Northern California - 3 reasons I got hit by a car today

I rode 754 miles this months and at mile 753.5 today I got hit by a car.

After my best ever month on the bike, (Highlights: A double century, A regular century, 2 metrics) I get swiped .5 miles from home by a driver that shot out of her driveway without looking.

My wife was on my wheel and yelled out to warn me since I had already decided, wrongly that the car was parked and not moving.

I swerved around the back of the car instead of t-boning it or braking hard and going over the bars.
I just got clipped on the rear wheel and did not even go down. It looks like the damage to my bike is limited to only a slightly out of true rear wheel. (Let's hope the drop out is not bent. I do not think so.)

I was lucky and the mistakes I made will serve as safety reminders for me, and maybe us all.

Mistake #1: I did not look in the windows of the car as it sat in the driveway to see if a driver was in it.
Reminder #1: If a driver is in any parked vehicle, watch out and keep an eye on the car's wheels for any sign of movement.

Mistake #2: Looking 3 houses up the street at a guy doing yard work, thinking "Is that my neighbor Ray,?"
Reminder #2 Eyes on the road and mind on controlling the bike. Even at 12 MPH like I was going, bad things happen very quickly

Mistake #3: This was a 12 mile recovery spin in my granny and I was very tired from a hard ridden century yesterday. I forgot how fatigue impairs reaction time and judgement.
Reminder #3 When tired, mistakes like #1 and #2 are easy to make, the brain fatigues as much as the body. Be more cautious when weary.


I was lucky, all I got was a tweaked wheel and this crappy feeling to end an otherwise great month on.

I hope I don't sound preachy or too dramatic.
I just thought I would share in case it would do any one else some good to hear.

Be safe friends.

Okay, my heart stopped with the thread title!! Glad you're okay and only a wheel damaged...yikes, though. Hope the driver pays for any damage. And no, you're not being dramatic or preachy. We're on tiny wheels, and light bikes against 2 tons of unforgiving metal, it's a good thing for all of us to be reminded of.

Glad to hear you're OK. I commute for 95% of my miles and every time I have a near miss (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=453864) I can almost always attribute it to something I did ... or didn't do. I'm glad to see you're taking a lessons learned approach to this incident rather than blaming the driver as is the case so often on these forums.

I'm of the mind that drivers simply cannot see a cyclist because they're instead on the lookout for a rather large steel container with wheels. I've had drivers look right at me with my gawdy yellow jacket and blinking lights and all -- and still act as though I did not exist. Or when they do see us, they fail to account for the speed we can attain (since their idea of cycling is 5 MPH ride in a park trail with a Wal*Mart bike). This, in my view, is the root cause of many a right-hook -- they just can't believe we're where we are after they passed us just a moment before.

In any event, bikers must be alert for these likelihoods as you apparently are. Glad to hear all is well.

Andy

Glad to hear you're ok!


<snip>

I'm of the mind that drivers simply cannot see a cyclist because they're instead on the lookout for a rather large steel container with wheels. I've had drivers look right at me with my gawdy yellow jacket and blinking lights and all -- and still act as though I did not exist. Or when they do see us, they fail to account for the speed we can attain (since their idea of cycling is 5 MPH ride in a park trail with a Wal*Mart bike). This, in my view, is the root cause of many a right-hook -- they just can't believe we're where we are after they passed us just a moment before.

In any event, bikers must be alert for these likelihoods as you apparently are. Glad to hear all is well.

Andy

Absolutely agreed. Drivers often just don't see bicyclists, or motorcyclists for that matter. Best to ride defensively and assume that they don't see you.

And, as you point out, I don't think they have any idea how fast we go sometimes. There's one descent that's part of a regular ride and it passes by some strip shops. More than once I've nearly T-boned a car turning into the parking lot. I just don't think they expect a bike to be moving at 30+ mph in the bike lane, even after they pass.

I look at their tires.
If the tire is rolling, Look Out.
I also do not pay attention to their Turn signals.
Just look to see if their wheels are moving and in what direction.

Glad you are OK Daniel.
Your safety comments are right on the money. Many such accidents often happen when we are the too relax and not attentive of what going on around us and that usually occur when we are getting close to home or/and tired.

I ride my bike the same way i drive my car. I expect drivers to do the stupidest thing possible, and i try not to get in anyone's way. its probably not necessary, but so far its paid off quite well. Driving a small car (a miata) i don't expect anyone else to see me- same philosophy on a bike.

I just moved to a new area (baton rouge) and I hope that my philosophy pays off as well as it did in my last 3 locations (auburn, AL; san marcos, TX; and austin, TX). new places always require one to be extra vigilant in safety, especially when there are few shoulders to be found in the area, until you find the general demeanor of most drivers.

Glad you're okay. Like Overthere, I freaked when I saw the title. Just remember, the road will still be there when you are fully healed.

Crap, man, agreed about the title. http://www.bikeforums.net/mysmiliesvb/mysmilie_15.gif

Glad you're okay, and don't be too hard on yourself. **** just happens sometimes. Momentary lapse of concentration, misapplied concentration, or just plain stupidity from those around you.


I look at their tires.Yes, this is what I go by as well. You can look them in the eye all you want, but it's the rotation of their wheels that signals their intent the clearest.

