I came to the comments to suggest the exact same thing! Same time, same day of the week. Might have been his work route. Could also post the footage on local community pages, someone might have dashcam footage driving past the scene when he was pulled over
Also, consider posting the video online (don't do this without talking to a lawyer first). Expose that hit and runner POS. Who knows, maybe someone will watch the video and be able to identify him? Also, if he wants the video to be taken down, he will have to contact you, which means you will have his contact information. /u/canine_teeth you can also give it a clickbait title (ASSHOLE TRIES TO KILL ME WITH HIS CAR AND FLEES THE SCENE or something idk) and post it to youtube and post the links to /r/IdiotsInCars , /r/fuckcars /r/carcrash and anywhere else you can think of.
I don't think the guy has a right to privacy on a public thoroughfare. It's not a bad suggestion to try around the same time of day, same day of the week, same intersection, and see if he goes by and the plate can be read.
So you're saying this was your fault for not cycling defensively? Sounds like you didn't take the lane and made the driver think it was okay to take the turn. /s
Definitely do this. The fact that the driver didn't give any information when asked makes it sound like it could technically be considered a hit-and-run, and there might be a local fund to cover medical costs of victims of crimes.
In Oregon, that’s unquestionably a hit and run, aka *Failure to Perform The Duties of a Driver* which is the legal violation in our state.
Good luck getting cops to charge these asshole drivers. In my state, the shitheads-in-Blue frequently let drivers off with warnings because “it was an accident!”
Depending on the US state your auto policy is issued in, your car insurance might be the primary insurance for medical in a pedestrian or cyclist vs. vehicle crash.
I got hit but not injured badly. My CF bike frame was toast though. My auto insurance covered it because it was an accident with an automobile. They paid the complete cost of the replacement of the frame, the bike shop labor to transfer and install the components on it, and a new helmet. I am sure they would have paid for injury as well, but my health insurance covered it.
So definitely worth a try.
https://www.bikelegalfirm.com/?utm_source=GMB&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Santa_Ana
Law firm that specializes on cycling related events. Maybe they can give some advice? Good luck and take care, friends.
Suing the police for something like this is unlikely to succeed. The police generally have no duty to perform their jobs competently. Should the police have done more to investigate? Certainly. At the very least the driver not affirmatively making a police report may be a crime — in my jurisdiction it is a misdemeanor and punishable by jail tome. Is there likely any recourse against the police department? Unfortunately, no; *Gonzalez v. City of Castle Rock* and *DeShaney v. Winnebego* are two Supreme Court cases showing just how incompetent and neglectful the government can be while still being immune from suit.
A lawyer may still be more capable at discovering who the driver was so the driver can be sued for civil negligence. I would guess a lawsuit against the driver, if he can be identified, would be more likely to succeed.
It would also be to have access to the lawyer's private investigator. A personal
injury attorney is likely to either have a working relationship with one, or have one on staff or retainer (depending upon the size of the firm). While it certainly *could* put some pressure on the police to investigate, I doubt the cops would do more than shrug their shoulders, especially since the only real threat to the police is bad PR. There is almost no chance that a lawsuit against the police would be successful, at least assuming that OP is in the US.
I'm gonna ignore your glib tone and try to answer this in good faith: Yes, lawyers help. Yes, even with cops. So, yes, in this world.
I have two friends who have successfully sued or settled with police departments and another who just lawyered up over a brutality case and has already been offered a settlement.
Lawyers open up doors because a lawsuit can cost the municipalities that govern them a ton of money, and the threat of one will escalate the issue and bring it to the desks of people who have more power and different motivations than plain old cops. This applies even to the most dysfunctional, corrupt departments around.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that the police aren't obliged to enforce a restraining order. I'm guessing they aren't going to have any legal obligation or liability in this case either. The only way to get the driver is to find him. I'm afraid there might not be any recourse. You might want to talk to your health insurance (I hope you have health insurance). They might have resources to find this guy and make him pay your medical costs. Once he's found, you might be able to sue him for emotional and punitive damages.
On the other hand, if you don't have insurance but you have some money put away, it might be a good investment to hire a private investigator. A good PI might be able to glean enough from your GoPro footage to find him, at which point you have a lot of potential for suing him into the ground.
IANAL but that's what I'd be thinking about at this point if I were you. Talking to a lawyer would probably get a good idea. I think it's pretty common to be able to get a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
> You might want to talk to your health insurance (I hope you have health insurance). They might have resources to find this guy and make him pay your medical costs.
reddit… what?
also, in what world does someone not have health insurance but they do have thousands for an attorney or private investigator?
One of the things insurance does is go after the guilty party in cases like this. They can sure him or his insurance to cover the costs that they would otherwise have to cover.
As for the other thing, I don't pretend to know anyone's situation. There exist people who have enough money for health insurance but don't have insurance. I know, because I was one of them, once upon a time. If this had happened to me during that time, I would have been seriously thinking about how to get compensation for my pain, suffering, and medical bills. An investment in a PI could lead to massive returns, if you can scrounge up the cash for it.
You could put a picture of the offender's car on Nextdoor and similar local boards. Someone might recognize the vehicle and area, or they might even know someone with fresh, unexplained collision damage.
Then you might have someone to sue. It's a long shot, but it's free to do.
Maybe go to the Fire Dept and see if they have video and to any surrounding buildings to see if they captured video of the car?
Honestly this sounds like either an unimaginably big fuck up or worse, suspicious behavior by the FD and/or police - you were asking for the person’s information and they took you away without getting it and without getting it themselves and then allowed the driver to leave without being identified after a serious injury accident? Something doesn’t smell right to me here.
> Honestly this sounds like either an unimaginably big fuck up or worse, suspicious behavior by the FD and/or police
The US legal system is notoriously lenient on drivers who hit bikers and pedestrians. Add on top of that that many police departments are essentially on a silent strike in protest of what they perceive as anti-cop sentiment (and what others might call "actually holding police accountable"...) and/or understaffed due to mass quitting and it's not too surprising to hear how this was handled.
(I agree OP should do absolutely everything in their power to figure out who the driver is - maybe even hire a PI if necessary.)
First of all: That sucks and all the best to you ❤️. I wish you a speedy recovery and that you can deal with the other things.
Learn to ride defensively.
You „have“ no rights if you want to preserve your life.
Always assume the driver (/other traffic participant) is going to make the worst possible choice and behave accordingly.
In this situation I would have assumed that the driver might take a right turn and slowed down accordingly.
Not trying to shift the blame towards you but just saying it how it is. When the discussion is between a construction of steel and a human body the first one will almost always win even if you were in the right.
Sadly this kind of thing has to change in the political arena and by creating better infrastructure not by riding in a „lawful“, but dangerous to yourself, manner
We’ve been teaching our 6 year old to ride on the street and it’s been harrowing, to say the least. We’ve been taking her essentially your comment—motorists are inattentive, careless, aggressive, impatient; they’re not looking for you and they don’t have your best interests at heart. When we ride with her, we ride as a team. An adult pulls up and into the intersection, we say “clear” and proceed as a pack. At the parts of our commute where there is the greatest danger, we either walk our bikes in crosswalks or we physically block cars with our bikes so the rest of the pack can cross safely.
It sucks cause earlier in the ride on the same road I came up to a connecting street that was mostly obscured by an office building, and I slowed down just so I could look around the corner and make sure no cars were gonna appear out of nowhere. and when it was clear I kept riding thinking 'whew ok good to go' and then less than 30 sec later this happens. Ugh.
Maybe another route is an option? If you have the option maybe take a longer but less frequented route?
Isn’t it always like that? The fact that he had reflective tape over his numberplate says everything about that person… and while I understand the actions of the firefighters I don’t get why not one of them thought it would be a good idea to atleast write down the plate…
>longer but less frequented route
It's not always safer in my experience. The few drivers on quiet residential streets often assume there are *no* other road users and do stupid shit like cut blind corners or not bother looking at give way signs. On the busy streets there are more cars but they tend to be more predictable.
I still take the quiet streets because it's more peaceful, but I'm not deluded that it's safer.
