csown

Hi everyone,

I was hit by a car a couple months ago. I was on my commute going straight, 5-lane street, my right-of-way, and he turned left in front of me fast. I had checked to see if the intersection was clear, proceeded at steady speed through the intersection. I glanced down at my computer, looked up right before entering the intersection, and the car was blasting through the turn going at least 40. Unfortunately my hands were on the tops. I managed to get my hands in the drops and bled my speed down but had nowhere to go, struck the front quarter panel and hit his window with my shoulder. Visibility was 100% down the straight road that morning, I was wearing colorful clothes, and the 70yo driver didn't even see me.

I got a separated shoulder, type V. I had surgery and am now 6 weeks post-op. My shoulder is mostly working again but it reminds me every day that it was messed up and it still doesn't look right even with surgery. My commute is 15 miles each way and I've done it the past 3 years covering thousands of miles along this route. I trained for racing during the commute and always felt great having a great workout before and after work. Getting hit, my race season was instantly shot. I have big medical bills and a lawyer working on the case. And I couldn't pick up my baby girl for almost two months - that was the worst.

I'm having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around riding again. I've been riding the trainer at home and have been trying to keep up my fitness, and will probably get the OK to get on the road again in a couple weeks. I had the sort of macho attitude at first that it wasn't that bad, that surgery would fix it, and I'd be back racing cross in the winter. But I've come to realize that my body will never be the same again and I'll probably get narsty arthritis in my shoulder and may need revision surgery in 10-15 years. And I can't even say it was a cool battle scar from a race or something - just some idiot geriatric driver who didn't see me. Such a waste.

For those of you who've been through an accident - a more serious one that messed up your life for several months - how did you get back to commuting (or just riding, period)? What sort of mental things did you have to go through to not be afraid anymore?

I also would like to know if any of you have had any experience with multiple accidents. I'd like to think that I've taken my statistic - that the chances are slim that I'd be in another life-threatening accident like this. But the way statistics work, it seems that if you're hit once, then you're automatically likely to get hit again. The reasoning being that a small number of people contribute the lion's share of accident statistics (e.g., multiple accidents over their lifetime) while the majority of people never have anything happen to them. Is this realistic?

Sorry about the depressed tone of this post. I appreciate if those of you wiser and more experienced than me can offer some input as to how to deal with emotional scars after the physical ones heal.

cccorlew

Smacked head on. She came across the road and went through me on her way into the weeds. I was a bloody, broken mess.

It took a long time not to be jumpy even as a passenger in cars. Bikes took longer. I took up mountain biking to avoid cars. I don't LOVE mountain biking, but it was better than nothing and got me on the bike.

I now road bike and commute. It took a long time to be comfortable around cars -- years-- but eventually it happened.

Good luck with your recovery.

felt1

I used too race motorcycles(crotch rockets) and went through a string of 4 crashes in a row. I was fine with the first three crashes because they were my fault. So I jumped right back on the bike and didn't lose any speed. But the fourth crash was caused by some guy running in a corner to hot and T-boning me.(4 months off, broken bones, pins, and surgery) That crash emotionally damaged me because it was not my fault. I had trouble entering corner at a high speed and I would concede the corner to another racer without hesitation.

When someone else causes the accident you realize you are not in control. You need to take back control. After 2 or 3 practice days with the fast guys I realized I was a serious danger to them and me. So I dropped down a level for one track day knowing no one could pass me. During that time I practice on passing others and corner entry without worrying about being jammed. It took me a half a day before I got my grove back. I think if I would have stayed in the other group it would have took 4 more days.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is step back and take it slow. Find a secluded place and go slow, stop and smell the roses.

bikemore7

Sorry to hear about your accident. Identical thing just happened to me, almost the same age of driver too. I think they need to do a better job of checking the vision on some of these people. Never saw me, he didn't even come up to the intersection. He turned early and fast, must have been trying to beat a car coming behind me. In fact, when I first saw him, his car was pointed straight at me coming up the road at about a 20-30 degree angle from the direction of traffic. He passed in front of me on the left side of the road he was turning onto. I was 2/3rds of the way through the intersection when I hit him and he was to the left of me.

I have similar feelings, in fact the other day I actually took the sidewalk, haven't done that in a long time. Although with all the blind intersection not sure that isn't more dangerous. Hope you get your confidence back, it would be tragic if that took away your joy of cycling. Good luck with your recovery, and everything else!

mattm

critical mass.

seriously, riding in a large group will make you feel safer, and would be a good way to ease back onto the roads.

many have gone to CM and come out feeling a little more safe riding the roads. i did.

derrickhackman

i was hit from behind last year (Sept 13th) while braking for a left hand turn. A 65 yr old woman hit me while i was riding in a left-hand turning lane while getting ready to turn left. i was thrown on the hood and finally pitched off the hood onto the ground when she figured out what was going on. bottom line is i was lucky to escape with a concussion and some minor injuries.

with respect to getting over the event ... it has been a year and i am still twitchy with cars coming up from behind. i do 1000 head checks per ride, but it is getting better. take the time and come back slow. don't expect too much as we are all luck to still be converting oxygen.

be safe.

