Have you ever been hit by a car?

Beastt

It seems the thread on getting hit by a car is pretty active but I thought it might be nice to get an idea of how many, or what percentage of riders have been hit.

Beastt

I've been hit twice. The first time I was riding down the side of a highway, (at night and without lights - I know! I know!). I approached a lit intersection and a car was waiting to turn left across my path. Since I was under the street lights and the driver's headlights had to swing across me, surely there wouldn't be a problem, right? (Silly thought, I know.) He hit me broadside but I managed to cut a sharp right to delay impact. His bumper caught my leg and stuffed it into the seat tube. The wheels were taco'ed, frame bent and numerous other parts damaged, broken or bent. I had some abrasions, scrapes and bruises. The driver was terribly apologetic and gave me a ride to my job. About two weeks later I had a check from him for the cost of the bike. I dug into my savings and more than doubled that amount and purchased a significant upgrade. I credit the new bike (a nice little aluminum frame hardtail), for really sparking my interest in more serious cycling and I still have it.

The second time was about 3-years into riding the road. I was coming down a highway, (about 25 mph/40 kph), in full daylight when I noticed a pickup stopped at a side street to let traffic clear. I came forward into the drops and touched my fingers to the brake levers... just in case. A car travelling down the same direction I was headed and about a hundred yards or so in front of me passed the waiting motorist and then he proceeded from the stop sign. I began feathering the brakes still thinking he was going to make an unsignalled left turn. By the time he'd passed the point of turning left into a traffic lane, I was on the brakes fully and came oh so close to getting completely stopped. I let the bike go sideways over the last few feet to avoid hitting him head on and to give myself that last foot or two but it wasn't enough. I heard the loud *pop* from my rear wheel as we made contact and felt the wheel of his truck crunch into my ankle. At the point of contact the back of the bike had actually swung past 90° to my direction of travel and I wasn't able to see exactly where the pickup was.

My rear wheel, (Ksyrium Elite), looked like it had been put into a shredder. Every single spoke had been ripped from the hub and the rim completely mangled and cut clean through. My front wheel was bent, carbon fiber fork snapped off just below the steering tube and my Dura-Ace crankset broken at the spider with both chainrings bent. The worst news was that the rear triangle of the frame had been bent 8mms. I had a devil of a time finding a replacement frame but eventually found a guy in California with two of them. I bought them both, (not available in the states anymore). The driver's insurance came through and 3 months later, I had both a new Dura-Ace equipped, road bike which I paid for, (to have something to ride in the mean time), and the bike he hit repaired which was paid for by his insurance company, ($2500). I obtained a police report before leaving the scene which made getting the claim settled that much easier and I dug a bit further into my pocket to upgrade my wheelset, (Ksyrium SLs), in the process. My ankle was only scraped and I never went completely to the pavement. I stopped on my feet and palms over my poor mangled bike.

keydates

Seems like drivers around here are pretty respectful of bikers...although there are always the jackass screamers. Anyway, I was even more amateur than I am now, and I ran into a car. Bike was essentially totaled, I was basically fine. Just a little bruised ego, I suppose.

tacomee

I've been hit twice--- but that's over 20+ years and gosh, 80,000+ miles.

First time I have no idea what happened. I got wacked form behind and some nice motorists stopped to see if I was dead. The driver kept going and of course was never caught. My bike was totaled and I broke my arm, messed up my back and neck, had tons of road rash and sprained my ankle-- the sprain ended up taking longer to heal than everything else.

My helment was complete destroyed and my doctors said that I hadn't been wearing it I would have died-- I'm a big believer in wearing your helment now.

The second time was just last month-- I was riding in a bike lane and an old pickup came along side me. I slowed up to let them pass and the next thing I knew I was down. The guys in the truck stopped, got out, laughed and drove off. I'm pretty sure they were trying to hit me. My bike came though it fine and I got half my face covered in road rash and broke my thumb-- pretty lucky I think.