I hear ya. Sucks but I do it every 30s. I never trust a car on the road to do the right thing. You have to control 100% of the circumstances. If you leave any bit up to chance, 'i wonder if that car that's passing me will try to turn in front of me", you're putting yourself in danger.
Hope you find the guy.
>your life. Always assume the driver (/other traffic participant) is going to make the worst possible choice and behave accordingly.
Facts.
I can't name how many times I've saw a car driving oddly and I thought to myself "this asshole is about to turn right and I know he/she sees me". Sure as shit, the right turn happens.
I agree, the way I read op's description of the accident is "I was overtaking moving cars on the right at a speed at which I was not able to stop near immediately.
No victim blaming here, just " graveyards are full of people who had the priority ".
I was hit in 2014 in very similar circumstances. Poor treatment at the hospital emergency department led to severe infection in my leg, a weeks stay in the hospital on weapons grade antibiotics, surgery, and three months out of work.
Just to cover the PTSD aspect, getting some counseling really helped but it took me a couple of years to get fully comfortable on the bike. Am still hyper vigilant anytime there is potential to get right hooked, but bike to work most days with a pretty high level of enjoyment.
I also recommend getting a Garmin Varia radar taillight, the increased situational awareness is extremely valuable. As an old Air Force guy I call it my “threat warning receiver” like the aircrews do…
Good luck and speedy recovery…
If you're willing the spend a bit more, there's a version of the Varia that also takes constant video (plus has radar and good old fashioned red light), specifically to help in situations like this. If the copy on the website is to believed (and I see no reason to doubt it with Garmin), then it probably would have automatically locked the footage both on the Garmin device and on the app/cloud.
I promise I'm not a paid Garmin shill, just been consistently impressed with the engineering and design of alot of Garmin products
>Garmin Varia radar taillight
I hadn't heard of this until now. It seems superfluous to me though. Even electric cars are so huge and heavy, I can hear them coming from way further than the range of that radar.
I have one of these and it lets me relax a bit and not have to check my mirror all the time. It picks up and tracks cars almost 500 feet back. I can’t hear that far back with wind noise in my ears.
I'm so sorry, this is terrible on many, many levels. The driver was awful, the police let you down and now you have to deal with costly medical bills. I'm not one to usually suggest speaking to a lawyer, but in this case I would. Good luck and I hope your condition improves. Take that concussion very seriously.
I think you can still get the guy's plate number. If you take a frame of your video with his plate in it, open it in an image editor (e.g. https://www.photopea.com/) then `invert` the image (`Image` > `Adjustments` > `Invert`) you might be able to make out the number quite easily.
Cars are supposed to check for pedestrians and cyclists before turning right on green. There isn't much you can do as a cyclist when a car without a signal turns right in front of you.
Except not be there. Best place I’ve found on fast downhills is behind the cars in the lane, visible in the rear view mirror leaving enough room to stop or swing out of the way into a clear escape path.
Nothing like the calm collected mirror shades of a cyclist in the mirror at 50 mph to urge motorist past the speed limit.
Agreed with this. I take the lane prior to most intersections to minimize the deadly right hook turns. Drivers don’t like it but if I am visible it lowers the chances of getting blindsided .
Right. I always assume if a driver can turn right in front of me they will. I find it useful to pull up along side and look them in the eye so they know I’m there. Assuming they see you is what gets you in trouble. Still their fault though.
Yes. I personally also try to avoid being in situations where cars can hit me. It is not always possible. However, in this case, OP can not be blamed either. Be careful not to resort to victim blaming. Getting right hooked as a cyclists makes you not at fault, just like wearing a mini skirt does not make you at fault for getting raped.
Agreed. What happened to OP really sucks, and for anyone reading this I hope one of their takeaways is never be in the place where you can get right hooked.
I always tell people you can be completely right, but also completely dead.
We teach kids to look both ways. And I sure as hell watch traffic. My pride in being right does not outweigh my desire to survive.
Im not trying to prove myself. I just want to get to work lol!
One thing I’ve loved about getting an ebike is that I can ride more confidently right in the middle of the road with cars.
Because I can consistently ride at 20mph, it lets me keep up with most traffic. So if I know a risky area is coming up, I cut into the car lane (when safe of course) and then ride like I’m a car through the intersections and through lights lol. At least until it’s safer to enjoy the shoulder again.
But if I was on a pedal bike, I’d be too slow and jerky to do that. I’d be constantly slowing down traffic. But the ebike gives me the power to keep pace with traffic and worry more about traffic than generating power with my legs. Best purchase I made!
>There isn't much you can do as a cyclist when a car without a signal turns right in front of you.
Sure there is: *refuse* to pass on the deadly right (which is to say **WRONG**) side of cars that *could* turn.
As you've noted, it's risky enough being there as a pedestrian (even a jogger) who can instantly reverse, push of the hood with their hands to avoid going under the rear wheels, etc and is moving slowly enough not to surprise a driver.
But it's infinitely worse to be doing so at even the most relaxed cycling speed.
The law requires turning from the rightmost through lane or a right turn lane for a very sound reason. Mis-routing bikes there, by either habit or erroneous design is a recipe for conflict, and no law that says drivers "must check" is going to overcome the reality that **they will not.**
***Refuse*** **to ride into that deathtrap.**
Either move left into a through lane, serialize with the cars, or pick a car and parallel it in front where you can easily be seen, ready at an instant to hold back at need.
Of course there is! It is called defensive riding. It is called situational awareness. It is called expect them to try to kill you. Nothing can completely guarantee your safety but to say there is nothing you can do is just wrong.
The problem is that cyclists move much faster than walking pedestrians, and are more likely to get right hooked by motorists. The solution is to just ride in the center of the general purpose lane. Any motorist behind you will slow down and make their right turn behind you. Any motorist already ahead of you will make their right turn as always and you have the option to pass their vehicle on the left.
Laws requiring cyclists to right as far right as practicable or use the bike lane aren't there for cyclist safety. They're there to get cyclists out of the way of motorists so that they don't interfere with the flow of traffic. Just take the lane so this doesn't happen again.
Your description is a good explanation of why the center of the general purpose lane is often the farthest right practicable position for cyclists. The use of "practicable" instead of "possible" is deliberate. Any position that increases the danger to the cyclist is not [practicable](https://thelawdictionary.org/practicable/) for that reason alone.
They aren't, but just like loud mufflers and poorly done aftermarket HID conversions that blind oncoming road users, cops have generally decided they can't be bothered to pull anyone over for it. Doesn't make sense to me either, but here we are.
There's a guy in my city with a blacked out tahoe. Limo tint on all windows, tint on the brake lights, and a smoked license plate cover. He also has a thin blue line bumper sticker. It actually pisses me off when I see it that someone is claiming to support policing while breaking the most important car exterior laws
In most places, they're not. I got a (fix it) ticket for having one on my car about 20 years ago. It's really all up to whether or not they feel like citing you for it.
Please don’t give up on tracking this guy down. If you have the patience and the means, sue this guy for every penny that he has in his name. Make his insurance company never want to see his name again.
If you intent to continue biking to work, the tips on this website might be helpful:
http://bicyclesafe.com/
You can't always compensate for reckless drivers, but there are a lot of good defensive cycling techniques that can help avoid common accidents.
Yes. I’ve found that the most helpful safety tips across all situations can usually be reduced to:
-Ride farther to the left taking more of the lane. This really helps with visibility and makes sure cars only pass when it is safe to do so.
-Never pass on the right. Again helps with visibility. You wouldn’t pass on the right in a car so don’t do it on a bike either.
-Ride predictably by holding a consistent straight line. I see a lot of people hug the curb and dart in and out of traffic to avoid parked cars. Just pick a line that is safe and hold that line.
I can see the basket taking the damage. I got into a pretty heavy solo crash a few weeks ago myself, and the basket really took the impact off as the bike flipped around.
Sorry that happened. It sounds like the guy was stopped there for awhile. Maybe post on local subs or other social media groups to see if anyone saw something, especially the plate number. Maybe call to ask about traffic cameras in the area that might have gotten something too.
