise that when all the way to the bone.

Nicodemus

Obviously?

Sure, the driver is required by law to look first, but any cyclist who rides in door zones assuming that drivers (not to mention backseat passengers) will obey that law, is, well, asking for it.

By the way, if you cycle into a door opened by a 10-year-old child, would you blame the kid?

Good example of how the transition from segregated (in this case cycling on a sidewalk) to integrated mode is often perilous, and one of the drawbacks of partial segregation (any system where cyclists are partially but not fully segregated from motorists) as compared to full integration: transitioning between the two can be hazardous.

blah blah blah... segregated.. integrated... blah blah blah... my pet cause...

GET OVER IT.

CrimsonEclipse

blah blah blah... segregated.. integrated... blah blah blah... my pet cause...

GET OVER IT.

huh?

CE

Nicodemus

huh?

CE
My most fundamental attitude towards cycling is that a bicycle is NOT a car. The antithesis of this, IMO, is the agenda that HH tends to push.

What can I say? He brings out the troll in me.

SpokesInMyPoop

man, this sounds exactly like the kind of poll that would jinx you.

globie

Several. Car backs out of driveway into street. Guy speeds up to turn left on a yellow light, hits me head-on. Guy suddenly decides to cut through shopping center instead of waiting for red traffic signal; slams me and keeps going.
Worst accident, though, was caused by a slight, invisible ridge in the pavement.

CrimsonEclipse

My most fundamental attitude towards cycling is that a bicycle is NOT a car. The antithesis of this, IMO, is the agenda that HH tends to push.

What can I say? He brings out the troll in me.

OIC

ok
:beer:

CE

Litespeed

I have almost hit a car, stopped just short of it when the car came through traffic, making a left in front of me. Yesterday my husband just got hit by a car. My husband was riding as far to the right as possible, a car pulled up beside him then took a right in front of him. My husband didn't have time to stop and ran into him. Shifters and handle bar are broken, my husband may have fractured rib, not sure at this point, I will take him into urgent care tonight. (He's a stubborn man and won't go in right now). He is hurting pretty bad, taking Advil and Vicodine to help the pain. No matter how careful you are on the bike, something is always bound to happen :eek:

nova

Once when i was about 13 i was coming home from a friends house in broad day light to meet up with another friend. I was on my old kent bmx (elcheapo frame but high end wheels bars goose neck etc). A old man in his early to mid 70s who was wareing those horse blinder glasses they give you when you have your eyes dialated for a check up. Clipped my left elbow at about 20 or 25. Put a nifty little blood squirting cut on my elbow. It of course knocked my left hand loose and caused me to turn slightly left towards him. At this secound his right mirror hit my bar end wich lifted my rear of my bike up and started me turning towards the ditch. This made my rear pegs and wheel slam in to his passenger side of his car. When all was said and done he had a deap scratch and dent through the front doors body line going up one from above the body line and down on the rear. It also broke off his mirror broke his front passnger window and ripped out the tail light assebly on his caddy. Id esstimate it was about 1800 to 2200 dolor worth of damage. With all the crashing and screaching and breaking glass youd think he would have noticed. Yet he drove off. A motorcyclist that was behind me passed him and cut him off to force him to stop. The driver did stop at the turn off to my road.

"Drivers excuse he didnt see me" This was obvious the ear peices of these glasses were solid black and no ay could you see out of the ear peices. These classes have this warning on the ear peice in big letters on a black and yellow label. " do not operate motor vehicals while waring .........." was more text than that but you get the idea" I yanked the things off his face and showed him the warning. His comment as i did so "omg dont take those off i just had a eye check up and the doctor said i cant take them off for 12 hours". My response. "to damn bad your not even suppose to be behind the wheel' He offered to pay for any medical bill or damage to my bike i laughed in his face and said well your gona need all the money you can get to fix your car.

The funnyest part was 2 police cars a ambulance and a fire truck. Guess they were afraid my bike would busrt in to flames ......
Obviously they heard bike on the call and thouht motor cycle.

The driver was completly at fault. Acording to the ambulance driver theres no way the driver could have seen even his passenger side of his hood with those glasses on. The blac out on the glasses continued on to the front of the lens. Essentially the guy could have had toilet paper rolls fastened to his eyes. Im just glad i was rideing on the gravel up the road that day. If i had not been id have been dead under neight his car as he drug me 300+ feet.

lws

The funnyest part was 2 police cars a ambulance and a fire truck. Guess they were afraid my bike would busrt in to flames ......
Obviously they heard bike on the call and thouht motor cycle.