I'm glad you are okay and yes, you are very lucky indeed. Seems as though your reactions were still not too fatigued if you got away with just an out of true wheel. I hope the person came out to see if you were okay.

One thing I always do when I come upon a car that seems to be stopped at a stop sign or light to my right or left. I always look at the driver and see if we make eye contact, if not I will slow down and see if they are going to pull out. Usually they do then get this sheepish look on their face at which point it will shake my head and wag a finger at them. Usually its the index finger :) glad to hear you are ok

Glad to hear that you escaped any permenant damage.

I'm so happy you are OK. Did you stop and have any... discussion.... with the driver? Are they at least going to cover the cost of replacement Zipp carbon wheels? Or do they need a visit from "Guido"?

You say you made three mistakes. OK, you failed to be paranoid and guard against incompetent car drivers. Being ever vigilant, while wise, isn't a "mistake" in a legal or moral sense. It's smart, but shouldn't be, and isn't, a legal requirement for not being smacked.

Anyway, glad you got off lightly, and enjoy those new wheels.

Maybe a new bike too, just to be safe.

Maybe a new bike too, just to be safe.I think the force of the impact shot a spoke through a load-bearing wall in his house.

Glad you are ok.
Just curious what was the gender and age of the driver?

Glad you are ok. I almost got creamed by an SUV who was crossing the street against thru traffic.
Be safe out there everyone.

Good freakin' grief, Daniel - I leave town for the weekend, get home, check the forums and find out that you've been hit by a car and Glenn had crashed on Diablo! :eek:

Am I not allowed to go away for a bit of R&R without all hell breaking loose, yeesh??? :rolleyes:

Needles to say I'm very relieved to read that both your mishap and Glenn's were minor (compared to what they could have been I mean).

Still, I think I got got a couple of new gray hairs. :D

Damn, glad you are ok. Thanks for the reminders.

And excellent pointers. :thumb:

+1 Glad this wasn't more serious, Dan.

Lance,
Very glad it wasn't more serious & that you are OK. You know my hit by car story...very similiar for the mistake's on my part. Really hope you didn't scare your wife too much. Almost expected in a weird way for some of the crazy riding we end up doing. Than 2 block's from your house danger lurks.

Happy your OK.

Glad you came out relatively unscathed. Thanks for the reminders.

^^^^ What they said.

And +1 on your observations. Fatigue is not your friend.

Really glad you escaped relatively unscathed.

How many grey hairs did your wife instantly grow witnessing that scene? ;)

Yes, how's Mrs. O doing after all this?

How touching that Jobob and Red Rider, both wives, would ask about Mrs. Oldstrong.
Thanks to both of you for that.

My sweetie:love: is a real solid Minnesota farm girl and as such hard to rattle, or good at hiding it anyway.

She was very special to me last night by being just a little closer by and just a little quicker with a touch or a loving look than usual. She suggested we take the kids and go out to dinner at our favorite quiet neighborhood Italian Mom and Pop. We spent way more than we should have but it felt like a celebration and an affirmation.

I talked to the kids about what happened over our meal. I wanted my budding cyclists to know what happened and to learn from it. (They were safely home with their dog when it happened)

glad you're alright. If I may suggest, I don't think your "mistakes" are mistakes. Maybe "reason" as you put in the title is a better word. Maybe you could've done more to maybe, prevent being hit, but you did not make any mistakes.

The mistake/fault is on the driver not seeing you.

Thanks for sharing your experience though, sometime I know I get a little more relax than I should be when riding. Hearing stories like yours makes me a little more aware and pay a little more attention.

glad you're alright. If I may suggest, I don't think your "mistakes" are mistakes. Maybe "reason" as you put in the title is a better word. Maybe you could've done more to maybe, prevent being hit, but you did not make any mistakes.

The mistake/fault is on the driver not seeing you.


This is what I wanted to say. Ultimate fault falls upon whoever is entering traffic. If I ride through a stop sign right in front of someone, that's a mistake. But if someone pulls out and hits me? That's their fault.

Not saying I don't try to anticipate every car pulling out, every door swinging open, but I just think you shouldn't be accepting fault for getting run into!

So glad you are good Daniel.

Twain

Glad you are both OK and good lessons for us all!

yikes!

really glad you're alright.

I second what Jinw/Chris said above. Glad you're okay and thanks for all the safety reminders.

So is the driver going to at least pay for a new wheel?

Good to hear you're OK, Dan - and thanks for the reminders. The fatigue-related observation should be inscribed on the inside of the garage door, to be re-read each time one leaves the house...

Good News!

The damage to the bike was as minor has I had hoped.

Brian down at my LBS: Pleasant Hill Cyclery (http://www.pleasanthillcyclery.com/) trued up the back wheel while I waited. All is as good as new.
Eric, the owner, hand built my wheels and his builds come with free truing for life so I didn't even have to pay. This is a great shop, don't just take my opinion here are some other reviews. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/pleasant-hill-cyclery-concord)

Now I will get back on the road tomorrow or the next day and I will try to be careful and to K.M.H.O.O.M.A

+1000 on that title - thought it was going to be a far uglier story. Glad both you and your bike are ok!

JB

Glad you're OK, Daniel. Thanks for the very timely reminders too!