Rear ended?

[slowandsteady]

For those of you who have been involved in a bike + motorized vehicle accident, who was rear ended by the motorized vehicle and who hasn't?

[LittleBigMan]

I was hit intentionally by a pedestrian. It sent me to the emergency room with a permanent scar on my face.

I've never been hit by a motorist.

[lima_bean]

door prize ftw.

[Helmet Head]

I voted Other since I've never been hit (knocks on head).

[Brian Ratliff]

I had a car pull out of a parallel parking spot in front of me. I hit the car on the passenger side front fender. FWIW, I was taking the lane, following all the rules, but not being vigilent enough to keep myself safe. Luckily, the only lasting damage was to my bike which needed a new frame. Oddly enough, I put enough lateral force on the front fork (it was steel) to bend it sideways, but my front wheel just needed some very minor re-truing.

[ghettocruiser]

No vote. Never been hit by a vehicle hard enough to knock me over, hence all were below my "accident" threshold.

[Keith99]

Rear ended by a guy looking for an address (Looking for doctor's office I think). My rear wheel gave it's life to save me from any real harm.

[lebowitz]

I was hit intentionally by a pedestrian. It sent me to the emergency room with a permanent scar on my face.

More details please?

[slowandsteady]

I voted Other since I've never been hit (knocks on head).


This was only for people actually hit by a car while riding a bike.

[LittleBigMan]

More details please?
Peds walking in the lane against traffic, no sidewalk, gravel shoulder. I come opposite direction (with traffic.) I see peds, slow to a crawl. They see me and step off onto gravel shoulder. I increase speed a little to about 15 mph (downhill.) As I pass, they stick out their arms into my path. I block with my right forearm (don't ever do that,) connect arms with ped, endo, face on pavement.

Won't happen again (not that way, anyway.)

[jomalley]

Hit a van's rear bumper at a stoplight, but it was only a tap and the driver didn't even notice me.
The spot I was braking at had a big patched-stain on the ground, probably from oil. Whoops!

[AlmostTrick]

I was only involved in one bike / motor vehicle collision and it was back when I was ten years old. I was at least five miles out of my permitted range on a 45 mph four lane arterial. I was proceeding to cross a major intersection from the gutter on the wrong side of the road when the cross traffic light turned green. I slammed on my coaster brake, the first car in line ran over my front wheel and I went down.

Thanks to my quick braking I was not injured. I'm (living) proof that kids and wrong way cyclists increase the bike accident rates.

[genec]

You need to add something to the poll... respondents should be those cycle where there is traffic actually behind them.

If you never "take the lane" and always choose routes where there is a BL or ride on a path or sidewalk, then there is no way to ever be hit from behind. (except perhaps by another cyclist or a really wayward motorist)

If on the other hand, you frequently bias left at intersections, take the lane with traffic behind you, and ride centerish for visiblity reasons... then there is a chance that you too may experience the most common type of accident that motorists experience... the rear end collision.

[slowandsteady]

You need to add something to the poll... respondents should be those cycle where there is traffic actually behind them.

If you never "take the lane" and always choose routes where there is a BL or ride on a path or sidewalk, then there is no way to ever be hit from behind. (except perhaps by another cyclist or a really wayward motorist)

If on the other hand, you frequently bias left at intersections, take the lane with traffic behind you, and ride centerish for visiblity reasons... then there is a chance that you too may experience the most common type of accident that motorists experience... the rear end collision.


Well considering so far there is only one person actually rear ended, I don't see how we need to stratify the responses further.

[Ed Holland]

Someone reversed into me once, in the UK. They'd stopped (to make a right turn into a driveway) one house too far down the street. Without looking the driver tried to back up, but my front wheel stopped them. No injuries resulted and the driver honoured their word and paid for bike repairs.

I also managed jomalley's trick and rear ended a van once. I anticipated the traffic light change to green (too much of a hurry on my part) the van driver didn't. No damage.

Ed

[bragi]

A trash struck stopped at an intersection to let me cross; halfway through, an impatient driver of a BMW swerved around the trash truck and ran into me. Then she backed up and yelled at me for scratching her car. After she saw the look on my face, she decided maybe it was time to leave. I wasn't injured, and my bike sustained less damage than the car. Steel frames are the best.

[CommuterRun]

I was nearly involved in a bike/car rear end collision a couple years ago. Rainy, slick conditions, in traffic. Does it count if I was the one on the bike and driving like an ID-10-T? :o

[genec]

Well considering so far there is only one person actually rear ended, I don't see how we need to stratify the responses further.

