I just got hit...Now what?
 

So...As the title says. I was just hit and I am OK. I'll leave the details out until the matter is resolved with the driver. My real question is what do I do about my wife? I am concerned that if I tell her then she will put a veto on the riding to work. That would suck. What have you all done?

Nothing really major happened to the bike. The right hand brake lever is bent a tad and the RD seems a bit out of whack. I am going to have the bike looked over by my LBS and have the driver pay for it and any repairs that are necessary.

I should add that we have two girls. 8 and 4 if that matters.

I have never been hit yet, fortunately. So I dont have any advice for you but I do want to say I am glad you are okay! And give your girls and wife all hugs when you get home! Good luck on the bike, hope its not too bad.

When I was hit last October, I had to call my wife from the hospital for a ride home and there was no hiding a broken clavicle and totaled bike. Personally, I would not keep it from my wife if I were in your position. What I would do before telling her, however, is determine why you got hit. Though it was the driver's fault, there were probably things you could have done to make getting hit less likely. Concentrate on those to show you are taking the risks seriously. For me, I upgraded my lighting and added lots of high-vis to my commuting wardrobe. Good luck and glad you weren't seriously hurt.

Tell your wife to relax. You came through unscathed. Now you are both right- she thought you'd get hit and you told her you'd be okay out on the streets.

Or if you show no outward signs of the accident and the LBS is open, take the bike there now and tell the wife it was time for a tune-up...

I have been hit,,so what. of course you have to tell the wife,,tell the wife and get back on your bike.
Dont even give any doubt that you are going to get back on the bike,,and thats it.

I am much more careful, the problem seems to be this, every driver is different and it is hard to know how to react,,when approaching a 4 way stop for instance I used to ride through it hoping the car would yeild to me,,the problem is some will and some wont,,so I decided I would come to a complete stop after the time I got hit. Then you have the driver that just wont go till you go,,he knows he should yield to a person on a bike,,,so then you stop,,,he wont move lol and you have to go in front of him anyway. Then you have the driver at a 2 way stop you have the right away and he rolls through the stop sign and almost hits you even though you have the right of way.

I think you greatly reduce your chance of being hit by just not being in a hurry, dont do stupid things like I always used to do like try to beat a car while crossing a big road,,i used to do that stuff when young, now I am so much more careful,,i think I wont get hit again.

Tell her you were pulling away from the florist with a huge bouquet of roses for her (because you love her so much!), when out of nowhere...

Seriously. I'm glad you're okay. And there's no way I could hide something like that from my wife.

Would she veto you using a car if you were in a fender bender?

I told her. I could not hide it. She was a little upset. Wasn't too thrilled when I told her I flew across the hood. I'll show her the vid to show it wasn't too bad.

I used the car argument with her and she just stayed quiet. Lol. Should be good for riding after I get the bike checked by the LBS.

The reality is that pretty much everything we do comes with some degree of risk. I'm a paramedic and I've seen serious injuries to cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. I've also seen serious injuries from falling down steps, mowing the lawn, woodworking, playing baseball, slipping on the ice, falling out of bed (no kidding), putting up Christmas decorations, cutting firewood, riding horses, boating, kitchen appliances, etc . . . and so forth . . . and you get the picture. You can determine how dangerous your cycling will be by the precautions you take and the manner in which you ride. Thank your wife for her concern, but point out that your good riding habits may have turned a potentially serious situation into a minor incident.

For some reason, cycling is viewed differently than other activities that involve risk. I've never quite understood why when a drunk driver wipes out another driver, they blame the drunk, but when a drunk driver hits a cyclist, somehow it's the bike that's dangerous.

Funny part is that I planned on getting home and posting that I just crossed 700 miles on my bike computer. I got hit at 699.9 miles. I actually have it on video after the wreck. Lol

Your question betrays your fear that cycling is more dangerous than driving. It's not. Injuries are likely, given enough time, but they are rarely fatal. Driving is insanely dangerous, if you ask me.

