Originally Posted by steveknight
iIt does happen. I got hit two Fridays ago and it was pretty much unavoidable. I was going along not too fast as there is a little bit of grade starting. A woman pulls up to the road on the right. She stops then starts and stops again. I had brakes when the did that but when she stopped again I thought she had seen me. But he foot slipped on the gas and it was too late to stop then. I tried to go around her and she hit me in the side. We both were going pretty slow then. I did a belly flop and did not get any road rash. My leg got cut from the front derailleur and my knee was a bit out of whack.
So it can still happen but it far more rare if your are careful.
Sorry about your accident. But also note, you were not rear-ended. The real threat to cyclists comes from the side. Where the lane is too narrow for a car to pass you safely (i.e. most lanes), taking the lane is generally the safest way to ride.