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I got hit by a car today

3K views 33 replies 20 participants last post by  wallstreet 
#1 ·
While riding to work I got hit by a car. It came from behind me and hit my handlebar with the mirror, and BAM I was on the ground, in -17C. M0therfukker!! Luckily I soon found out I was alive and nothing was broken, no injuries whatsoever except I felt like you would feel when falling from like 1 meter down on the ground, kinda mangled. Been riding that same road for many months now and car usually pass me at a great distance and at low speed. I estimate this car going at 40km/h, and myself at about 5km/h maybe (28cog in the rear and 36 up front)

I heard some bad excuses from the woman driver, oh its kinda dark here (its a country road) but infact it was morning but I'd say 99% daylight at the time, AND I was wearing my new jacket that ****ing GLOWS IN THE DARK for 2 hours after it stops getting light (yes its true).

Anyway the handlebar looks a little bent, not much but its there, and I know it is from this incident. Being alu and all, I'm thinking of replacing it before it snaps or cracks on me. I'm guessing the driver artificially degraded it or put in 10-15 years of "use" with that crash.

Would you replace it if it was you in this crash?

What a ****ing day.
 
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#3 ·
While riding to work I got hit by a car. It came from behind me and hit my handlebar with the mirror, and BAM I was on the ground, in -17C. M0therfukker!! Luckily I soon found out I was alive and nothing was broken, no injuries whatsoever except I felt like you would feel when falling from like 1 meter down on the ground, kinda mangled. Been riding that same road for many months now and car usually pass me at a great distance and at low speed. I estimate this car going at 40km/h, and myself at about 5km/h maybe (28cog in the rear and 36 up front)

I heard some bad excuses from the woman driver, oh its kinda dark here (its a country road) but infact it was morning but I'd say 99% daylight at the time, AND I was wearing my new jacket that ****ing GLOWS IN THE DARK for 2 hours after it stops getting light (yes its true).

Anyway the handlebar looks a little bent, not much but its there, and I know it is from this incident. Being alu and all, I'm thinking of replacing it before it snaps or cracks on me. I'm guessing the driver artificially degraded it or put in 10-15 years of "use" with that crash.

Would you replace it if it was you in this crash?

What a ****ing day.
Well, that sure sucks... I didnt read any mention of a tailight. That would be important for night/dusk riding... I've had a few close calls, not fun.
 
#7 ·
I have a blinking one, didn't even turn it on on that stretch, it wasn't dark outside then. And also its full of snow to light everything up.

Lone desert. no injuries. sore knee, sore back, i landed on my side so the bone between my azzcheeks got its fair share of gravity. I once tried snowboarding and landed sideways on my ass and that time I couldn't walk for a week. Same bone. You know there was no time to react, just bam and i'm on the ground just like that.

war boom, maybe the stem too? I can kinda see the stem taking what the bars didn't.
Yeah, the driver will probably pay for it. Its no expensive parts, in this country the drivers that crash into anything from behind are 100% responsible because the weren't apparantly paying enough attention. Alu is weird because if you load it enough over time it will just crack and then I'm outta teeth all the sudden. And now I have a feeling the bar has had its 9 lives.

I'm guessing what actually got me was a smartphone
 
#6 ·
Scary! Stupid lady was distracted!!!

I have been hit twice, on my road race bike and I can understand how crappy it can be! Replace the parts and helmet if you knocked it. Her insurance I hope covers you. I wonder if it would have been useful to have a rear small mirror.

Glad to hear you seem fairly unscathed.
 
#8 ·
Glad to hear you seem fairly unscathed.
Yeah I rode the rest of the way to work. couldn't really work that hard today but still.
I could have been a lot deader.

Some people at work said I was lucky to be alive. But IMO this is like one of 2 persons that has passed me closer than 1m in like 9 months on so I feel I was in fact very unlucky instead. Most people here actually keep enough concentration on their driving and enough sense to keep distance to prevent this (common sense), this one did neither. That just plain bad luck.
 
#12 ·
yeah I know, its the normal thing to do for sure. But for me to go back home is like 1.5hr trip in the cold and to get to work from there was only 15mins.

But the thing is: you can never stop, never let crap get to you no matter what, you need to keep going, need to keep moving and never let **** like this drag you down or even make a dent, need to keep performing at 100% no matter what, no matter where, no matter why.

And never menatally give up, thats when you die. and I'm not a dier.

Also this tune I heard on the radio kept me going for at least an hour, I was so happy i caught it and wrote it down. It sounded so lovely at the time. I just forgot about the pain

 
#11 ·
^^ :lol: No kidding. But this guy is a "Bada$$" :lol:

Sorry to hear about this man... hopefully you don't get any delayed pain... sounds like you got her information and she's paying for your new parts, so that's the good part. I'd get her to buy me a crazy bright taillight too.

Sounds like it could have been a whole lot worse.
 
#13 ·
^^ :lol: No kidding. But this guy is a "Bada$$" :lol:

Sorry to hear about this man... hopefully you don't get any delayed pain... sounds like you got her information and she's paying for your new parts, so that's the good part. I'd get her to buy me a crazy bright taillight too.

Sounds like it could have been a whole lot worse.
hahahah I should change the sig to "getting hit by cars and riding away, is badass, period" :)

Seriously though, I could easily have had my head squashed under a truck or something, luckily most people here think with more than their asses while driving and keep their distance, otherwise, well, there would be no otherwise then, I don't even want to imagine that situation.
 