Your wife may not believe me, and there may be no way to convince her.

Our perception of danger is a function of how OFTEN we do something, not how dangerous it is. So since we drive a heck of a lot, we feel safe doing it. This is neither informed nor rational. Try to be rational. It will serve you. Study the statistics and the ways people get injured and killed. If you're interested in safety, you might ditch your car. You might even work to convince your wife and kids to ride bike more often. I hope you don't drive your kids to school.

I know I sound radical, but I think my viewpoints are informed.

Glad to hear you are okay! I'm sure the LBS will get you back up and riding soon.

Thanks for the help and support y'all. I showed her the vid. Wowee. It looks really bad. She got a little freaked out. Then when I told her I skipped getting his insurance stuff she was even less thrilled. I skipped the insurance because I feel ok, right now, and the bike seems ok. It was an elderly dude that hit me and I would be surprised if he tried to flake on any bike repairs, if any.

So...next question. If you have been hit did you skip the insurance stuff and take the driver at their word? How did it work out for you? I told her I would get the insurance stuff next time, if it happens again. I spse I should have this time but didn't see the point. Hopefully I don't get screwed. I'm gonna call him tomorrow before I head to the bike shop and either have him meet me there to discuss the repairs or see how he wants to handle it. I'm not paying a dime up front on it. That's for sure.

I probably shouldn't even say this. I am 51 and I have been commuting since I was about 27. My first 18 months I had three accidents including an ugly one the put me in the hospital (the guy was convicted of assault in that one). I have not had a single accident since. I dont know how many 10s of thousands of miles.

I think after you had a couple of accidents you ride defensively. It makes a difference. Though I am aware of my rights as a cyclist I am also aware that it's big boat over little boat and I do everything I can to avoid contact with the big boats that surround me.

Glad you told her but get checked out for any injuries. If you have any injuries, get a lawyer. Was the driver cited for a traffic violation? Being nice is great but a few drivers should not be on the road. The driver could have a long string of accidents.

Hey ckaspar, sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you are OK. You did the right thing telling your wife. I'm not surprised she is freaked out; she would probably be freaked out if you were in an auto accident. People tend to ignore mortality until situations like this arise. You might want make some changes that will make you safer: always wear bright greeen/neon jacket/vest, get a daytime rear blinkie light. This might help her realize that you value her concerns.

When you feel up to it, can you post the video?

You need to worry less about taking videos/posting the results and learn to ride aggressively/defensively when need be.

Dude, you don't even know the whole story. Chill tell he shares the story.

Sure, no one does, not even the cyclist/driver. Also, don't tell me to "chill", as I'm just being analytical about the situation.

I think it's good not to always side with the cyclist by default. I see just as many (if not more) idiot cyclists than I do idiot drivers. At least we'll have a video :rollseyes: to make a determination.

Taking a video and posting is has nothing to do with riding aggressively/defensively. I doubt that the OP was looking to get hit. The honeymoon was long over with him and the cam a long time ago when he got it.

I agree with you, it is good not to always take a side. He did not, nor I nor you. Video will tell the story (somewhat at least).

This, to me, demonstrates that the OP was not focused, at all:

Did you get the police involved? And did you get his insurance info? I ask because my insurance told me it would be 10 times harder to get the other guy to pay. And if he doesn't pay, you should be covered by your homeowners insurance.
When I was hit, my wife went safety crazy. She wanted to get me 2 different color safety vests, and anything reflective was ok. She didn't stop me. She wanted me safe. So, don't hide it. Own up to it and show her that its alright.

+1. And well stated.

Also.....If the OP had been rear-ended in his car and received the same level of injury, his wife wouldn't suggest that he no longer drive a car.

I video all my commutes, and I'm definitely focused when I'm riding, but the cam is there to capture even more subtle detail of my personal surroundings that I may have missed.