I did crack my helment-- not to push anyone's buttons, but please think about always wearing one.

ruckscd

twice here in a short two year period. first time was about two weeks after i got my new ride and i was a rookie rookie and was riding on a heavy traffic road and a car ran up on my back tire.

second time an old lady in the middle of nowhere tennessee clipped me with her mirror and turned my bars into the car making me wreck and get this she stopped looked and drove off

Oskar

Twice, and 4-5 other very close calls. I was in a bike lane in UT, when some lady thought she owned the road. She turned right into me on purpose, and slamed on her brakes. I hit and bounced off the side of her car.
The other time a 67 year old lady turned in front of me, coming from the other direction. I went over the trunk, and landed in the middle of the intersection. Bent a steel SLX frame's top tube and down tube, and cracked the fork in 3 places. Yea, I was doing 25+ mph, and she did not see me. Settlement paid for 1/2 my last semester at school, and a new bike(slightly used).

flyingdutch

In over 10 years of commuting. No!
Never really thought about it, but Im doomed now!!!

I'll get nailed tonight on the way home for sure...

__________________
'ungrounded' Dutch...

EoinC

I managed a pretty good one in my early years of training. It was pissing down with rain and I was in Wallyworld, believing I was at the front of Paris-Roubaix, trying to set a record on the way home. I came flying around a slight downhill right-hander onto Wellington's viaduct (NZ). I had my head down and my eyes half closed with the rain. I didn't quite grasp that all the traffic was banked up with a blocked intersection in front.
Full pelt up the arse of a stationery Volkswagon Beetle. The learner driver inside was just a tad surprised when there were a series of bumps and a lycra-clad idiot came rolling from her roof, down her windscreen, across the bonnet and onto the road in front.
The bike had a shortened wheelbase and I didn't break my record on the way home.
Eoin (about time I looked in front) C

Cipher

Close call, some guy blew a stop sign, apparently didn't see me forcing me to bunny hop a curb into some ones front yard...

__________________
"Know your limits... Then FK'N Crush'em!!!"

jayjay beater

I've been hit 3 times in memory....once knocked out cold till the next morning, exploded my middle (FU) finger, had to have skin graft (small) to repair it - squashed it between the handle bar and the pavement.
2nd time - angry drunk driver - flipped him the bird for driving me into the shoulder, he returned and broad sided me into the ditch - scraped pretty badly, but ok (except for that first shower- lots of back scraping). Car saw it happen, chased him down - got plate number - the jerk was under suspension for same kind of thing, no insurance, police filed charges, he got 8 months in prison. My wrecked bike was my problem, as he had no insurance and was a bum with no money. Not worth sueing him according to my lawyers.
3rd time - at a red light, car didn't put blinker on, turned into me, jammed me under the front of his car. Ripped my ass pretty good, bent my wheels. Stupid Quebec french idiot in a Hyundai Pony, his lights were probably all burnt anyways. I kicked a huge dent in his car and told him to get lost, my ass was so sore and I was so pissed.

Allister

I've been hit a few times, and done the hitting a few times. Can I vote twice?

mjw_byrne

Only once, thankfully - car was driving alongside and just ahead of me and it just pulled over to the side of the road and slowed down a lot faster than I could hope to. I kind of ended up scraping alongside it, didn't fall off and there was no real damage (except perhaps to the car's paintwork) so I shouted at them and rode off.

crankthebigring

I have a friend that has been hit twice - once by a guy who thought he was a mailbox. I didn't know mailboxes moved, had bright glowing colors on them, and weighed 275lbs.

Crank

crankthebigring

I did have a close call a couple of years ago...I was out for a morning traning ride. I ran down to the end of a country road to get in an extra 3 miles and was starting back towards home. On my right was a dairy farm. A milk truck was comming towards me and wanted to turn left into the dairy farm. He saw me, head light, flashing lights, reflective triangle and decided to left me go on by the driveway. Now keep in mind he has his left turn signal on. There was an impatient driver behind him that decided he was go to pass the milk truck with the left turn signal on, which he did and now found himself with me on a bik in front of him...I went of the road and in the ditch to prevent myself from a more serious injury. The guy in the milk truck rolls down his window and says...guess that guy was in a hurry...

It pays to keep a heads up on your surroundings...

anyone want to talk about dogs...*grin*