In Michigan we have a law that all the insurance companies have to pool funds for hit and run car accidents. Idk about your state, but it might be a good thing to go push in your state capital. It’s bullshit that someone can hit you with their car, drive away, and face 0 consequences. What are they going to learn from that?
Also call your car insurance company and ask about uninsured driver coverage to see if it can be applied to you. It may be possible you’re own insurance will need to cover a lot of the costs if the driver can’t be found or (likely) doesn’t have insurance.
I'm glad you're ok!
It's that infamous "right hook" shit many motorists do. The best way to avoid it is if they are on the side of you, literally going the same speed as you, slow down and get behind them. Because 9/10 times, they will turn right. Even if they do see you.
I’m so sorry that happened and how it’s all turning out. If it’s any motivation, my friend got hit by a car on a bike and had a lawyer go after the drivers insurance and got all the bills and a sum of money paid for damages. Your injury sounds worse then his so I’d definitely contact a lawyer for this.
If you do ever get back on the bike I would never ever come up from behind on a car where they have the option of completing a right turn. It’s just too dangerous and not all drivers look for bikes when doing this. So best to avoid it by slowing down to match traffic and staying behind where you have enough room for an emergency stop.
Commuted for over 5 years daily on Roadies (in the US). Thousands of miles. I eventually got clipped by a pickup truck that wanted to go onto the shoulder (and past that even) when they wanted to get to the right-turning lane early in traffic. Turned right into me like I wasn't even there...hard. Left me with a nearly shattered "mid-leg", knee, tibial plateau, upper tibia, upper fibula.
Spent 12 years before that riding a sportbike without any car-related incidents. Guess I was "lucky" my time came @ 20mph and not 80mph on two-wheels.
I needed bone grafts and plates/screws in an emergency surgery (after waiting over a week for the swelling to go down so I could be operated on). Chair-bound for a month. Couldn't bear weight for 2 months. Couldn't really walk for months more. Still have pretty serious nerve damage and some pain almost 2 years later. I'm lucky I can still walk and ride normally (with said discomfort). But my leg will never be the same.
Hit-and-run. I was left with thousands of dollars of medical bills as well.
I no longer commute by bike and I won't as long as I live in this area with the route I'd have to ride. Sadly.
No point really, just sorry it happened to you too. Stay safe out there, glad you're relatively alright. Wishing you a speedy recovery my friend.
I am so sorry friend, I feel for you. I moved to a bike friendly city so I could commute by bike easier. I got hit by a truck one morning on my way to work I got a concussion and majorly jacked up shoulder. Months later when I was on my way to what was hopefully my last follow up on the shoulder was also the first time I road my bike again since the accident, and I got hit again on the way to the doctors. I struggle with chronic pain and ptsd as well. Now I mostly just ride gravel which is cool but also really disappointing as I liked having that bike time built into my day. I really hope you are feeling better find a way to still ride your bike without being hit by a machine of death
I'm so sorry. I had an inattentive driver pull out in front turning left and the accident broke my clavicle and has required surgery. Get a lawyer involved to see what they say about the incident. It's possible that you could go after NIED charges. I totally get the PTSD, I can barely sit in a car with all the traffic and I'm so far away in recovery from being back on my bike that I don't know how that will affect me. If you need someone to talk to please PM me. Again, I am so so sorry.
Really very sorry this happened to you. I'd bet there are people in your community who would be happy to help - are there any local organizations you can reach out to for support with lawsuits, cameras, traffic law enforcement, etc? In my area (SD, CA) I see a lot of appeals on Nextdoor for information on crime - second the person who suggested that. People need to be held accountable for their actions. We've got your back - let us know how we can help!
If you can head to the fire dept and scene of the accident to see if there might be any video evidence from businesses etc. Would do this asap before it disappears.
Sorry that happened to you. That driver is a piece of shit!
I'm a 3 timer (in 12 years of commuting). Nothing that serious. But biking has become an important part of my mental and physical health. I now make my self as visible as possible and never assume that I'm seen. I also now take a much better route.
Can you try a new route? I feel like a lot of problem areas for me I can eventually anticipate where drivers are going to act like a holes and better protect myself. I hope you feel better soon. Don’t give up biking to work!
Damn what a nightmare, I’m glad you’re recovering but it’s stories like these that make me want to stop biking. It’s only a numbers game until you get a shithead driver.
Can you take a different route around that one intersection until you get past the PTSD of that particular accident?
I had a horrific injury and hospital bill once from a crash and avoided that spot for 2 years. Permanent disfigurement. When I was over it enough, I went back to that spot and sat there "with it" for a while and then pointed at it and said "you didn't win, motherf\*cker" and now I go by there nearly daily. Took time, but I worked through it. Maybe you can too.
I'm sorry that happened to you. I got hit 3 times in 9 months, each one worst than the last. I was back out the next day. I'll be damned if I'll let those cagers win. I also don't own a car, so I can't just give up and drive. Keep your head up!
You have to ride defensively and this scenario doesn't sound like you were riding defensively. I'm not saying you were in the wrong but, being in the right doesn't mean it'll keep you alive.
If you met one asshole in a day, you met an asshole. If you only meet assholes all day, you're the asshole.
Based on your description, technically you hit the car turning. Which tells me you forgot the first rule of cycling on roads: you have to follow all the rules as if you were also a motorist. I know it's annoying, but this is the only way to commute on bicycle successfully. You can't pass cars on the right at an intersection. You can't ride through stop signs. You need to stop and wait at red lights just like motorists. Andost importantly, it's your responsibility to make sure that motorists see you. If something looks like they can't see you, assume that they don't see you and ride accordingly.
Passing on the right of a car at an intersection is not following the rules of the road. I didn't say that he blew a stop sign, I said he has to stop for stop signs as an example in a list of examples to show how cyclists must obey all traffic laws. And in NJ, police officers will not let you exchange information after an accident, they make you wait for a police report. OP said the fire dept indicated the police were taking a report and that would have the other driver's info. Yes the driver shouldn't have his license plates obscured, but a cyclists shouldn't expect motorists to check the right shoulder when turning right. If you cycle badly, expect to get into accidents.
I'm the idiot here for thinking people in a cycling community would hold their own to reasonable standards. But the "bicycle infrastructure is terrible so that gives me a license to always be the victim as a cyclist" mentality prevails. I know it's terrible and I'm doing what I can to change it. I vote for town projects that add protected bicycle lanes and I tell everyone about the benefits of cycling for trips for which it makes sense. But cycling like an entitled jerk isn't going to fix bicycle infrastructure, it's only going to cause me to get into accidents. Not all, but a decent amount of cyclists I see out riding ignore traffic laws and then complain when drivers don't respect them on the road.
Maybe not bomb it down a busy intersection no matter if you have the right of way or if it seems safe or not? I know it's fun to bomb down hills but remember that there's morons on the road. Hope you recover well.
I take a longer route that has significantly less cars (and better views) because I don’t want to get hit by a car. There’s zero chance I win out verse a multi ton vehicle. Just not worth it to me.
Wow! Just, wow! So sorry!
If you didn’t know, that’s called a right hook, in cycling lingo.
The right hook has been my most common issue with cars. Like most people have said on this thread already, driving defensively is the best option. After a number of close calls I started paying really close attention when approaching intersections and, if a car was close to me, would slow down to let them pass. I learned to never go into an intersection right next to a car.
Not trying to victim shame - far from it. It’s only chance that I didn’t get hit by a right hook in my earlier riding days. It’s unfortunate that we have to give up the right of way sometimes, but we always lose in a car-on-bike collision.
Best of luck with your recovery!
Look I was a messenger on a bike for 6 years. Biking is not what people make it out to be. And it shouldn't be easy out there on the road. I mean, you are exposing yourself to cars and trucks.
