I hit a child on the bike trail

I still can't believe this happened. I hit a little girl on the bike trail and knocked her down. She and her dad were walking with their backs to me and right as I got to them, she ran out in front of me. It happened so fast! I yelled LOOK OUT and braked hard, but I couldn't avoid her. There was oncoming bike traffic and other pedestrians on the other side of the trail, so I could only swerve so far over. My front tire and right leg hit her and knocked her down. I can't believe I didn't go down too.

I stopped and the dad had already picked her up off the ground. She was sobbing but there was no blood and the dad was saying "see, this is why you have to follow the rules! this is why you have to look both ways!". I was shaking and fighting back tears. I apologized over and over and the dad kept saying she's fine and he seemed pretty ok with it. So after a couple minutes I got back on the bike and rode off. I feel so guilty. I feel like I should've given them my name and number or something. Honestly, I don't think it was my fault, but I still feel just awful. Poor little kid...she was only about 5. How traumatic for her!

How frightening for both of you.

If you were following the speed limit, and I imagine you were with all that traffic on the path, I can't think of anything you might have done to avoid it except to maybe call out "On your left!" way in advance of getting to them so the father could have pulled her over, too, out of your way. It's hard to second-guess a situation like that, though. My DH refuses to call out to walkers on the path because, he says, half the time they wander to the left into his path.

Incidents like this make me want to get a bell, though.

I'm glad she wasn't hurt too badly, and I'm glad you didn't fall, too.

Roxy

As the mother of a 5 year old and a 7 year old, I say...serves the kid right. Of course, I would only say that if no one was seriously hurt, because no one deserves to be seriously hurt. But it sounds like no one was seriously hurt, and I am truly glad both you and the girl (and your bike!) are OK. And since you are all OK, let's just hope that she learned a valuable lesson and will follow the rules better in the future.

I am by no means poo pooing your distress. I would be freaked out too -- particularly by the what ifs. But it sounds like this kiddo will not be worse for wear, so try not to dwell.

When i see kids on a path I slow waaaay down.
You never know what those little.....darlings are going to do.

She's fine and has probably learned a valuable lesson.

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Originally Posted by dinabean

As the mother of a 5 year old and a 7 year old, I say...serves the kid right.

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I think this is what the dad was thinking too! Thank heavens she seemed to be ok. When I stopped, I was almost afraid to turn around and look because I was expecting blood and knocked out teeth or something. Considering all the sharp chainring teeth and stuff on the right side of the bike, it's very lucky she hit my leg and didn't get all cut up by bike parts. By the time I hit her, I'm sure I was going well under 10 mph.

This particular trail has very heavy bike traffic and most pedestrians are pretty good about staying out of the way or at least looking before they cross. But little kids are always worrisome to me. It's too bad the dad didn't have her on the other side of him away from the paved part of the trail.

Aha. Good lesson for him, too, no doubt.

Roxy

It does sound like a scary experience for all concerned. I bike in very crowded conditions and I'm surprised I don't see more collisions.

Little children are unpredictable, and slowing down when you see them is all you can do. This doesn't sound like it was your fault at all -- but still it's a bad experience.

I'm glad she is okay, and hope she learned to be more careful.

I am glad that you are both ok, and sorry that that happened however, I think in the case of young children, people walking dogs on leashes and squirrels, any encounter can very likely one with no guarantees.

As the sort of mother who would let my child crawl too close to the fire because I knew he/she would only do it once, all I can say is that the experience was probably a very good learning experience for all three of you.

Glad you are ok.

I hit a little girl on a bike path too. she had run off of the bike path with the other little girls, but they were all still yelling at her to move.She was overwhelmed and confused and then moved back onto the bike path. I was going super slow, she jumped in front of me at the last minute and we both went down. I tweaked my back, she wet her pants and was holding her arm. I told the Girl's Inc person that was supervising them to get her to the ER for an arm x ray, but I doubt that she did. My motto now - children and dogs - unpredictable and dangerous! And I hate mixed use bike paths. Tokie

I am glad the child is ok.

