Hoshnasi

While merging from a wide right line into a narrow right line I had a truck make a right in front of me. Actually, he only half made the right and then stopped when he realized I was there. He was not signaling and before it happened he had given me what I assumed to be a large birth of space. I was wrong in my assumption, it was for him to swing his truck into a driveway.

The damage is about seven stitches to my left arm when I collided with his rear-view mirror (tearing it off the truck and turning it into a glass shrapnel machine) which tore into my arm giving a couple wide and deep lacerations and alot of abrasions in the same area. I'm sore all over from the resulting crash off the bike and roll up the driveway.

Its really scary for me to think that regardless of how careful I ride, which to my friends and family I am considered the bike safety Nazi. That accidents like this can still happen. This isn't going to stop me from riding, but it is going to add another notch on my belt in terms of experience and things to avoid while I'm out on the road.

Be careful everyone!

badhat

glad youre ok

zoltani

That is a horrible story, but i am glad to hear that it is not worse.
I have been practicing hard right turns so that if a vehicle turns right in front of me i can try to turn with it. So far i have only done this once, but i had ample time to realize that the car was going to make that turn right in front of me. I am not sure if i could pull it off in a true emergency situation.

unixpro

Yeah, glad you're relatively OK. It could have been so much worse.

How is the bike?

knobster

Glad you are ok and glad to hear you have a great attitude about it. I wouldn't. I've going to have to set aside some money for bail for when I drag some chump out of his vehicle and duplicate the damage that they did to me.

jyossarian

Glad to hear you're OK.

mtnwalker

(Shivers at the thought) Man, that is one horrendous experience. Glad you are relatively OK.

This is why I no longer trust people who for some reason will pass me right before an intersection and then slow down and stop to let me through. Whenever I see this happen I slow down myself and stop right behind them. It takes away from my time but it also takes away from theirs as they wait there thinking I will pass to their right. Hopefully this will teach them to wait next time.

acroy

youch

I face this on a daily basis as I ride past a couple of plant entrances. vehicles pass me up, slow down, and turn on top of me. Sometimes they go fats, sometimes slow, about 25% of the time they actually wait for me.

I know I'm extremely visible and moving fast (about 25mph at that point) so not sure why the drivers are in such a rush they gotta risk my life to get into their parking lot 2 seconds earlier. Thus the term: JAM

mtnwalker

This is a habit for me now. But most of the time I approach an intersection or a sidestreet I now look over my left shoulder to view or let drivers know that I know they are there. Works all the time when I remember to do it.

filtersweep

I would argue that you could have taken steps to reduce your risk by taking the lane sooner (anticipating that the road was narrowing). This would have required the vehicle to actually "pass" you, which is unlikely if he/she was planning to turn so soon.

I don't care how much it annoys motorists behind me, but if there is a disabled vehicle in my path ahead of me, or anything else requiring me to "merge" I move to the left far in advance.

Winter76

Glad to hear you're mostly OK. The main bridge i have to cross into downtown has a shy lane for bikes but then immediately after the bridge a lot of cars turn right and I want to go straight, it's a daily terror for me crossing that bridge.

Hoshnasi

I follow this mantra, I ride out far in the lane if I have the slightest fear that the road could lead to a problem. I realize what I should of done now is to take the whole lane, not just the 1/4 of it I had, because as it was, the guy was in front of me I road up to about his truck bed when he started to move right. I was traveling faster then the traffic due to a long line of cars that had just been given the green light. This happened a foot or two from the intersection the cars were all still moving slowly. I believe his intention was to make a fast right turn not to interfere with traffic as much, why he didn't signal is beyond me.

For those that asked, my bike is fine. The bar tape got a wee scuffed that is all. However I haven't really got down and looked it over well enough.

Schwinnrider

Ouch! I feel your pain, bro. I was hit by a truck mirror 5 months ago, and I still feel the effects physically and mentally. The first few times I rode past the site of the accident, I was pretty scared. I was hit while taking the lane AND running two blinkies AND wearing a bright yellow jersey. It can happen, and sometimes nothing you do will prevent it. Just sue the bejeezus out of em. :-)

PaulH

Did he stop? Did you get the plate? Did you call the cops?

Paul

bhchdh 

Heal well, and soon.

chephy

+1. You'll be a better cyclist now, with more experience and knowledge of what may go wrong. So in fact "accidents like this" are less likely to happen to you now, and you are not completely powerless to prevent them now that you're better aware of them. Good luck on the roads.

moxfyre

Get well soon, and keep up with the safety. I hope your arm injury has at least had the good side effect of teaching one motorist to look out for bikes.

I too am scared by how I can ride and a sensible and safe manner, and yet could still fall victim to an aggressive or merely careless motorist. Don't know what to do about it I have to say though, knowing that there is a very supportive community here on BF is a great source of strength and confidence for me. Thanks everyone!!

Hoshnasi

Yes, he stopped. Turns out he lived there. So he called the cops and the paramedics came. Neighbors were all over and all offered to help. The hospital was less then a block and my fiance met me, we packed up my bike in her SUV and took a little 3 hours side trip to the emergency. Big props to the doctor there. I have never had a less painful laceration experience complete with 7 stitches.

Brian Ratliff

Yep, when you ride enough, you'll eventually tangle with a motor vehicle. Just aim for the smooth parts next time .

PS, I got hit for the first time a couple years ago. A car jetted out of a parallel parking spot aiming for a gap in traffic that I happened to occupy at the time . I was really lucky not to be hurt (very badly). I am much more wary of being gapped now.

Flimflam

Wow, rough - glad to hear you're OK. Great attitude, nice to see you'll be back at it Heal fast.

SingingSabre 

I'm glad you're on the way to a strong recovery.

Tapeworm21

That's why you're another statistic. Because you think it'll never happen to you. Biking is dangerous, live accept it or don't. Cars hit cars. Cars hit bikes. Bikes hit cars.

heywood

Really glad you're okay, sounds like it could have been alot worse and the driver seems to have acted properly (truck drivers are usually more professional).

Hope you heal up well and get plenty of support.

Cheers!

cyclezealot

Glad you are ok. You said he stopped. Was he attentive. Is there any excuse for his not seeing you? How is your bike, too?

gbcb

As everyone else has said (but I do mean it!), glad you're ok. That sounds like a nasty crash

I almost got clipped by a right-turning Jaguar a few days ago. He was signalling left up to the intersection, and I only barely saw his right turn signal flash out of the corner of my eye as I rode by him (of course, he only started signalling as he started the turn ). Fortunately, I was able to swerve out of the way, but it shook me up. Good luck with your biking, and hope your belt remains fairly notch-free in the future.