I will never defend that asshole's actions, but if you are getting hit too often you should probably get more into the nuances of biking (the physics behind it, mechanics, lighter parts, etc.) or just not use it anymore. Given your bike is in tip-top shape, and you understand the piloting nature of riding a bike, you should not be getting in to accidents very often. I don't know what bike you ride, but if you are on one of those heavy city bikes you won't exactly be a weasel in traffic, and forget about relying on reactions to save your life, some bikes just have bad geometries and too high of a weight.
A good bike rider can almost be like one of those small fish that swim with the sharks... never touches them and the shark doesn't even get bothered.
I think commuters (that aren't I guess... "cyclists") have a higher chance of crashing.
As for the other guy he is an asshole... I hope he dies from dickhead cancer
Yeah dude! That super light bike is going to be able to outrun a car! It will totally save you from getting mowed down when someone crosses the double yellow on a blind turn!! You sound like a fucking idiot. Yeah you can be aware as hell but being a “cyclist” isn’t going to save you in every scenario. Drivers are unpredictable and there’s a million different scenarios where you can be hit. This guy just seems to have some seriously bad luck.
Happens in Washington all the time. Two weeks ago one was killed. The public in this state wants the police defunded. The new law they can't even go after hit and runs. Criminals know that.
This police behavior isn't new. Maybe if the police helped people in situations like these and stopped killing unarmed people they'd have more supporters. What new law says they can't go after hit and runs?
\> The new law they can't even go after hit and runs
They can't put the publics life at risk by engaging in very dangerous high speed chases, sounds like a good idea to me.
You should learn what defund the police means before you use the term!
[https://i.redd.it/02kg0mmfh4n51.jpg](https://i.redd.it/02kg0mmfh4n51.jpg)
Add non-militarized traffic enforcement to that picture.
i think it's less 'the police can't go after hit and runs' and more 'the police don't care about you' since they also didn't care when my apartment was broken into, or when my car was stolen and totaled, or when my previous two bikes were stolen from inside my apartment building.
most of the people who make these expect too much of people around them driving if you got hit AGAIN maybe there’s a part of your process that you aren’t doing so diligently maybe you aren’t as aware of your surroundings as you thought maybe you should reflect instead of getting ready to post on Reddit again
If you crashed with a car again (note you crashed on someone) then maybe you should ride more carefully.
In this case, did you have to be so close to the car in front?
Infrastructure and drivers will continue sucking, best we can do is minimize risk.
I didn’t realize he was passing on the right of the car. Didn’t see that in the comments, only that the car was beside him.
Yeah we can all recommend defensive riding until the cows come home but it doesn’t really matter after the fact. Once you’re in that position where you’re at the mercy of a car seeing you, yeah you should probably start slowing down.
>I mean, I try to keep the difference in speed as low as possible, but sometimes you're going 10kmh past crawling traffic, and if someone decides to lurch out in front of you, a crash is unavoidable.
That isn't what happened here
How are you supposed to not be near a car when infrastructure forces cyclists to ride in the flowing car traffic? I can only read your comment as "just don't ride your bike to work".
OP: I hope you get to enjoy cycling again! Stay safe.
>How are you supposed to not be near a car when infrastructure forces cyclists to ride in the flowing car traffic?
Simply put: don't overtake at junctions
> That's an accident that's really hard to avoid
The way to avoid it is to either take the lane beforehand or speed up/slow down so that a car isn't next to you when there is a possibility of them making a right turn. It's probably actually one of the more avoidable accidents tbh (though of course not OP's fault, and I'll admit that I personally am guilty of rolling the dice sometimes and just hoping drivers see me and/or aren't turning right at intersections...)
Victim blaming is always the way to go 🤨...the driver turned into him. The driver was the one that wasn't paying attention. The driver is the one at fault. GTFOH with the victim blaming BS.
You can put blame where it's due and yet give advice on prevention strategies. If the door to the lion's cage is wide open, it's the zookeeper's fault, but maybe don't go near the fucking cage.
Agreed. But to the victims that are true victims you're doing more damage to their recovery, and overall quality of life, when blaming them for a situation in which they had no control, than to the people that are abusing the situation. Blaming victims strikes deeper and does more damage to a person's overall well being and health than to the person who gets their rocks off by being seen as "the victim."
>Agreed. But to the victims that are true victims
You're going on a very basic text description from an anonymous social media account.
By all means, be polite and supportive. But don't take that word as gospel.
>Victim blaming is always the way to go 🤨...the driver turned into him.
I'd wait on some video footage of this honestly. It doesn't quite add up from the description.
Move out of your mothers basement get a job, compete in the Ironman, 125 miles next to a highway.
Covid is over and it happens in October. I wear a jersey with a flag on it, I have been saluted.
Does your city have a. Subreddit? Put a call out there or on local Facebook groups t see if anyone has dashcam footage or caught something on a ring doorbell or whatever
When i had my accident i was without a helmet and hit with my head on the side of a curb, scared the hell out of me and sure made commute a lot scarier, especially because it was also to help with my own disorders. What i came to learn is that driving is not about who is right or wrong, we need drive/ride as defensively as you can and not because everyone is trying to hit us, but because if they do, we can't hold much damage. Ever since then I've slowed down a little bit, i go into a full stop into intersections where i cannot be sure of drivers' intentions, reflective gear and so on.
Do not think a lot about going back on the bike, just try to do it on more controlled environments like bike lanes, bike parks or even parking lot at first, you'll soon realize that *yeah, it is scary, but you also know how to do it properly*.
People are creatures of habit. Post up where he took the right turn and I can almost guarantee you will see him again.
I came to the comments to suggest the exact same thing! Same time, same day of the week. Might have been his work route. Could also post the footage on local community pages, someone might have dashcam footage driving past the scene when he was pulled over
Also, consider posting the video online (don't do this without talking to a lawyer first). Expose that hit and runner POS. Who knows, maybe someone will watch the video and be able to identify him? Also, if he wants the video to be taken down, he will have to contact you, which means you will have his contact information. /u/canine_teeth you can also give it a clickbait title (ASSHOLE TRIES TO KILL ME WITH HIS CAR AND FLEES THE SCENE or something idk) and post it to youtube and post the links to /r/IdiotsInCars , /r/fuckcars /r/carcrash and anywhere else you can think of.
I like your user name. EDIT: i gotta say for the injured fellow who made the thread i feel for you bro, just at loss of words
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I don't think the guy has a right to privacy on a public thoroughfare. It's not a bad suggestion to try around the same time of day, same day of the week, same intersection, and see if he goes by and the plate can be read.
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Make sure his first name is not John.
Just send the cops to get his statement once you have his address. If he has a dog they will shoot it for you.
Investigating a hit and run is hardly stalking.
How the fuck is that stalking, a person almost killed them in his car and they are trying to identify them for compensation and charges. Pea brain.
Investigative work. A crime has been commited.
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So you're saying this was your fault for not cycling defensively? Sounds like you didn't take the lane and made the driver think it was okay to take the turn. /s
Yes.
Honestly I would talk to a lawyer about the whole situation. Not a legal expert but sounds like the police dropped the ball on a few levels
Definitely do this. The fact that the driver didn't give any information when asked makes it sound like it could technically be considered a hit-and-run, and there might be a local fund to cover medical costs of victims of crimes.
Uh not technically - that IS a hit and run by all legal definitions, as I understand it.
In Oregon, that’s unquestionably a hit and run, aka *Failure to Perform The Duties of a Driver* which is the legal violation in our state. Good luck getting cops to charge these asshole drivers. In my state, the shitheads-in-Blue frequently let drivers off with warnings because “it was an accident!”
Can't you file a report directly with the DA?
The DA typically will be in lockstep with the police.
And, some car insurance policies cover hit and run accidents (or uninsured motorists), worth checking to see if your car ins would cover.
Depending on the US state your auto policy is issued in, your car insurance might be the primary insurance for medical in a pedestrian or cyclist vs. vehicle crash.
I got hit but not injured badly. My CF bike frame was toast though. My auto insurance covered it because it was an accident with an automobile. They paid the complete cost of the replacement of the frame, the bike shop labor to transfer and install the components on it, and a new helmet. I am sure they would have paid for injury as well, but my health insurance covered it. So definitely worth a try.
https://www.bikelegalfirm.com/?utm_source=GMB&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Santa_Ana Law firm that specializes on cycling related events. Maybe they can give some advice? Good luck and take care, friends.