And where was that one person riding??? Center biased or not?

I have never been struck by lightening on a golf course... but then again, I don't golf, so do I fit the proper parameters for a lightening strike on a golf course. Other people have been struck by lightening on golf courses... because they were in that location.

So getting back to my comment, if a cyclist never rides in a location where they might be struck, then the likelyhood of a rear end collision is pretty darn small.

[John E]

You need to add something to the poll... respondents should be those cycle where there is traffic actually behind them.

If you never "take the lane" and always choose routes where there is a BL or ride on a path or sidewalk, then there is no way to ever be hit from behind. (except perhaps by another cyclist or a really wayward motorist)

If on the other hand, you frequently bias left at intersections, take the lane with traffic behind you, and ride centerish for visiblity reasons... then there is a chance that you too may experience the most common type of accident that motorists experience... the rear end collision.

Two recent tragedies on Coast Highway 101 in San Diego County (Solana Beach and Carlsbad) say otherwise. We are actually losing a fair number of cyclists to motorists who right-drift into bike lanes or shoulders -- scary stuff.

[livingfortoday]

Yeah, I got hit by a guy who was looking to his left for oncoming traffic as he merged into the right turning lane, and rolled right into me (I was waiting for the red light). My rear wheel gave its life so that I could be ok. He took off when I called the cops, and they took down his plates and stuff but nothing ever came of it. I was also hit in another fashion (from the side, on my rear wheel), but no injuries again, and the bike was fine as they were only going 10mph or so.

[genec]

Two recent tragedies on Coast Highway 101 in San Diego County (Solana Beach and Carlsbad) say otherwise. We are actually losing a fair number of cyclists to motorists who right-drift into bike lanes or shoulders -- scary stuff.

Yeah, but they fall clearly into the "wayward motorist" catagory. I doubt either could have been prevented by left or center biasing the cyclist... especially the last one with the drunk motorist.

[sbhikes]

If you are hit from behind at all then you are directly in the path of a motorist at the time. Whether it happens in the center or shoulder it's still a case where the motorist was not paying adequate attention. That more cyclists are hit in the shoulder only means that's where the cyclists are when motorists who aren't paying adequate attention hit them.

[Oden]

A lady made a right turn directly in front of me without signaling. I tried to turn with her and miss her car, but couldn't do it fast enough. Luckily, neither me nor my bike were injured. She just got a nice reminder on the side of her car to use her turn signal:D

[Keith99]

If you are hit from behind at all then you are directly in the path of a motorist at the time. Whether it happens in the center or shoulder it's still a case where the motorist was not paying adequate attention. That more cyclists are hit in the shoulder only means that's where the cyclists are when motorists who aren't paying adequate attention hit them.

Bull. It is not always the motorists fault. One classic case is the cyclist (hopefully no one who has been on this board for more than a couple of weeks) who 'stays out of traffic' by riding in the parking lane, but there are parked cars. They pop in and out, often without looking and some do it even for just a couple of car lengths. If a cyclist changes lanes into the path of a car it is the cyclists fault.

BTW I once saw two guys in full kit pull this stunt on PCH near Leo Carillo. Riding on the shoulder (that quite reasonable, I was on hte shoulder about 1/2 mile back). But when they came up to the section where there were cars parked they just changed lanes, no look, just move without warning.

[Keith99]

Since I was one of the now 3 hit from behind and details have been asked for I thought I'd give a few. It was years ago on Topanga just south of Ventura Blvd. That is a section with 3 lanes plus a generous parking lane, which soon narrows to 2 lanes. I was toward the right. There is no bike lane. If they were to restripe to put in a bike lane it would very likely be where I was.

[mrpsmr]

"Peds walking in the lane against traffic, no sidewalk, gravel shoulder. I come opposite direction (with traffic.) I see peds, slow to a crawl. They see me and step off onto gravel shoulder. I increase speed a little to about 15 mph (downhill.) As I pass, they stick out their arms into my path. I block with my right forearm (don't ever do that,) connect arms with ped, endo, face on pavement."

This doesn't sound like an accident, it sounds intentional. Did you file a criminal complaint?

Michael

[slowandsteady]

And where was that one person riding??? Center biased or not?

I have never been struck by lightening on a golf course... but then again, I don't golf, so do I fit the proper parameters for a lightening strike on a golf course. Other people have been struck by lightening on golf courses... because they were in that location.