I love to ride the bike paths. But I've learned to bike on the weekdays when the trails aren't being used by family groups or during the dead of winter or on a real rainy/cold day. Years ago I was on a bike path in a nearby state park. I slowed down to 8 mph because there was a girl on a bike off the trail. She looked right at me then pedaled her bike crossways onto the trail and stopped, blocking the trail completely and still looking at me, so I either hit her or go off the path and take a tumble. I went off the path and took the fall. As I was getting up the mother came over to me, screaming in a frenzy, her face contorted in rage, spittle flying out of her mouth, eyes all bugged out, and yelled a lot of filthy words at me in front of her gaggle of children. I got back on my bike and rode away from her, figuring she must be mentally ill or mentally deficit in some way, continued to ride inside the park, and coming back on another loop, a good mile from the incident, there she is with her gaggle of children and starts screaming at me again, real gutter language. I found a park ranger and reported the lady. It is why I no longer ride the bike trails anywhere on a weekend.

However the most fun bike trails I've found, complete with water faucets, porta potties and benches along the trails, is in Idaho around Ketchum, near Sun Valley. Lots of road cyclists on those trails, and the walkers are real respectful of the cyclists, and everyone seems to know the trail rules, like single-file to the right. One morning I was up at dawn to ride the trail between Hailey and Ketchum, and the trail was filled with cyclists commuting to work in Ketchum; it was a fantastic sight.

Rollie, I'm sorry that happened to you and so glad everyone's okay. It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong at all. Still I've found the only safe passing speed for pedestrians is 5 mph or less. I've read for motor vehicles that anything over a 15% speed differential is super dangerous, and IMO that's true for any traffic. 10 mph is 400 or 500% of a child's walking speed.

I have found children, dogs and squirrels do not respond to my bike bell. When I see any of those or people with ears buds or a cell phone in use I quickly slow down. Being in control of your bike is the only thing you can do with users who aren't aware of their surrounding. You did the right thing by stopping and making sure all parties were okay.

Rollie,

Don't feel guilt. Accidents happen. At least you're a bike and not a car...and that would have been a very different outcome.

Hopefully Dad knows that he should have kept her on the "inside" particularly since there was other traffic coming the opposite direction.

I've often had this same fear on local MUP's...but it's usually with the UNLEASHED dogs...now I have something else to ponder in my contingency planning...

The leashed dogs on my favorite MUP drive me nuts. Their owners let their leashes run out all the way, so there's a walking human on the right, but a darting-back-and-forth yap yap on a 20-foot lead running all over the road. Even if it's far to the left, I can't get around the leash safely. I try to yell "LEASH!" when I'm coming up on them, and most of the time they reel them back in in time, but I usually have to slow way down.

I've been known to say something like, "Lady, I'm the slow cyclist out here. There's a bunch of big guys doing about 20 coming up fast behind me, and they don't call out," as I pass. There are a lot of really fast cyclists who work out around the lake, and they're not all observing the 15 mph speed limit.

And young mothers who let their toddlers out of the jogging stroller to run around while they're talking on the phone. One of them got a panicked "Watch the baby!" from me when I was coming around a sharp curve and there she was, there her stroller was, and there this little boy was, about twenty feet farther around the curve in the middle of the path. I had to screech to a halt -- luckily I was on my mtb at the time. I wouldn't have had that kind of traction or control on my Ruby. I hope whomever she was talking to heard me scream.

Foot traffic is just one of the hazards we have to learn to deal with. I wish sometimes that we could post our own Rules of the Road for people who seem to miss those giant signs at the beginning of the pathway.

Roxy

Roxy

I'm glad you and the little girl are both okay. If it was that congested, dad should have been holding her hand and keeping an eye out IMO.

As the parent of a 5 yr old I can say the Dad probably understood that you did everything you could. Accidents just happen and kids can be unpredictable. The good news is the little girl didn't get hurt and she probably learned a valuable lesson and will be more aware next time. It could have saved her from a worse collision down the road.

Let me guess... was this on the American River Bike Trail? I've almost hit so many people out there... all of which walked out in front of me suddenly switching sides on the trail and most of which were probably drunk.

Sounds like the dad was trying to teach the girl a lesson about safety as well. Kids are unpredictable, I'm sure he understood that accidents happen. Just hope she learned her lesson so next time it's not a car that hits her.