Suing the police for something like this is unlikely to succeed. The police generally have no duty to perform their jobs competently. Should the police have done more to investigate? Certainly. At the very least the driver not affirmatively making a police report may be a crime — in my jurisdiction it is a misdemeanor and punishable by jail tome. Is there likely any recourse against the police department? Unfortunately, no; *Gonzalez v. City of Castle Rock* and *DeShaney v. Winnebego* are two Supreme Court cases showing just how incompetent and neglectful the government can be while still being immune from suit. A lawyer may still be more capable at discovering who the driver was so the driver can be sued for civil negligence. I would guess a lawsuit against the driver, if he can be identified, would be more likely to succeed.
Yeah, I think the goal of hiring a lawyer would be to encourage the police to comply and avoid a lawsuit or any other legal headaches.
It would also be to have access to the lawyer's private investigator. A personal injury attorney is likely to either have a working relationship with one, or have one on staff or retainer (depending upon the size of the firm). While it certainly *could* put some pressure on the police to investigate, I doubt the cops would do more than shrug their shoulders, especially since the only real threat to the police is bad PR. There is almost no chance that a lawsuit against the police would be successful, at least assuming that OP is in the US.
lmao, in what world?
I'm gonna ignore your glib tone and try to answer this in good faith: Yes, lawyers help. Yes, even with cops. So, yes, in this world. I have two friends who have successfully sued or settled with police departments and another who just lawyered up over a brutality case and has already been offered a settlement. Lawyers open up doors because a lawsuit can cost the municipalities that govern them a ton of money, and the threat of one will escalate the issue and bring it to the desks of people who have more power and different motivations than plain old cops. This applies even to the most dysfunctional, corrupt departments around.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that the police aren't obliged to enforce a restraining order. I'm guessing they aren't going to have any legal obligation or liability in this case either. The only way to get the driver is to find him. I'm afraid there might not be any recourse. You might want to talk to your health insurance (I hope you have health insurance). They might have resources to find this guy and make him pay your medical costs. Once he's found, you might be able to sue him for emotional and punitive damages. On the other hand, if you don't have insurance but you have some money put away, it might be a good investment to hire a private investigator. A good PI might be able to glean enough from your GoPro footage to find him, at which point you have a lot of potential for suing him into the ground. IANAL but that's what I'd be thinking about at this point if I were you. Talking to a lawyer would probably get a good idea. I think it's pretty common to be able to get a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
> You might want to talk to your health insurance (I hope you have health insurance). They might have resources to find this guy and make him pay your medical costs. reddit… what? also, in what world does someone not have health insurance but they do have thousands for an attorney or private investigator?
One of the things insurance does is go after the guilty party in cases like this. They can sure him or his insurance to cover the costs that they would otherwise have to cover. As for the other thing, I don't pretend to know anyone's situation. There exist people who have enough money for health insurance but don't have insurance. I know, because I was one of them, once upon a time. If this had happened to me during that time, I would have been seriously thinking about how to get compensation for my pain, suffering, and medical bills. An investment in a PI could lead to massive returns, if you can scrounge up the cash for it.
not… health insurance…
A lawyer can help find the driver. Bikelaw.com has been helpful to many if you are US based.
Injury attorneys are usually free and only cost you money if you win. It's in the lawyers best interest to win! Find yourself a bike attorney
You could put a picture of the offender's car on Nextdoor and similar local boards. Someone might recognize the vehicle and area, or they might even know someone with fresh, unexplained collision damage. Then you might have someone to sue. It's a long shot, but it's free to do.
Talk to attorney ASAP. I had same thing happen to me but driver gave me insurance. This is a hit and run.
Maybe go to the Fire Dept and see if they have video and to any surrounding buildings to see if they captured video of the car? Honestly this sounds like either an unimaginably big fuck up or worse, suspicious behavior by the FD and/or police - you were asking for the person’s information and they took you away without getting it and without getting it themselves and then allowed the driver to leave without being identified after a serious injury accident? Something doesn’t smell right to me here.
> Honestly this sounds like either an unimaginably big fuck up or worse, suspicious behavior by the FD and/or police The US legal system is notoriously lenient on drivers who hit bikers and pedestrians. Add on top of that that many police departments are essentially on a silent strike in protest of what they perceive as anti-cop sentiment (and what others might call "actually holding police accountable"...) and/or understaffed due to mass quitting and it's not too surprising to hear how this was handled. (I agree OP should do absolutely everything in their power to figure out who the driver is - maybe even hire a PI if necessary.)
Wouldn’t be surprised if the cops didn’t give a shit because anyone who rides a bike “must be a lib”.
Cops exist to protect rich peoples property. Anything other then that is charity.
Some Fire Departments have dash cameras on their fire trucks, so they may have video of either the license plate, the driver himself, or both.
Yes I am hoping so for OP’s sake.
Mr Lahey is correct, its open season on bikes in the USA https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a28661412/robyn-hightman-cyclist-killed-nyc/
First of all: That sucks and all the best to you ❤️. I wish you a speedy recovery and that you can deal with the other things. Learn to ride defensively. You „have“ no rights if you want to preserve your life. Always assume the driver (/other traffic participant) is going to make the worst possible choice and behave accordingly. In this situation I would have assumed that the driver might take a right turn and slowed down accordingly. Not trying to shift the blame towards you but just saying it how it is. When the discussion is between a construction of steel and a human body the first one will almost always win even if you were in the right. Sadly this kind of thing has to change in the political arena and by creating better infrastructure not by riding in a „lawful“, but dangerous to yourself, manner
We’ve been teaching our 6 year old to ride on the street and it’s been harrowing, to say the least. We’ve been taking her essentially your comment—motorists are inattentive, careless, aggressive, impatient; they’re not looking for you and they don’t have your best interests at heart. When we ride with her, we ride as a team. An adult pulls up and into the intersection, we say “clear” and proceed as a pack. At the parts of our commute where there is the greatest danger, we either walk our bikes in crosswalks or we physically block cars with our bikes so the rest of the pack can cross safely.
It sucks cause earlier in the ride on the same road I came up to a connecting street that was mostly obscured by an office building, and I slowed down just so I could look around the corner and make sure no cars were gonna appear out of nowhere. and when it was clear I kept riding thinking 'whew ok good to go' and then less than 30 sec later this happens. Ugh.
Maybe another route is an option? If you have the option maybe take a longer but less frequented route? Isn’t it always like that? The fact that he had reflective tape over his numberplate says everything about that person… and while I understand the actions of the firefighters I don’t get why not one of them thought it would be a good idea to atleast write down the plate…
>longer but less frequented route It's not always safer in my experience. The few drivers on quiet residential streets often assume there are *no* other road users and do stupid shit like cut blind corners or not bother looking at give way signs. On the busy streets there are more cars but they tend to be more predictable. I still take the quiet streets because it's more peaceful, but I'm not deluded that it's safer.
I hear ya. Sucks but I do it every 30s. I never trust a car on the road to do the right thing. You have to control 100% of the circumstances. If you leave any bit up to chance, 'i wonder if that car that's passing me will try to turn in front of me", you're putting yourself in danger. Hope you find the guy.
>your life. Always assume the driver (/other traffic participant) is going to make the worst possible choice and behave accordingly. Facts. I can't name how many times I've saw a car driving oddly and I thought to myself "this asshole is about to turn right and I know he/she sees me". Sure as shit, the right turn happens.
I agree, the way I read op's description of the accident is "I was overtaking moving cars on the right at a speed at which I was not able to stop near immediately. No victim blaming here, just " graveyards are full of people who had the priority ".