JVolz

I was hit last year, luckily not too badly. I was on the bike a week later. It was bad mistake by an inattentive teenage driver, so I just resign myself to the fact that people like that are out there and to right as defensively and alertly as possible.

Scorer75

Sorry man, that sucks.

It took me 10 months to be able to ride again after my accident.

Once I was able to ride, it took a full month of preparing my bike to commute, waking up, and somewhere between my bed and garage finding a reason NOT to ride.

Once I started riding, I was real nervous and probably spent more time looking over my shoulder than looking in front of me. You probably could have swapped out my chamois for a pair of Depends the way I felt every time a car got near me.

It's been a few months since I started riding and it has gotten much better, not 100% to where I was, but I've been doing 25-30 miles an hour with cars within 2-3 feet of me on each side and not freaked out.

Bottom line, I NEED to ride.

My recommendation, it's gonna suck, but only time on the bike will make it easier, so get on the bike and do it. I doubt you are (I know I wasn't) ready to give up riding, so get on the bike and go.

Good luck.

idcruiserman

I was nervous for the first ride or 2 after getting back on the bike. That went away faster than I thought it would. I got hit twice in 4 months, but I'm accident free for over a year .

punksurfer024

i got hit a couple weeks ago.....ive been thinking about nothing but riding again.....im waiting for insurance check to get new bike so i can get back to racing

CharlieWoo

Um, maybe you should try racing on a track and not on the street?

bigtea

Hit from behind last November by a Mercedes. Two broken vertebrae, broken rib, bone-deep abrasion on the elbow. I'm lucky to be alive. I no longer ride on Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California. There are plenty of miles of bike paths and bike lanes here in So Cal that I can use and reduce the risk of being hit again.

It took me 6 months to recover enough to ride again and I'm now super cautious about cars approaching from behind.

CharlieWoo

What you (OP) are going trough is a natural emotional response that evolved because it kept us from repeating serious mistakes that could get us dead. I went through the same thing following a car accident. Fear not - it will lessen with time and then fade away.

HastyDeparture

Just yesterday I was hit after a minivan quickly accelerated to pass me on a descent, then braked hard and made a right turn less than 50m later. Fortunately, neither I nor my bike were seriously damaged; I got off with a sore butt and some minor road rash. To be fair, though, I'm extremely lucky that I hit the van in the quarter panel rather than a window, and that I just dropped to the ground instead of rolling or skidding farther. Had it been a sedan instead of a van, I'd have been launched over the trunk of the car, and I might not be posting this. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit jittery when I hopped back on later to make sure the bike still checked out.

csown

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your responses so far. It's great to hear that you guys came back and it's good to know that the amount of time you needed varies and that I should go at it in my own terms. I'd like more of stories, especially those of you who may have had multiple accidents.

Part of me wants to get on the bike right away, back to racing, back to commuting. Another part feels like I need to prioritize family and safety. That story about the 50s-ish guy who got run over the other day leaving 3 kids to mourn him comes to mind. I'm under 30 and have lots more years ahead of me. I am getting lots of pressure from family (who don't ride) about not riding anymore. My wife seems like she'll be supportive with whatever I choose.


Felt1:
I think you hit on one of the things that I have major trouble getting over. It's that my life is sometimes totally in someone else's control. Someone who doesn't care if I am dead.

I've crashed twice in the last 12 years but it was my own fault and I came through with only deep road rash and some hip stuff that took 10 years to work out but it never got in the way of my riding psychology. And I had my share of near-misses especially when I was younger. The common thread was that I could chalk those times up to inexperience and I just rode more safely for myself in the future.

But you can't prevent a person from running you over from behind, running you off the road, or hitting you head-on at 50mph. And while most accidents can be prevented, we aren't machines and can't always keep 100% alertness.

I think I also have a phobia of mutilation / maiming and that is a good part of what makes this one harder. In the past, I only got minorly messed up and things were OK structurally but this time it was bad and could easily have been much worse. My wife is helping me get an anxiety therapist and I'm hopeful it will help.


bikemore:
Thanks for your story... I hope you didn't also get a separated shoulder. My lawyer said in his experience the left turn in front of cyclist (who has right-of-way) is the most common accident he sees. This seems to be supported by data: (https://www.johnforester.com/Articles/Safety/Cross01.htm). It also says that younger people are more likely to get in this type of accident.