#14 ·
Sorry for the hit. I can tell you that being dumped with no warning can cost you eyeglasses, consciousness, twelve stitches, numerous facial scars, and a week off the bike. Only hitting the ground. So you were lucky in your unluckiness. :)

If you can do it have the bike checked over. The bar and stem given aluminum's failure modes seems wise. Also any of you clothes that were damages and the helmet. If the insurance adjuster complains, bring up the pain and suffering aspect. Shouldn't be hard for a bada$$, That should get the check written. I use day visible tail lights even in broad daylight hoping to keep distracted drivers away. So far is is working.

Good luck with this,

BrianMc
 
#17 ·
Took a mirror-to-mirror hit from woman in a passing Honda (that cracked my mirror and folded hers back) a few winters back in snowy evening conditions. Induced quite a wobble, but I sort of bounced off her passenger door and then a wall-shaped snowbank at the side of the road and stayed upright.

The driver didn't stop, but she got boxed in at the next intersection and I was able to have an astonishingly polite conversation with her about why she hit me and took off.

Nothing she said made any sense in the context of basic spatial geometry. She said she saw me (I had two superflash lights on) and that she knew she had plenty of room passing me, and that as she passed she thought the crunch noise had been her car hitting the snowbank at the side of the road.

Yeah, glad to hear you're fine despite hitting the deck, rest up and back at 'em.
 
#20 ·
The driver didn't stop, but she got boxed in at the next intersection and I was able to have an astonishingly polite conversation with her about why she hit me and took off.

Nothing she said made any sense in the context of basic spatial geometry. She said she saw me (I had two superflash lights on) and that she knew she had plenty of room passing me, and that as she passed she thought the crunch noise had been her car hitting the snowbank at the side of the road.

Yeah, glad to hear you're fine despite hitting the deck, rest up and back at 'em.
she was probably texting or something similar, if they run away from an accident here they go to jail. astonishingly polite conversation I can imagine...

Today I felt totally mangeled so I took the day off. I needed additional rest for the body to heal.



Anyway guys thanks for your support!
 
#18 ·
Short list of what I would have replaced: I'd tell insurance to replace everything reminding them that they hit a bike, not a car, and probably replace the handlebars, stem, frame, seat, seatpost and wheels in that order until I felt it was safe and back to pre-crash condition - right down to the spokes. If someone else is paying for it, I'd have the bike shop write off all the parts and have them pay out the whole bike. The thing with impacts is you just don't know what damage was done under the paint, and bikes aren't supposed to be subjected to certain types of forces.

You may choose to do something different, but if it were me in the same position, I'd be saying new for old, replace everything, and it's not just because I like new stuff. I've had weird sh*t break before because an impact 3 weeks prior fatigued the metal in strange ways. I'm sure my LBS mechanic would do it too. EDIT: If you're trying to do this off the books... don't. It's just not worth it. One guy that we worked with hit another cyclist, then refused to cough up to force it to go to small claims court. The cyclist would have won, but he would have lost more money having to fight the claim than it would have cost him to just pay for the damage himself.
 
#21 ·
No since there was no visible damage to the bike and I was relatively undamaged too I saw no reason for it. But this country is not a country where we sue each other for the smallest little thing, the cops would definitely just have thrown it out anyway since there was no seriois damage. The don't have time for this here apparently. Neither do the courts. its very low priority.
 
#28 ·
Buddy, after my first hit by a car I managed to flag cops down. I was in shock & the pain & body aches came the next day. The second accident was more severe, I was nearly flown to the hospital. I broke numerous bones & bleeding & everyone tried to touch me. I hid tears of pain behind my shades as thankfully they never tried to pull off my helmet. Here there is an old and stupid law, drivers coming from a right turn have priority! The police confirmed the turning was totally hidden behind the house, that it was a very dangerous point and I should never be blamed. The community council was told to put a stop sign where the big estate car turned into me.

Over a year on & I really fear cars, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. It's not about suing but you should report your truth, god forbid she covers her ass & blames you!

Take care & rest :)
 
#30 ·
Buddy, after my first hit by a car I managed to flag cops down. I was in shock & the pain & body aches came the next day. The second accident was more severe, I was nearly flown to the hospital. I broke numerous bones & bleeding & everyone tried to touch me. I hid tears of pain behind my shades as thankfully they never tried to pull off my helmet. Here there is an old and stupid law, drivers coming from a right turn have priority! The police confirmed the turning was totally hidden behind the house, that it was a very dangerous point and I should never be blamed. The community council was told to put a stop sign where the big estate car turned into me.

Over a year on & I really fear cars, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. It's not about suing but you should report your truth, god forbid she covers her ass & blames you!

Take care & rest :)
Yeah I know that law, its the right hand law, and it applies in all unlighted intersections (without red/green/yellow light). They need to have a system in those intersections, (but usually its the biggest and heaviest rig has its say and you better like it).

She can't blame me, she came from behind and hit me, it was daylight, and I wore glow in the dark clothes. Also she has a semi high ranking job in the government (social services) and trying to play me would definitely result in her being in the papers. So its not really in her best interest.

i hope you have recovered now! Your accident sounds very severe.
 
#31 ·
In my country The Philippines, the law sides with the weaker, smaller party initially. So if it's a sedan vs bike, the sedan driver gets charged automatically. If it's bus driver vs sedan, the bus gets charged automatically. Charge is "reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury/homicide". If no death or inury involved, it's going to be in small claims court or the small town/village council hearing. I just don't know what the charge would be if it was bike vs pedestrian.
 
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