Firemen were the first responders in my bicycle accident as well -- they have emergency medical training and were nearby. It's just what they do -- I doubt that they believed it was a motorcycle accident.

nova

Firemen were the first responders in my bicycle accident as well -- they have emergency medical training and were nearby. It's just what they do -- I doubt that they believed it was a motorcycle accident.

Well i think they didthink it was a motor bike. I heard the call the guy made he said dirt bike hit by car. Didnt know what else to call a bmx. I thought this guy on the motor cycle is crazy for pulling out in frotn of this moron motorist heh. Guy just clips me at 20 to 25 mph and drives off with out even slowing heh.

But yeh probably just first responders most likly. I dont see them sending out all that just for me lol.
I knew all 4 cops (2 per car) One was a prety avid cyclist him self and also road and jumped bmxes in his youth. Hell i got some of my bmx parts off of him back in the day in fact.Crank set bars and goos neck and front and rear breaks and levers. All were absolute top of the line when he bought them new. That was about 5 to 6 years prior to me getting them. Of all my friends i road bmx with i had the best parts out of them all and i road with about 12 other guys. We had a loosly organised club back then. Kepts logs and records of our jumps type of ramp location etc. Had a lot of fun back then. But well im gona stop here cause im going way off topic.

zebano

None here, but very interesting to see that its approching 33%/33%/33%

NoRacer

I've been hit by a car while running (a-hole looking left while turning right on a red traffic light--trounced on the gas), but not while biking. But, I have had more close calls on the bike.

.

genec

None here, but very interesting to see that its approching 33%/33%/33%

Higher now... but even at 33%/33%/33%... it was in reality 33% no accidents and 66% accidents.

Mr. Miskatonic

I was waiting at a red in the left lane, planning on turning left at a divided road ahead of me. A car was next to me and several cars behind that. No problems. The light turns green and I mess up getting my foot into the pedal, dealying me slightly, but the car next to me was also slow getting started and someone honked. We both ended up starting at the same time. From my left, I heard the screech of brakes and periferal vision showed I was about to be hit by a red-light runner. Don't ask me how, but I pushed off my handlbars and almost jumped backwards off the bike...partially. The idiot struck my front tire and spun the bike around (with me partially still on it) and then hit the car that was crossing the light with me. If I hadn't been delayed I would have been struck straight on. I ended up on the ground more shaken up and bruised than really hurt. Surprisingly, my bike was just battered up a whole bunch and my tire flattened (the tire turned out to have a whole in it). The side of the car struck was caved in pretty good.

The a****** who hit the two of us jumped out screaming that we were the ones running the red light. He was almost at the point of picking a fight with the driver of the struck car when a crew of Electric company contractors came over and stood by that drivers side, saying "You ran the red light. We saw it." (several other witnesses did too. The a****** turned on me, deciding it was easier to pick on someone who was on the ground, yelling "what the f*** was I doing on the road" pointing his finger in my face, and such. The foreman of the contractors (I assume it was the foreman) told him to calm dawn. The a****** then jumped in his car and drove away. Nice. I waited for the police and gave them my version of events. We had about 6 witnesses who said we had the green. I was checked out by the paramedics but was found to be just fine, besides some road rash. ( I went to the doctor the next day for a full exam). I wsa called as a witness twice for the legal cases that followed, once for his trial, and once for the insurnace matter, but both were settled or otherwise ended before it came anywhere close to a trial. I honestly don't know what happened to the jerk.

fischer, max

a very similar thing happened to me on wednesday. i had a green light and was turning left (no oncoming traffic) when an escalade (that apparently was going to run his red light) came screeching into the intersection. i was already turning left, so i couldn't just steer right out of the way, and he was already too close for me to just hit the brakes. he hit my rear wheel and sent my bike out from under me and me flying across the street. then he ran the red and i wasn't able to get his license plate in time.

i'm pretty much okay except for some bad scrapes and an incredibly bruised knee. but man i wish i could have gotten that license plate. the whole SUV culture is completely out of control, and if you own one in spite of all the safety and environmental reasons not to, you're an ass, plain and simple.

