Minor accident today

[jrenaut]

Glad you’re okay. Hope your bike is, too.

[JustinW]

Happy to hear that you are (mostly) ok. What did the driver say?

[WillStewart]

To continue, I waited a good ten minutes to see if I had any aftereffects, which didn’t seem to transpire. A couple of the other cyclists helped check my bike out. It’s workable, though some adjustments will be required.

I had a blinking front light, an LED of approx. 80 lumens (and a 5 LED tail light with a eyecatching blinking pattern). I had ordered a NiteRider Minewt 600 (lumen) over the weekend as an additional light (helmet mount), so that may have been helpful this morning if I’d had it.

[WillStewart]

@JustinW 9543 wrote:

Happy to hear that you are (mostly) ok. What did the driver say?

The driver is a young woman who was very apologetic and very concerned, tearing up at times. I’m going to do all the repairs I can to the bike myself first, before taking it to a bike shop. I consider this a learning experience for all involved, even the witnesses (who I have all the contact info for).

[americancyclo]

I’m assuming you got her insurance information?
Which crossing was this at? All the smaller streets have giant neon signs that tell drivers to yield.

[WillStewart]

@americancyclo 9549 wrote:

I’m assuming you got her insurance information?
Which crossing was this at? All the smaller streets have giant neon signs that tell drivers to yield.

I have her contact info and license number. This took place at the Great Falls St intersection with the WO&D.

Interestingly enough, the driver in the lane closest to me had waved me on. I’m going to have to make adjustments to my assumption model with regards to obtaining eye contact or at least some level of awareness of all drivers involved.

[rcannon100]

Yikes!

Had a similar 2 years ago. Around the Lincoln, at a cross walk, with three lanes of traffic stopped. I was the fifth bike in a pack of 5. A block away on Independence a traffic light turned green. The center car took that as her cue, released her brakes, and went straight into me.

I had a dayglo jacket, flashing LED lights, and a dayglo orange helmet. The cop, who was very nice, said “yeah, in motorcycle training, they train us that drivers never see you. Even when they are looking at you, they are actually just looking through you.”

My lesson was – you can do absolutely everything right. Lights. Jacket. Ride with a pack. Cross at a cross walk. Confirm all cars were stopped. And still get hit. That actually depressed me quite a bit. It took a while before I regained my confidence in the saddle. I changed my route to reduce street crossings; when I cross I am now hyper careful.

If you get the 600 lumen light, please remember that while it may help cars see you, it also blinds your fellow bikers. After dark and when on the bike path, please set the light to steady, not flash.

[jrenaut]

@WillStewart 9551 wrote:

Interestingly enough, the driver in the lane closest to me had waved me on. I’m going to have to make adjustments to my assumption model with regards to obtaining eye contact or at least some level of awareness of all drivers involved.

That’s something my mom drilled into my head as I was learning to drive – watch out for courtesy accidents. When someone waves you on, it means THEY aren’t going to kill you. They aren’t speaking for everyone else. I joke about how cautious my mom is on the road, but I can’t count how many times something she told me years ago has kept me out of an accident.

[americancyclo]

motorist “courtesy” angers me like nothing else. on a bike or in a car. Don’t break the rules to be ‘nice’. Rules of the road are meant to be followed!

[zanna_leigh]

@americancyclo 9556 wrote:

Don’t break the rules to be ‘nice’. Rules of the road are meant to be followed!

I couldn’t agree more!! Had this conversation with Chris last week when we were crossing the George Wash Pkwy on the Mt Vernon Trail as the car closest to us waived us on and the car in the lane furthest hesitated to stop.

Glad to hear you’re ok WillStewart!!

[Dirt]

I’m glad you’re okay. Also happy that there’s no visible damage to the bike.

Keep in mind as you look at rear shifting adjustments that your derailleur hanger may be bent. If it is an aluminum, replaceable model, those are never the same after they’ve been bent and should be replaced.

Hang in there! You may be sore tomorrow. Resist the temptation to be completely sedentary. Move around a bit. It is your best defense from stiffening up and becoming mroe sore.

Pete

Pete

[acc]

I am so sorry. Thank goodness you are generally ok. I learned the hard way too not to trust the driver in the second lane to stop. I know you will get right back on the bike, but that was the hard part for me. But reading your description it seems you’ve already ridden.

Best wishes, please let us know how you are doing,
ann

[eminva]

I passed by there shortly after the accident. There were already so many people gathered around you (including other cyclists), I didn’t stop because I wasn’t sure what I could add. In retrospect, I could have offered to get witness names/contact info (glad you got that) — so much for my great thinking on the spot.

Glad it appears there are not serious injuries. Another reminder that we can’t be too careful.

Liz

[WillStewart]

@americancyclo 9556 wrote:

motorist “courtesy” angers me like nothing else. on a bike or in a car. Don’t break the rules to be ‘nice’. Rules of the road are meant to be followed!

Since all cars were stopped before and after I entered the crosswalk, I didn’t think of this as a ‘courtesy accident’ scenario. I think of courtesy accidents as those where a driver in one lane (normally where cars are stopped) waving a person to cross the lane, followed by a car barreling down the adjacent lane plows into the person crossing.

I don’t believe I broke any rules, if that’s what you are suggesting. I was in the crosswalk with all cars fully stopped.

[zanna_leigh]

@WillStewart 9572 wrote:

I don’t believe I broke any rules, if that’s what you are suggesting. I was in the crosswalk with all cars fully stopped.

I was referring to drivers – I’ll encounter drivers that waive me to go if I’m turning left at an intersection even though I don’t have the right of way, and of course traffic in the other lanes are barreling straight ahead. That is a courtesy driver breaking the rules to be nice and creating a dangerous scenario for the biker.

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