Here's another resource for anyone interested: https://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/riskfactors.htm. It says that MUPs are associated with high risk of accidents too because of lots of blind intersections. And it recommends against sidewalk riding.

telebianchi

csown, Your story is so much like mine that I only had to replace a few words. Physically, I was luckier than you with only a sprained should and a little road rash as I hit the street but rolled onto grass. What also helped is the driver told me she heard my screaming and at the last moment she hit the gas. Had she hit her brake instead I would have gone smack into the rear panel instead of scraping off the bumper. That was fall of 2002. It was only this past spring that I could finally ride down that same section of road at full speed, although I didn't have much issue with any other roads. I was back on a mountain bike in two weeks and bought a new road bike the following spring.

It's a tough way to learn things, but I think the accident made me even more aware of what's around me as I ride and that actually made me less nervous. I think the suggestion of finding groups to ride with is a good one. Safety in numbers but also just seeing other people riding relaxed will help you relax.

Sorry you have to go through this. Good luck.

erliuic

Sorry to hear about your accident but unless you remain as cautious as you are now about riding on the road, you chances of getting hit again are exactly the same as it was before.

bikemore7

No seperated shoulder, I was a fraction of a second behind you. I struck somewhere more center- the last thing I remember is hearing my helmet strike something (window?). I had my hands on the levers and when I looked at my bike the left brake lever was hit so hard it was 90 degrees out of position. My hand was so swollen I couldn't bend it. Headache, lots of cuts, scrapes, bruises, and back pain.

Is the driver's insurance cooperating with you? I hope so!

csown

I like the idea of doing group rides to start with. Thanks.

OMG, that is nuts how similar they were. There actually was a grass median. It's good that you weren't more hurt. Rolling is good, that's probably why you got away with just a sprain. I wish I had somewhere to roll... Basically I hit a brick wall. I'd take road rash over structural damage any day.

One other thing going through my head is whether I should have tensed up or relaxed. My crash instinct is to just go limp and hope for the best. Not sure if this is the best thing to do since controlling the fall might help distribute the crash load better. There wasn't any time to think though.


bikemore7:
Same story here, my left lever was turned in 90° and his passenger mirror was knocked off. My fist was all bruised and cut up.

The driver's insurance sucks. Low coverage and according to my lawyer this company always claims no liability. The guy got a ticket, and there were witnesses. What crap. Glad I have a lawyer on this one.

EGreen

I have been hit multiple times. There was one cursed two week period were I was hit by a car in three separate incidents. I have experienced multiple trauma's from deep soft tissue injury to broken bones. Currently I have two uncorrected separated AC joints. I like to play in traffic. Sometimes I've lost the game

I understand feeling a bit jittery about getting back on the bike, but the more time you allow, the greater the fear and anxiety will be. You must get over this resistance, this hump growing into a mountain.

Just HTFU, get back on the bike and rediscover the original joy of riding, which I assure you will come despite the hazards that exist.

KirkeIsWaiting

I was hit too.
By a guy driving an Escalade, talking on a cell phone.
I had a long, drawn out shoulder surgery and about a 9 month recovery to follow.
I'm headed for my second shoulder surgery in about 5 weeks.

Once I was physically able to ride, lean forward and grasp the bars, I was a little skiddish.
Overly cautious and very apprehensive but I kept riding and in short order I was a natural rider again.
I did find myself becoming very vocal with idiot motorists and that was bad. Pretty quickly I realized I had to stop that.

Do ride, maybe a little slow than usual but get back out there.
It will come back to you.
I wish you well.

AdamD

You gotta hop back on the horse.

Last time I got hit was just over 2 years ago and the scene still replays in my head once in a while. I won't ride through that same stretch of road anymore, but it's a tight area and probably not the best place to have been riding to begin with. I literally hopped right back on my bike and rode another 20 miles, which probably wasn't smart, but in retrospect helped me get over the fear (or rather kept the fear from ever getting a solid grip on me). When I finished my ride I realized my helmet had cracked in half. I got a new helmet the next day and kept on my 150-200 mile a week schedule. I still have residual medical issues as a result of the crash, but any mental issues I have I had before the crash.

KirkeIsWaiting - I hope your surgery goes well and you have a full recovery.

punksurfer024

sorry, im confused....I dont get how you got that he was racing on the street? sounds like a closed course to me from the post you quoted.

BRNRBR

One rule I try to enforce on myself is: "eyes up" and repeat that mantra as I ride. When approaching an intersection, there's no looking down at the cassette, no looking at shoes, no looking at computers. To it, and through it, it is "eyes up." I scan for trouble and be ready.

Hope this helps your future.

DanielS

Like the others have said, you've just got to ease back into it. I've done this after two previous crashes where I've been hit by cars.

You will have the most difficulty when encountering the same situation that you crashed in - i.e. coming up to an intersection where there is a car waiting to turn in front of you. So you need to address this first.

Realise that the fear can be a good thing - if you're slowing down quite a bit coming into every intersection, that will actually help!

Then try and think of ways to address your fear. Start out wearing really bright clothes and having really bright LEDs going constantly, even in the day time. I think that will help get your confidence back.

Good luck.