I've been hit. I can't say I'd like to repeat the experience, but in my case, the injuries were minor. I was out of work for a week, simply because the doc imposed lifting restrictions, and my job description states I have to be able to lift and carry 50 pound totes of books. The motorist took his ticket, and his insurance paid everything in full with no quibbles, including my salary for the time off.

While I don't think it's inevitable, insurance industry figures claim the average motorist goes seven years between accidents. If it's considered normal for motorists to crash into each other every seven years, it's fairly reasonable to assume we could get hit too.

I continue to ride defensively to do my best to avoid being hit, and I try to live each day as if it was my last, just in case.