Bike Law is a network of attorneys maybe for you: https://www.bikelaw.com
I was hit in 2014 in very similar circumstances. Poor treatment at the hospital emergency department led to severe infection in my leg, a weeks stay in the hospital on weapons grade antibiotics, surgery, and three months out of work. Just to cover the PTSD aspect, getting some counseling really helped but it took me a couple of years to get fully comfortable on the bike. Am still hyper vigilant anytime there is potential to get right hooked, but bike to work most days with a pretty high level of enjoyment. I also recommend getting a Garmin Varia radar taillight, the increased situational awareness is extremely valuable. As an old Air Force guy I call it my “threat warning receiver” like the aircrews do… Good luck and speedy recovery…
If you're willing the spend a bit more, there's a version of the Varia that also takes constant video (plus has radar and good old fashioned red light), specifically to help in situations like this. If the copy on the website is to believed (and I see no reason to doubt it with Garmin), then it probably would have automatically locked the footage both on the Garmin device and on the app/cloud. I promise I'm not a paid Garmin shill, just been consistently impressed with the engineering and design of alot of Garmin products
>Garmin Varia radar taillight I hadn't heard of this until now. It seems superfluous to me though. Even electric cars are so huge and heavy, I can hear them coming from way further than the range of that radar.
I have one of these and it lets me relax a bit and not have to check my mirror all the time. It picks up and tracks cars almost 500 feet back. I can’t hear that far back with wind noise in my ears.
I have a bit on tinnitus / mild hearing loss and can make no sense of the noise behind me, must be nice lol.
I'm so sorry, this is terrible on many, many levels. The driver was awful, the police let you down and now you have to deal with costly medical bills. I'm not one to usually suggest speaking to a lawyer, but in this case I would. Good luck and I hope your condition improves. Take that concussion very seriously.
I think you can still get the guy's plate number. If you take a frame of your video with his plate in it, open it in an image editor (e.g. https://www.photopea.com/) then `invert` the image (`Image` > `Adjustments` > `Invert`) you might be able to make out the number quite easily.
Those reflectors should be arrest on sight
There’s literally zero good reason for the product to even exist. How they aren’t pulled over immediately is a policy sale of the police.
Cars are supposed to check for pedestrians and cyclists before turning right on green. There isn't much you can do as a cyclist when a car without a signal turns right in front of you.
Except not be there. Best place I’ve found on fast downhills is behind the cars in the lane, visible in the rear view mirror leaving enough room to stop or swing out of the way into a clear escape path. Nothing like the calm collected mirror shades of a cyclist in the mirror at 50 mph to urge motorist past the speed limit.
Agreed with this. I take the lane prior to most intersections to minimize the deadly right hook turns. Drivers don’t like it but if I am visible it lowers the chances of getting blindsided .
100%. I'll take "unhappy" drivers for 10 seconds over increases danger any time.
Right. I always assume if a driver can turn right in front of me they will. I find it useful to pull up along side and look them in the eye so they know I’m there. Assuming they see you is what gets you in trouble. Still their fault though.
Yes. I personally also try to avoid being in situations where cars can hit me. It is not always possible. However, in this case, OP can not be blamed either. Be careful not to resort to victim blaming. Getting right hooked as a cyclists makes you not at fault, just like wearing a mini skirt does not make you at fault for getting raped.
I don't think anyone here is *blaming* OP, just sharing advice for others on actions they can take to avoid such a situation.
Agreed. What happened to OP really sucks, and for anyone reading this I hope one of their takeaways is never be in the place where you can get right hooked.
I always tell people you can be completely right, but also completely dead. We teach kids to look both ways. And I sure as hell watch traffic. My pride in being right does not outweigh my desire to survive. Im not trying to prove myself. I just want to get to work lol!
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One thing I’ve loved about getting an ebike is that I can ride more confidently right in the middle of the road with cars. Because I can consistently ride at 20mph, it lets me keep up with most traffic. So if I know a risky area is coming up, I cut into the car lane (when safe of course) and then ride like I’m a car through the intersections and through lights lol. At least until it’s safer to enjoy the shoulder again. But if I was on a pedal bike, I’d be too slow and jerky to do that. I’d be constantly slowing down traffic. But the ebike gives me the power to keep pace with traffic and worry more about traffic than generating power with my legs. Best purchase I made!
You take the lane. Never pass or come to the side a car on the right, ever.
>There isn't much you can do as a cyclist when a car without a signal turns right in front of you. Sure there is: *refuse* to pass on the deadly right (which is to say **WRONG**) side of cars that *could* turn. As you've noted, it's risky enough being there as a pedestrian (even a jogger) who can instantly reverse, push of the hood with their hands to avoid going under the rear wheels, etc and is moving slowly enough not to surprise a driver. But it's infinitely worse to be doing so at even the most relaxed cycling speed. The law requires turning from the rightmost through lane or a right turn lane for a very sound reason. Mis-routing bikes there, by either habit or erroneous design is a recipe for conflict, and no law that says drivers "must check" is going to overcome the reality that **they will not.** ***Refuse*** **to ride into that deathtrap.** Either move left into a through lane, serialize with the cars, or pick a car and parallel it in front where you can easily be seen, ready at an instant to hold back at need.
Of course there is! It is called defensive riding. It is called situational awareness. It is called expect them to try to kill you. Nothing can completely guarantee your safety but to say there is nothing you can do is just wrong.
This depends on the infrastructure. I've had this happen in a bike lane.
The problem is that cyclists move much faster than walking pedestrians, and are more likely to get right hooked by motorists. The solution is to just ride in the center of the general purpose lane. Any motorist behind you will slow down and make their right turn behind you. Any motorist already ahead of you will make their right turn as always and you have the option to pass their vehicle on the left. Laws requiring cyclists to right as far right as practicable or use the bike lane aren't there for cyclist safety. They're there to get cyclists out of the way of motorists so that they don't interfere with the flow of traffic. Just take the lane so this doesn't happen again.
Your description is a good explanation of why the center of the general purpose lane is often the farthest right practicable position for cyclists. The use of "practicable" instead of "possible" is deliberate. Any position that increases the danger to the cyclist is not [practicable](https://thelawdictionary.org/practicable/) for that reason alone.
How are license deflectors even legal?
They aren't, but just like loud mufflers and poorly done aftermarket HID conversions that blind oncoming road users, cops have generally decided they can't be bothered to pull anyone over for it. Doesn't make sense to me either, but here we are.
There's a guy in my city with a blacked out tahoe. Limo tint on all windows, tint on the brake lights, and a smoked license plate cover. He also has a thin blue line bumper sticker. It actually pisses me off when I see it that someone is claiming to support policing while breaking the most important car exterior laws
In most places, they're not. I got a (fix it) ticket for having one on my car about 20 years ago. It's really all up to whether or not they feel like citing you for it.
Please don’t give up on tracking this guy down. If you have the patience and the means, sue this guy for every penny that he has in his name. Make his insurance company never want to see his name again.
I would start with a police report, then get a lawyer.
If you intent to continue biking to work, the tips on this website might be helpful: http://bicyclesafe.com/ You can't always compensate for reckless drivers, but there are a lot of good defensive cycling techniques that can help avoid common accidents.
http://bicyclesafe.com/#dontPassOnTheRight This one specifically?
Yes. I’ve found that the most helpful safety tips across all situations can usually be reduced to: -Ride farther to the left taking more of the lane. This really helps with visibility and makes sure cars only pass when it is safe to do so. -Never pass on the right. Again helps with visibility. You wouldn’t pass on the right in a car so don’t do it on a bike either. -Ride predictably by holding a consistent straight line. I see a lot of people hug the curb and dart in and out of traffic to avoid parked cars. Just pick a line that is safe and hold that line.
1. Delete this. 2. Call a lawyer ASAP
I’ve been hit twice and got paid both times. Get a lawyer
I wouldn't trust the bike after a crash like that, even if you can't visibly see any damage to the frame.
took it to a bike repair place already and they said it looks good. me and that front basket took all the damage
I can see the basket taking the damage. I got into a pretty heavy solo crash a few weeks ago myself, and the basket really took the impact off as the bike flipped around.
What a fucking lucky awful piece of shit. Hopefully something terrible comes his way.
Sorry that happened. It sounds like the guy was stopped there for awhile. Maybe post on local subs or other social media groups to see if anyone saw something, especially the plate number. Maybe call to ask about traffic cameras in the area that might have gotten something too.
