|
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10970136)
I've been internally debating the merits of a rear view mirror for a year now. People who have them swear by them. But I think looking in the rear view only takes your eyes off what's ahead, and would I have known he was going to hit me? I don't know... I'm still wondering if I should get one...
That said, hoping a mirror will prevent a collision with an inattentive driver is another issue, and I don't see it being very effective. It can keep you aware of when there is traffic behind you, and that can be valuable, but unless a car is visibly swerving, I don't know how you could tell a car that was going to pass safely from a car that was going run into you. Even so, rightly or wrongly, I feel like my mirror is my best safety device in the daytime, with lights taking the lead after dark. If I walk out of work at the end of the day and, after the door locks behind me, I realize my helmet is still at my desk, I don't give it a 2nd thought, but if it's my mirror that I left behind, I miss it the whole time I'm on my bike until I get back to my office to retrieve it. |
Glad you came out relatively unscated, pharasz. Could have been much worse. Hope you heal up quick.
As for mirrors, not sure it would have helped in this case. If I were the OP and starting to accelerate again to go through an intersection, I think my attention would be focused more on making sure nothing was running the red light on the crossing road and that no one in front of me was turning or planning to turn (right hook scenario). Checking behind for possible turners I generally do a little closer to the actual intersection than the 30 meters away that the OP says he was, at least given my current riding conditions. Maybe others ride differently. That being said, I will add my voice to those who swear by their mirrors. I had the MTB bar end Mirrycle mirror on my bike for a year. I recently changed over to trekking bars, and I decided that any on the bar mounting solution would interfere with hand positions. I have a Take A Look glasses mounted mirror on its way, but in the interceding two weeks, I've felt much less aware of my surroundings. I used to glance down at the mirror every so often and liked knowing what was behind me, be it on the road or the MUP. I'll feel safer once I get the Take A Look and can see behind me again! |
Glad to hear you are alright. I have been hit too, although mine was by a volkswagen and not a sweet older model lexus, yeah I am pretty jealous. I knew the ambulance would be expensive so i refused and had my friend take me. Made sure the drivers insurance covered the hospital bill though.
|
I believe a mirror could have helped avoid being hit unless the motorist actually was aware of the cyclist and intentionally hit them, or if the motorist was so distracted they were not even aware of anything that might be in front of them and there was no space for a cyclist on the right side of the path of vehicle. The engagement with the other driver would start before the 30m out point.
|
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10970136)
The other question was do I have lights - yes I do. I have LED "Mullets" on my helmet, and a rear tail light and headlight. They are not good for seeing, but are good for being seen. My commute is urban and there are streetlights over 90% of the route. So I don't need lights to help me see, just to be seen. Regardless, it was still 45 minutes before sunset, so I didn't have my lights on.
|
Glad you aren't spooked or badly hurt!
Be sure to get an accident report and ensure the charges stick(don't just be satisfied the cop wrote a ticket)... otherwise you might consider a civil suit. Lexus drivers you say... hahaha :D The reason you get treated promptly when you show up in the meat wagon is that the emt's have to get back out on the road but, they can't leave until you're admitted. |
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10970136)
I've been internally debating the merits of a rear view mirror for a year now. People who have them swear by them. But I think looking in the rear view only takes your eyes off what's ahead, and would I have known he was going to hit me? I don't know... I'm still wondering if I should get one...
|
To the OP: if that were me, I would have (probably) noticed the car in my glasses mounted mirror. Yes, it takes your attention off of what's ahead. But the threats come from all directions. You have to scan the front and sides, why not the back? Obviously threats develop from there.
