With the surge of cycling deaths, I’m a lot more aware of my space and behavior on the road. With the rise of more cars on the road, drivers are more distracted and bike accidents are going to happen, even when you’re following all the rules of the road. It happened to me as I was commuting home from work. A middle aged gentleman speeding to beat a changing light over estimated his left turn and didn’t see me in the bike lane. The collision was luckily a brush and didn’t wreck my bicycle which I emerged with only scraped elbows and knees.
Getting into an accident with a car when you’re on a bike can be really scary, but it’s important to remain levelheaded. Your actions and what you do immediately can affect what you can recover for your injuries and damage to your bike. Since we are hearing story after story each week of another accident, I wanted to share with you some tips from “Bicycling & The Law: Your Rights as a Cyclist,” by Bob Mionske, to equip you with the right steps just in case if you or someone else is involved in an accident.
Steps to take after a collision
- Get off the road. This is essential to prevent more damage from occurring.
- Record contact information. Get the driver’s phone number and the numbers of any witnesses. If you are injured and cannot get this information yourself, ask a bystander to do it for you. Here is what you should get: drivers name, address, driver’s license number and phone, license plate of the vehicle, insurance information.
- Gather evidence. If you can take a photo of the license plate number and the vehicle and the scene of the accident. Include your bike and any injuries you may have sustained.
- Do not make a deal with the driver. He or she may apologize and accept blame, but many people have second thoughts about it afterward and may even deny having been at the scene of the accident.
- Call the 911 and wait for an officer to arrive so that you can file an accident report, even if you don’t think you’re injured. Cyclists sometimes don’t realize they’re hurt until several hours later. Police should interview you as well as the driver and any witnesses. If they don’t take down your version of what happened you can file an amended report later. Police may ticket the driver, which can be useful when settling the case with the insurance company.
- Jot down the details of the accident, including what happened, when, and why.
- Don’t repair your bike. And don’t throw away damaged equipment or clean your clothing. Wait until the accident has been resolved.
- Record any aftereffects, such as headache or muscle pain.
- Consider consulting an attorney who specializes in bike-related accidents if you were injured. Sometimes a letter from an attorney will resolve issues and avoid legal pitfalls. Many cases are settled without ever going to trial.
- Learn from what happened to you. My first bike accident with a car has been my only encounter, but after I did things differently. While the accident wasn’t my fault I signal and yell out my movement well in advance of turning, stopping, or changing lanes, wear visible clothing, equip my bike with bright lights, and make eye contact and signal with drivers when stopped at an intersection. I may seem over communicative but I’m overly cautious for a good reason.
In case you witness a bike accident:
- Call an ambulance if anyone is badly injured.
- Avoid moving an injured person, especially if you suspect they may have a spine or neck injury.
- Never try to remove the helmet of someone who may have spine or neck injury.
- Call the police if the accident is serious or if there is debris in the road.
- Do not leave the scene until the police arrive and have taken your statement.
Recover before you get on your bike
Take a break from your bike. Allow your injuries to fully heal before you decide to go out on the bike again. If you’ve had a concussion, make sure you go through a concussion protocol with your doctor before resuming activities. Keep in mind that your mental state should also be considered. Hitting the ground is a traumatic event, and facing the fear of it happening again once you’re out on the road won’t be easy. Make sure you’re in the right frame of mind and are looking forward to riding again before you get back in the saddle.
After my accident, I was lucky to have the gentleman stop, check on me, and exchange info. He even offered to take me home and the hospital after the police took our statement and ticketed him! In the end we legally negotiated that he would pay for my medical bills and any other damage. I also had to factor in missed school and work days. My hands and knees where so badly bruised and scratched I had difficulty walking and holding things for two weeks! I was very lucky in my case but know that stories like mine don’t always exist.
If you’re interested in learning more about bike safety you can sign up for a League of American Bicyclists cycle instructor course in your area and advocate for safer streets. We need our communities to be areas where cycling is the norm and streets are safer.