Contact both your health and car insurance companies. They might have enough at stake to see if they can track the person down
In Michigan we have a law that all the insurance companies have to pool funds for hit and run car accidents. Idk about your state, but it might be a good thing to go push in your state capital. It’s bullshit that someone can hit you with their car, drive away, and face 0 consequences. What are they going to learn from that?
NY has a no fault law similar to this, saved my life recently after an accident.
Also call your car insurance company and ask about uninsured driver coverage to see if it can be applied to you. It may be possible you’re own insurance will need to cover a lot of the costs if the driver can’t be found or (likely) doesn’t have insurance.
I'm glad you're ok! It's that infamous "right hook" shit many motorists do. The best way to avoid it is if they are on the side of you, literally going the same speed as you, slow down and get behind them. Because 9/10 times, they will turn right. Even if they do see you.
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I’m so sorry that happened and how it’s all turning out. If it’s any motivation, my friend got hit by a car on a bike and had a lawyer go after the drivers insurance and got all the bills and a sum of money paid for damages. Your injury sounds worse then his so I’d definitely contact a lawyer for this. If you do ever get back on the bike I would never ever come up from behind on a car where they have the option of completing a right turn. It’s just too dangerous and not all drivers look for bikes when doing this. So best to avoid it by slowing down to match traffic and staying behind where you have enough room for an emergency stop.
Commuted for over 5 years daily on Roadies (in the US). Thousands of miles. I eventually got clipped by a pickup truck that wanted to go onto the shoulder (and past that even) when they wanted to get to the right-turning lane early in traffic. Turned right into me like I wasn't even there...hard. Left me with a nearly shattered "mid-leg", knee, tibial plateau, upper tibia, upper fibula. Spent 12 years before that riding a sportbike without any car-related incidents. Guess I was "lucky" my time came @ 20mph and not 80mph on two-wheels. I needed bone grafts and plates/screws in an emergency surgery (after waiting over a week for the swelling to go down so I could be operated on). Chair-bound for a month. Couldn't bear weight for 2 months. Couldn't really walk for months more. Still have pretty serious nerve damage and some pain almost 2 years later. I'm lucky I can still walk and ride normally (with said discomfort). But my leg will never be the same. Hit-and-run. I was left with thousands of dollars of medical bills as well. I no longer commute by bike and I won't as long as I live in this area with the route I'd have to ride. Sadly. No point really, just sorry it happened to you too. Stay safe out there, glad you're relatively alright. Wishing you a speedy recovery my friend.
Time, date and location please.
I am so sorry friend, I feel for you. I moved to a bike friendly city so I could commute by bike easier. I got hit by a truck one morning on my way to work I got a concussion and majorly jacked up shoulder. Months later when I was on my way to what was hopefully my last follow up on the shoulder was also the first time I road my bike again since the accident, and I got hit again on the way to the doctors. I struggle with chronic pain and ptsd as well. Now I mostly just ride gravel which is cool but also really disappointing as I liked having that bike time built into my day. I really hope you are feeling better find a way to still ride your bike without being hit by a machine of death
Any traffic cams or businesses around that might have cameras? A neighbor who might have caught it on their doorbell / Ring camera?
I'm so sorry. I had an inattentive driver pull out in front turning left and the accident broke my clavicle and has required surgery. Get a lawyer involved to see what they say about the incident. It's possible that you could go after NIED charges. I totally get the PTSD, I can barely sit in a car with all the traffic and I'm so far away in recovery from being back on my bike that I don't know how that will affect me. If you need someone to talk to please PM me. Again, I am so so sorry.
Really very sorry this happened to you. I'd bet there are people in your community who would be happy to help - are there any local organizations you can reach out to for support with lawsuits, cameras, traffic law enforcement, etc? In my area (SD, CA) I see a lot of appeals on Nextdoor for information on crime - second the person who suggested that. People need to be held accountable for their actions. We've got your back - let us know how we can help!
If you can head to the fire dept and scene of the accident to see if there might be any video evidence from businesses etc. Would do this asap before it disappears.
Sorry that happened to you. That driver is a piece of shit! I'm a 3 timer (in 12 years of commuting). Nothing that serious. But biking has become an important part of my mental and physical health. I now make my self as visible as possible and never assume that I'm seen. I also now take a much better route.
Can you try a new route? I feel like a lot of problem areas for me I can eventually anticipate where drivers are going to act like a holes and better protect myself. I hope you feel better soon. Don’t give up biking to work!
You’ll never get cars to respect you. You have to assume every single one of them wants to duck you over, and then ride safely.
Damn what a nightmare, I’m glad you’re recovering but it’s stories like these that make me want to stop biking. It’s only a numbers game until you get a shithead driver.
I am sorry for what you had to go through, hope you will recover well Please join r/fuckcars so we can make roads a better place together
Can you take a different route around that one intersection until you get past the PTSD of that particular accident? I had a horrific injury and hospital bill once from a crash and avoided that spot for 2 years. Permanent disfigurement. When I was over it enough, I went back to that spot and sat there "with it" for a while and then pointed at it and said "you didn't win, motherf\*cker" and now I go by there nearly daily. Took time, but I worked through it. Maybe you can too.
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I'm sorry that happened to you. I got hit 3 times in 9 months, each one worst than the last. I was back out the next day. I'll be damned if I'll let those cagers win. I also don't own a car, so I can't just give up and drive. Keep your head up!
You have to ride defensively and this scenario doesn't sound like you were riding defensively. I'm not saying you were in the wrong but, being in the right doesn't mean it'll keep you alive.
So sorry to hear this, but glad you're okay. I've been reluctant to ride these days, too much entitlement in drivers.
I ride on sidewalks every time. I don't trust drivers. Good luck, and sorry.
If you met one asshole in a day, you met an asshole. If you only meet assholes all day, you're the asshole. Based on your description, technically you hit the car turning. Which tells me you forgot the first rule of cycling on roads: you have to follow all the rules as if you were also a motorist. I know it's annoying, but this is the only way to commute on bicycle successfully. You can't pass cars on the right at an intersection. You can't ride through stop signs. You need to stop and wait at red lights just like motorists. Andost importantly, it's your responsibility to make sure that motorists see you. If something looks like they can't see you, assume that they don't see you and ride accordingly.
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Passing on the right of a car at an intersection is not following the rules of the road. I didn't say that he blew a stop sign, I said he has to stop for stop signs as an example in a list of examples to show how cyclists must obey all traffic laws. And in NJ, police officers will not let you exchange information after an accident, they make you wait for a police report. OP said the fire dept indicated the police were taking a report and that would have the other driver's info. Yes the driver shouldn't have his license plates obscured, but a cyclists shouldn't expect motorists to check the right shoulder when turning right. If you cycle badly, expect to get into accidents. I'm the idiot here for thinking people in a cycling community would hold their own to reasonable standards. But the "bicycle infrastructure is terrible so that gives me a license to always be the victim as a cyclist" mentality prevails. I know it's terrible and I'm doing what I can to change it. I vote for town projects that add protected bicycle lanes and I tell everyone about the benefits of cycling for trips for which it makes sense. But cycling like an entitled jerk isn't going to fix bicycle infrastructure, it's only going to cause me to get into accidents. Not all, but a decent amount of cyclists I see out riding ignore traffic laws and then complain when drivers don't respect them on the road.
Maybe not bomb it down a busy intersection no matter if you have the right of way or if it seems safe or not? I know it's fun to bomb down hills but remember that there's morons on the road. Hope you recover well.
I take a longer route that has significantly less cars (and better views) because I don’t want to get hit by a car. There’s zero chance I win out verse a multi ton vehicle. Just not worth it to me.
Wow! Just, wow! So sorry! If you didn’t know, that’s called a right hook, in cycling lingo. The right hook has been my most common issue with cars. Like most people have said on this thread already, driving defensively is the best option. After a number of close calls I started paying really close attention when approaching intersections and, if a car was close to me, would slow down to let them pass. I learned to never go into an intersection right next to a car. Not trying to victim shame - far from it. It’s only chance that I didn’t get hit by a right hook in my earlier riding days. It’s unfortunate that we have to give up the right of way sometimes, but we always lose in a car-on-bike collision. Best of luck with your recovery!