In my experience (about 2 years or so?) bicycle commuting, the majority of my close calls have come from cars to my immediate right rear, so I keep an eye on folks that might into a driveway or something. You can tell when one comes up and slows a bit something's up. |
Praxis... I loved the stuff you did with Consolidated! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2G3cTBg7aQ |
Glad you will be OK, glad the cop gave a ticket to the kid. Too bad the cop did not give a ticket to the old fool.
|
uneducated trailer park resident
As opposed to the Harvard educated Phd trailer rat. Boy I HATE those ****ers! |
Sometimes you aren't given much choice... when I got hit a off duty paramedic witnessed the accident and told me not to move (landed on my head after my short, unscheduled flight after being broadsided) and when the ambulance arrived he made sure they collared and backboarded me. Now I understand that I could have refused this treatment but given the fact I also knew I landed on my head (very interesting when you stop rolling and your first thought is inventory, can I wiggle my fingers? Check. Can I wiggle my toes? Check) I wasn't taking any chances. Still, if the auto driver was at fault they should be paying for that ambulance ride.
|
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10965421)
What was significant was that damn 2000 LB piece of hardware
For example, my Honda Fit -- a pretty small car -- is 2575 lbs. A midsized car is closer to 4000 lbs. The only cars close to 2000 lbs are either old compacts (safety standards were weaker back then) or the really tiny cars like Mini Coopers or Smart cars. |
Originally Posted by woodway
(Post 10972209)
Personally, I run my lights, front and back, during the daylight as well as night time. I find that they help me be seen just as much in the daytime.
Anyway, It is good that you were not badly injured and that the kid was responsive and apologetic. |
Originally Posted by wunderkind
(Post 10967210)
|
Originally Posted by dougmc
(Post 11226082)
Only the very smallest cars weigh around 2000 lbs. Most are quite a bit more.
|
Man, that was a chilling story. Glad you survived.
Did the driver or the police officer ever say why the driver started rubbing you out? Was he trying to make a right turn? If not, then there's a high probability, in my mind, that he was texting away ... I see it all the time. The tell-tale drift of a texter is becoming a common sight. I don't know how people ever convinced themselves this was acceptable behavior. Hey, at least it wasn't a hit and run ... that's the new trend where I live. |
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10970136)
I've been internally debating the merits of a rear view mirror for a year now. People who have them swear by them. But I think looking in the rear view only takes your eyes off what's ahead, and would I have known he was going to hit me? I don't know... I'm still wondering if I should get one...
The other question was do I have lights - yes I do. I have LED "Mullets" on my helmet, and a rear tail light and headlight. They are not good for seeing, but are good for being seen. My commute is urban and there are streetlights over 90% of the route. So I don't need lights to help me see, just to be seen. Regardless, it was still 45 minutes before sunset, so I didn't have my lights on. I am in contact with his insurance company now to get my medical bills paid. I'm on pain meds right now and working from home. Fortunately I have a job where I can telecommute if necessary. This morning, two days after the accident, I discovered a bruise on my left leg which I hadn't felt until now. I guess that means I'm getting better? One other detail: As I sat in the back of my wife's car, she was talking to the cops and awaiting a copy of the accident report form and the kids mother showed up (in a new Lexus) and apologized to her. I suspect they are scared of a lawsuit. I'm not a vindictive or litigious person. We all make stupid mistakes and I've made my share in life. The key is to learn from our mistakes. I'm satisfied that he got a ticket. It was obvious he was very distressed by what he did. We can only hope he learned a lesson and is a more attentive driver in the future. As for lights, I turn at least my rear light to blink mode every time I'm on the road, be it morning, day, evening, night, sun, rain, snow, whatever. It grabs their attention, and a few times I saw cars in the mirror "snap" out of it a few dozen feet behind me, and then quickly move over to overtake. One of them said to me at the traffic light that he only saw me because of the light - he said he was driving along, almost in stupor like state, and then he saw something blinking and that waked him up enough to understand I was there, and to see me. So your accident sounds just like that, that the kid had kinda snoozed away while driving. Blinking light gives them the information that something is wrong with that picture - like, what is that blinking red thing in the middle of the road? - and then they actively look and recognize it's a cyclist. And last, no matter if you are or aren't vindictive person, get your costs covered. No matter how sorry he was, his actions and negligence resulted in your injuries, and he should pay for that. Why should you spend your money on something that is his fault? And otoh, people are known to fake being sorry, just to get out of paying for something they did, don't discount that possibility too. Get him to pay for it, and maybe, then he will make sure it doesn't happen again. |
Originally Posted by KD5NRH
(Post 11231379)
It's [the weight of a car] pretty much irrelevant.
|
Originally Posted by dougmc
(Post 11233339)
Of course. But when cyclists talk about "getting hit by a X lb car" -- the weight is brought up to make it sound more scary/impressive/dangerous/etc. And if you're going to make up a figure, you might as well not make up a figure that's nearly half of the average.
|
Glad you weren’t hurt badly. I am in the “been there, done that” category for this stuff.