So getting back to my comment, if a cyclist never rides in a location where they might be struck, then the likelyhood of a rear end collision is pretty darn small.


The sample size isn't sufficient to draw any real conclusions.

[San Rensho]

I don't know if this counts, but I was run down on purpose by a guy in a car after we had a heated argument. I almost got away from him but he got me.

About 5 stitches and the cops wouldn't press charges, driver says I swerved into him.

[Raiyn]

For those of you who have been involved in a bike + motorized vehicle accident, who was rear ended by the motorized vehicle and who hasn't?
Why do you ask? Trying to weigh the outcomes of riding in traffic vs riding against it? If that's the case keep in mind that physics dictates that 'tis better to go with than against (nevermind that it's the law)
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/4783/Ridewithtraffic1.jpg

[slowandsteady]

What is your point? I have no agenda.

On an another thread someone posted that rear endings were common. I just wanted to see what the stats were on this with a poll. I know all of its flaws, but I don't have access to a focus group or a properly controlled study. This is just a quick and dirty poll.

I have no fear of being rear ended or being hit by a car in general. I have had a handful of falls and none of them involved another vehicle. I always ride with traffic, rarely on MUPs and take the lane most of the time. Actually, I take the lane until about 1 second before the car passes and then I scoot over to give myself a little more room. But I ride in a rural area with cars and trucks passing me at 50 mph+.

It is a suicide mission to ride against traffic.

[genec]

What is your point? I have no agenda.

On an another thread someone posted that rear endings were common. I just wanted to see what the stats were on this with a poll. I know all of its flaws, but I don't have access to a focus group or a properly controlled study. This is just a quick and dirty poll.

I have no fear of being rear ended or being hit by a car in general. I have had a handful of falls and none of them involved another vehicle. I always ride with traffic, rarely on MUPs and take the lane most of the time. Actually, I take the lane until about 1 second before the car passes and then I scoot over to give myself a little more room. But I ride in a rural area with cars and trucks passing me at 50 mph+.

It is a suicide mission to ride against traffic.

Hey what other thread said rear enders were common?

Could it be that you misread that thread and perhaps the person said that rear ender accidents were common in autos. And perhaps that person then postulated that the more leftish or centerish we cyclists ride the more chance we might become involved in similar accidents as motorists? Could it be that other thread questions the validity of low rear end accidents? Go you one futher with this poll... overtaking or rear end accidents tend to be the most deadly type for cyclists... so how many live respondents do you really expect to find here?

Of course the stats on cyclists at this time indicate that overtaking or rear ender accidents are low... look where most cyclists ride... spend an hour or two observing cyclists on local street where cyclists tend to ride, and see where most cyclists are... to the right or centerish or what? (I'll give you a hint... you won't find MOST cyclists in the "right tire track." )

:rolleyes:

[slowandsteady]

Hey what other thread said rear enders were common?

Could it be that you misread that thread and perhaps the person said that rear ender accidents were common in autos. And perhaps that person then postulated that the more leftish or centerish we cyclists ride the more chance we might become involved in similar accidents as motorists? Could it be that other thread questions the validity of low rear end accidents? Go you one futher with this poll... overtaking or rear end accidents tend to be the most deadly type for cyclists... so how many live respondents do you really expect to find here?

Of course the stats on cyclists at this time indicate that overtaking or rear ender accidents are low... look where most cyclists ride... spend an hour or two observing cyclists on local street where cyclists tend to ride, and see where most cyclists are... to the right or centerish or what? (I'll give you a hint... you won't find MOST cyclists in the "right tire track." )

:rolleyes:


So the results of my poll are invalid because all of the people who would have sided with you are actually dead? And so answer your question....I expected all of the respondants to be alive.


Actually, most of the cyclists I see are in one of two places. They are either in the right tire track or riding opposing traffic. Where I ride there are no shoulders or sidewalks. They are two lane 50 + mph rural roads. YMMV

[Helmet Head]

This poll is a sham.


(no offense, it's just the typical intelligent :rolleyes: response I get in my poll threads, so I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it feels).

[slowandsteady]

This poll is a sham.


(no offense, it's just the typical intelligent :rolleyes: response I get in my poll threads, so I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it feels).


That is because your polls are a sham. I have no agenda with this poll. I am not trying to prove a point. I had no idea which way it would go. Someone else posted a point about being rear ended, and I decided to start a poll to see what people had experienced. It doesn't prove anything.

The other guy may have a point about lane positioning having to do with being rear ended. Since there aren't any stats on this, no one really knows. But it is an interesting thought.