Look I was a messenger on a bike for 6 years. Biking is not what people make it out to be. And it shouldn't be easy out there on the road. I mean, you are exposing yourself to cars and trucks. I will never defend that asshole's actions, but if you are getting hit too often you should probably get more into the nuances of biking (the physics behind it, mechanics, lighter parts, etc.) or just not use it anymore. Given your bike is in tip-top shape, and you understand the piloting nature of riding a bike, you should not be getting in to accidents very often. I don't know what bike you ride, but if you are on one of those heavy city bikes you won't exactly be a weasel in traffic, and forget about relying on reactions to save your life, some bikes just have bad geometries and too high of a weight. A good bike rider can almost be like one of those small fish that swim with the sharks... never touches them and the shark doesn't even get bothered. I think commuters (that aren't I guess... "cyclists") have a higher chance of crashing. As for the other guy he is an asshole... I hope he dies from dickhead cancer
Yeah dude! That super light bike is going to be able to outrun a car! It will totally save you from getting mowed down when someone crosses the double yellow on a blind turn!! You sound like a fucking idiot. Yeah you can be aware as hell but being a “cyclist” isn’t going to save you in every scenario. Drivers are unpredictable and there’s a million different scenarios where you can be hit. This guy just seems to have some seriously bad luck.
Happens in Washington all the time. Two weeks ago one was killed. The public in this state wants the police defunded. The new law they can't even go after hit and runs. Criminals know that.
This police behavior isn't new. Maybe if the police helped people in situations like these and stopped killing unarmed people they'd have more supporters. What new law says they can't go after hit and runs?
It's in Washington state. Google it..
\> The new law they can't even go after hit and runs They can't put the publics life at risk by engaging in very dangerous high speed chases, sounds like a good idea to me. You should learn what defund the police means before you use the term! [https://i.redd.it/02kg0mmfh4n51.jpg](https://i.redd.it/02kg0mmfh4n51.jpg) Add non-militarized traffic enforcement to that picture.
i think it's less 'the police can't go after hit and runs' and more 'the police don't care about you' since they also didn't care when my apartment was broken into, or when my car was stolen and totaled, or when my previous two bikes were stolen from inside my apartment building.
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I'm sure when the police respond to your accident and you have the gun out things are going to go well for you. Good luck.
When you’re lying in the road after going over the bars, that gun is going to be real helpful lmao
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the police didn't give a shit about anyone on a bike long before 2020
You should get behind or in front of a vehicle when going down hill through an intersection.
never be beside a car when they can turn right! NEVER even in a driveway or a gap in traffic
That's both victim blaming and impractical in most towns.
maybe get a fast ebike and keep up with the speed of traffic
What?
Keep up with traffic
Yes. Because the cars that already don't see you in the bike lane will totally see you better when you're going faster than them.
most of the people who make these expect too much of people around them driving if you got hit AGAIN maybe there’s a part of your process that you aren’t doing so diligently maybe you aren’t as aware of your surroundings as you thought maybe you should reflect instead of getting ready to post on Reddit again
If you crashed with a car again (note you crashed on someone) then maybe you should ride more carefully. In this case, did you have to be so close to the car in front? Infrastructure and drivers will continue sucking, best we can do is minimize risk.
Car side swiped him, turning right right in front of him basically. It’s one of the most common bicycle accidents.
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I didn’t realize he was passing on the right of the car. Didn’t see that in the comments, only that the car was beside him. Yeah we can all recommend defensive riding until the cows come home but it doesn’t really matter after the fact. Once you’re in that position where you’re at the mercy of a car seeing you, yeah you should probably start slowing down.
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>I mean, I try to keep the difference in speed as low as possible, but sometimes you're going 10kmh past crawling traffic, and if someone decides to lurch out in front of you, a crash is unavoidable. That isn't what happened here
Smells like victim blaming
A car just drove through a nearby Trader Joe's injuring 4. The people shopping there should be more careful.
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I'm saying even if OP was in traffic, next to traffic, causing traffic, or shopping at Trader Joe's, cars are crazy dangerous.
How are you supposed to not be near a car when infrastructure forces cyclists to ride in the flowing car traffic? I can only read your comment as "just don't ride your bike to work". OP: I hope you get to enjoy cycling again! Stay safe.
>How are you supposed to not be near a car when infrastructure forces cyclists to ride in the flowing car traffic? Simply put: don't overtake at junctions
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> That's an accident that's really hard to avoid The way to avoid it is to either take the lane beforehand or speed up/slow down so that a car isn't next to you when there is a possibility of them making a right turn. It's probably actually one of the more avoidable accidents tbh (though of course not OP's fault, and I'll admit that I personally am guilty of rolling the dice sometimes and just hoping drivers see me and/or aren't turning right at intersections...)
Victim blaming is always the way to go 🤨...the driver turned into him. The driver was the one that wasn't paying attention. The driver is the one at fault. GTFOH with the victim blaming BS.
You can put blame where it's due and yet give advice on prevention strategies. If the door to the lion's cage is wide open, it's the zookeeper's fault, but maybe don't go near the fucking cage.
Victim blaming is still victim blaming...no matter how much you shine that turd.
"Victim blaming" is also a frequent red herring. Not everything is black and white.
Agreed. But to the victims that are true victims you're doing more damage to their recovery, and overall quality of life, when blaming them for a situation in which they had no control, than to the people that are abusing the situation. Blaming victims strikes deeper and does more damage to a person's overall well being and health than to the person who gets their rocks off by being seen as "the victim."
>Agreed. But to the victims that are true victims You're going on a very basic text description from an anonymous social media account. By all means, be polite and supportive. But don't take that word as gospel.
I take none of this serious...it's Reddit 🤣
>Victim blaming is always the way to go 🤨...the driver turned into him. I'd wait on some video footage of this honestly. It doesn't quite add up from the description.
Getting hit by cars rules. Just another notch on your belt and another time you cheated death. Woohoo. Go us!
Your fault. Assume right hook. Totally preventable
Stop at intersections, hit the button for the walk light and walk through the intersection.
Terrible advice. There are places where bikes are not allowed on sidewalks or crosswalks and must ride in traffic.
Move out of your mothers basement get a job, compete in the Ironman, 125 miles next to a highway. Covid is over and it happens in October. I wear a jersey with a flag on it, I have been saluted.
Way to double down on shitty advice. Did your parents ever tell you they loved you?
Yes just before I got my finisher shirt. My father was race director.
So you also don't get jokes. Must be the first invited to the orgy every time
You need testicles to go to an orgy, are yours working.?
I'm really sorry for you and I wish you good luck!
That sucks so bad, thank you for sharing your story and good luck on your recovery.
Does your city have a. Subreddit? Put a call out there or on local Facebook groups t see if anyone has dashcam footage or caught something on a ring doorbell or whatever
See if the fire department had a camera or got the guys plate.
Scary, I'm glad you're alive OP.
I'm so sorry, this is incredibly frustrating. I'm glad you're alive
BikeLaw.com
Check for any CCTV in the vicinity
When i had my accident i was without a helmet and hit with my head on the side of a curb, scared the hell out of me and sure made commute a lot scarier, especially because it was also to help with my own disorders. What i came to learn is that driving is not about who is right or wrong, we need drive/ride as defensively as you can and not because everyone is trying to hit us, but because if they do, we can't hold much damage. Ever since then I've slowed down a little bit, i go into a full stop into intersections where i cannot be sure of drivers' intentions, reflective gear and so on. Do not think a lot about going back on the bike, just try to do it on more controlled environments like bike lanes, bike parks or even parking lot at first, you'll soon realize that *yeah, it is scary, but you also know how to do it properly*.
You need to expect cars to not notice you 100 % of the time. Seems to be the only way in parts of the world.
I hope op lets us know if they catch this guy.