Crank It Up

I've been involved in minor mva's(motor vehicle accidents) TWICE in more than 30 years of cycling. Both times I was commuting to or from campus around Westwood. Luckily, in both incidents I had anticipated the cars so no physical injuries or major damages to my mtb. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Blackberry

About once every three months I check out the Advocacy Forum. You safety experts with all of your accidents scare the bejesus out of me. I'll see you in 2006.

sprcoop

A few weeks ago an old lady cut me off turning right into the Kmart parking lot across the bike
lane and I locked up the brakes, hitting her rear bumper and ended up on
her trunk. I had it slowed down pretty good by the time I hit her so it was
not hard. I was mostly worried about my Rolf Vector Pro front wheel with 14
spokes being damaged. The great part was that a Pima County Sheriff was
following her, saw the whole thing, and pulled into the parking lot to have
a little chat with her. Since it didn't even knock my handle bars out of
alignment and I only had a scratch on my knee I told the cop I was okay and
got on with my ride. I think it was the next week that I noticed that if my
pedal was forward and I turned the wheel it hit my foot. Wrinkled/broken down tube. Hint: If your wheel mysteriously starts hitting your foot check the bottom
of your down tube.

MadScientist

hey, hey, hey

I have been hit by a bread truck night riding while attending college. I thought i could make it thru a yellow light before the traffic started. I was training on my track bike. The truck did not see me flying thru the intersection, so he clipped my back wheel and sent me flying. I had a slight concusion and a laceration that required some stitching and a major headache the next day. But i stll went to class! the next day.
Stupid but determined, the truck won.

Starclimber

First incident: Lady pulls out of a shopping mall, going right, leaves first lane, then second lane, then into turn lane where I'm riding really slowly to let her go by, as said turn lane is occupied by a broken down semi-truck complete with road flares burning and flashers on...she knocks me over and pulls in behind truck which obviously is going nowhere...I'm so furious all I can think is to pull her keys and toss onto roof of adjacent mall, which I manage to resist. I ride off still furious, then realize my hat is not on my head...so I go back, put it on, go home. Next day, abs are trashed from absorbing force of me falling onto my ass.
Second incident: The genius in Stanley Park. One way traffic, 30 kmh speed limit...I'm doing close to that. Buddy zooms past me, spots slant parking to my right, hits brakes and swerves, leaving me little option but to yell NO! and swerve along with him while braking and hoping. Bike goes under the car, I bounce off the side and actually feel the metal bend around my head and then spit it back out. If you plan on riding without a helmet, make sure your head hits the soft part of the car. Buddy is all apologetic, offers to take me to hospital. On the way, he almost pulls in front of a car which would have creamed MY SIDE but I yell at him and he stops. I'm not making this up...want his name? Sigh. I suspect he had no vision in his right eye, as he slammed me on his right, and almost got me mangled further in an imminent collision to his right. Slight concussion, soft tissue injury...nothing too serious.
Incident three: Lady cuts through two lanes of stopped traffic, probably waved through by some 'samaritan'. Unfortunately, me in bike lane would have preferred she waited til I passed, as I remarked while grabbing the brakes hard enough to go 'up and over' and bounce off the road. Losing all that speed in a relatively painful fashion probably helped me avoid far worse injury. Probable broken right collar bone, severe bruising of left forearm and left thigh, nice contusion of right shoulder blade.

None of these kept me off the bike for more than 3 days. The flexible collar bone firmed up and is now noticeably larger than the other.

Jacobino

I've been hit a bunch of times, never seriously, usually in parking lots and intersections where the drivers didn't see me but the cars were only going a few MPH. Now I make a point of riding out in the center of the lane, in their faces, so when they honk and shout I know they can see me.

Once, an SUV was making passing on the right (illegal), the driver apparently talking on her cell phone, and drifted into the bike line where the mirror hit my handlebars, sending me sprawling onto the sidewalk. The pulled over and got out, still yacking on the phone, and as I dusted myself off and straightened out my whell she ignored me and examined the side of her SUV for damage.

As she got back in and started to drive off, I waved and caught her attention. She said, "Don't worry about it. It's just a scratch."

I should have been angry, but I was laughing too hard. Does the DMV really issue a license to someone this dumb and inconsiderate?

One other observation: In Italy, where biking conditions are a lot more dangerous, and drivers famous for their anarchistic disregard for traffic laws, I've never had an accident. In fact, drivers seem a lot more careful and alert, and they actually seem to assume bikers are present and have a right to be on the road.