I have managed to be hit by a car and knocked down by dogs. In the process of being hit by the car, I was carried/thrown down the street about 75 ft., crossed a concrete sidewalk and landed on my back in a grass strip between the sidewalk and a very rough asphalt parking lot. As I was lying in the grass I pulled up my head to look at my arms and legs to see if anything was bent in a fashion to indicate major injury. I was carried by ambulance to the hospital where I was x-rayed from head to toe. Nothing was broken but I had bruises from head to heal. I was hit about 0640. The hospital sent me home at about 0900. When the dogs knocked me down, I took a tumble and landed on my butt. Apparently I was knocked out briefly. When they did a CT scan at the hospital, I had a pelvic fracture and internal bleeding. The bleeding was apparently from hitting the stem on the way over the bars and is what got them excited, but the pelvic fracture kept me in the hospital a month and in a wheelchair another two months. Now after two years I feel I am pretty well recovered. These days I have mounted mirrors on my bikes and LED tail lights that I use in daylight to hopefully increase the chances of me seeing them and them seeing me. |
glad you are ok. been there done that. get your insurance company to go after the other guy. they will cover everything but it will also take forever. am still dealing with bills from incident in 2008. the hospital/docs etc., wanted about $30,000 for the whole thing. insurance dropped that to around $14,000. I paid nothing. Ambulance ride and all the trimmings. Unfortunately mine was hit and run and no one caught the driver. be careful out there. look twice it's your life.
|
Originally Posted by bikegeek57
(Post 11236537)
glad you are ok. been there done that. get your insurance company to go after the other guy. they will cover everything but it will also take forever. am still dealing with bills from incident in 2008. the hospital/docs etc., wanted about $30,000 for the whole thing. insurance dropped that to around $14,000. I paid nothing. Ambulance ride and all the trimmings. Unfortunately mine was hit and run and no one caught the driver. be careful out there. look twice it's your life.
|
Originally Posted by pharasz
(Post 10970136)
I've been internally debating the merits of a rear view mirror for a year now. People who have them swear by them. But I think looking in the rear view only takes your eyes off what's ahead, and would I have known he was going to hit me? I don't know... I'm still wondering if I should get one...
The other question was do I have lights - yes I do. I have LED "Mullets" on my helmet, and a rear tail light and headlight. They are not good for seeing, but are good for being seen. My commute is urban and there are streetlights over 90% of the route. So I don't need lights to help me see, just to be seen. Regardless, it was still 45 minutes before sunset, so I didn't have my lights on. I am in contact with his insurance company now to get my medical bills paid. I'm on pain meds right now and working from home. Fortunately I have a job where I can telecommute if necessary. This morning, two days after the accident, I discovered a bruise on my left leg which I hadn't felt until now. I guess that means I'm getting better? One other detail: As I sat in the back of my wife's car, she was talking to the cops and awaiting a copy of the accident report form and the kids mother showed up (in a new Lexus) and apologized to her. I suspect they are scared of a lawsuit. I'm not a vindictive or litigious person. We all make stupid mistakes and I've made my share in life. The key is to learn from our mistakes. I'm satisfied that he got a ticket. It was obvious he was very distressed by what he did. We can only hope he learned a lesson and is a more attentive driver in the future. I'm 70 and have been cycling in Texas for over 30 years, Car-Free for the last 7 years. Like most people I have had some close calls but never been hit. I'm glad you were not badly injured. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:04 PM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.