I had my most serious crash (broken wrist) on a MUP when someone stepped out in front of me. I actually feel safer riding on the road then on a trail where there are pedestrians, skaters, dogs on long leashes, etc. You take your life in your hands on those trails!!

Glad everyone is okay. Im really surprised it doesnt happen more often. Saturday I was leading a group ride up a MUP and we came upon a section that was part of the route for a cancer walk. Note, the trail was NOT closed for other traffic, but these people were ALL across the path as though it were, and were giving all the cyclists the evil eye as they passed. The section of trail we were on is primarily used by cyclists on any other day but yesterday, and people fly up and down it. At least we were riding against ped traffic (not that even half saw us coming towards them) I really felt bad for the cyclist heading the same direction as the peds.
People need to pay attention and understand they are not the only ones on the trail - parents need to keep their kids close, and their dogs on short leashes. Our city has a 6ft leash law, but it doesnt stop people from using those retractable ones, all out, across the trail. Im just waiting for someone to get clotheslined on one of those.

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Originally Posted by loopybunny

Let me guess... was this on the American River Bike Trail?

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Why yes, as a matter of fact, it was!!!

This is not my first close encounter on that trail with children, dogs, oblivious pedestrians, and cyclists suddenly turning left or stopping in front of me...not to mention the 10 gazillion suicidal squirrels who scare me to death. I try to go down there when it won't be too crowded and I really do love riding there. It's just the nature of MUPs I guess.

Today I feel less guilty and even more thankful that the girl was ok. Plus I think I got my come-uppance because on today's ride I had a little rock stuck in my cleat and I couldn't unclip so I tipped over and fell in a driveway. Just like the girl, I'm fine...just a bruise or two.

I am not going to pass blame - just happy everything turned out OK.

One reason why I generally don't ride tails, paths etc. People just aren't paying attention. Children are unpredictable and squirrelly; parents are unattentive; its dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists both.

Many years ago I had a very serious accident (fx's hip, wrist, arm,collarbone) when a young child ran across the bike path in front of me. I was going fairly fast (about 20mph) and knew if I hit the child, would most likely kill him. I laid the bike down and paid the price. The child's mother was laying (on a blanket, asleep) some way down from the trail totally oblivious her child had run off. Thank goodness my friends were with me to deal with the situation. They gave the mom a lecture. Of course, that didn't help me... so if I'm on a trail I go slow and cautiously assuming everyone out there is an idiot and doesn't see me.

Glad you are OK, but I know how you feel.

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Originally Posted by RolliePollie

There was oncoming bike traffic and other pedestrians on the other side of the trail, so I could only swerve so far over.

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I completely sympathise with your feelings on what's happened here.. but I am curious. You knew there was oncoming bike traffic and pedestrians on the other side of the trail, making it unsafe to pass. Why didn't you just slow down/stop behind dad and daughter until it was safe to pass? :confused:

Max

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Originally Posted by Maxxxie

I completely sympathise with your feelings on what's happened here.. but I am curious. You knew there was oncoming bike traffic and pedestrians on the other side of the trail, making it unsafe to pass. Why didn't you just slow down/stop behind dad and daughter until it was safe to pass? :confused:

Max

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I didn't feel like it was unsafe to pass. The pedestrians on both sides were off the pavement in the dirt, and the paved part of the bike trail is at least 8 feet wide with a center line. I had my entire lane to myself until the little girl ran out, so stopping never ocurred to me. This is a heavily travelled trail too...if you stopped every time there was a pedestrian or another bike around, you would never actually get in any ride time!!! But believe me, I will be more cautious next time.

Do you have a bell or a horn (or a very loud voice)? I find the bell usually works, but sometimes it takes a healthy yell, too. Often riders don't yell out. Really YELL! Softly spoken "On your left" doesn't work.

I think a horn would be great, but I didn't have one when I lived in the Land Of Crowded MUPs. Now I don't need one.

I agree that some form of noise-making is good, but children sometimes don't know how to react in a way that's helpful.

If it's really crowded, slowing down is the only thing that will help.