Crashed again

[lph]

*sigh* so I crashed again. No real harm done, except to my psyche. It's hard having to accept that biking in traffic is dangerous, no matter how well you follow the rules.

The gory details: I came down a steep hill in the empty bus lane, with a line of cars waiting in the car lane on my left. It's a right of way street, but I always hang back and keep my hands on the brakes just in case somebody feels like jumping out and using the bus lane to sneak in line.

I hadn't counted on somebody suddenly crossing from my left, to get to the small street up on my right. Apparently somebody in the car lane gave him a "friendly" gap, he couldn't see any buses and presumed the bus lane was empty.

He noticed me pretty fast when I barreled into the side of his car, though. I went up on his hood and down again the same side. Checked my bike first, of course my main concern was that she'd have a flat or be otherwise unfit to complete my commute! Bike is ok, I'm ok, poor driver is about to implode with guilt and the black stares the passers-by were giving him, so I capitulated and told him everything was fine, and that things just happen. He was completely in shock, tried to hug me and then I just rode off.

But man - it bugs me that I can do everything "right" - and still get into stuff like this! The only way I could have avoided this was by riding on the sidewalk, and when there's a completely empty bus lane that I'm allowed to use that's not a good option. I'm allowed to be in the road - at the speed I'm going I'm SUPPOSED to be in the road. But then I will get hit from time to time. We all make mistakes sometime, but "small" mistakes by a driver can mean big crashes for us. I hate having to admit that.

[quint41]

Wow! I hope you're ok! I don't know about Norway, but in the US bikes are not supposed to be on the sidewalk -- they are vehicles and you can be ticketed for riding on the sidewalk. (Not that it ever happens, but I have a neighbor who made a stink about kids riding on the sidewalk in front of her house, and the police said it is true that bikes are not supposed to ride there.) So, you are right, you can't really ride your bike anywhere safely or within the law.

Sounds like drivers in Norway need to be educated about bikes just as badly as drivers in the US.

I do wish you had gotten yourself checked by a doctor, though. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

[quint41]

Is there anything we, the members of TE, can do to try to lobby our states to make traveling safer for bicyclists?? Lobby for more bike lanes, for more signs warning drivers to share the road with bikes? To educate drivers?

How many TE members are there? Is there any way of telling how many of us are active in these forums??? Seems like a lot to me.

[mimitabby]

well, we can join clubs (like Cascade bike club) who ARE lobbying for safer streets and better laws; or we can write letters to the editor and to the mayor.
The more of us that do that, the better it will be.
but #1 ride DEFENSIVELY!

[mimitabby]

LPH

I am so sorry you crashed, I hope you are okay!

[divingbiker]

Wow, that's scary, lph! I think the cars coming out of driveways and cutting through lanes of stopped traffic are among the biggest dangers we face when commuting. I do a lot of yelling at people doing that.

[crumpincommuter]

Is there anything we, the members of TE, can do to try to lobby our states to make traveling safer for bicyclists?? Lobby for more bike lanes, for more signs warning drivers to share the road with bikes? To educate drivers?

How many TE members are there? Is there any way of telling how many of us are active in these forums??? Seems like a lot to me.

Hey Quint-- to kind of answer your question-- if you're not already associated with CCBA ( Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance) www.wecyclect.org, then that would be a good place to offer your voice. CCBA is making headway in making CT a more biker friendly state; but every voice is needed. The site also offers links to state and federal legislation under consideration and often links to petitions to elected officials ( what better way to let them know your vote counts).. Ok I'll step down from the soap box now--- hope this helped..

[quint41]

Hey Crump! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I was on that site a couple of weeks ago poking around, but didn't get to the part about joining the group. I'll be adding my name to the mix today!

Hey, Iph! I hope you're mending quickly. The problem with non-bikers is that they see everything from behind the windshield. They don't ever look down at that 1" wide tire and the hard asphalt just a couple of feet below them whizzing by at 25 mph. They have never had a 1" tire hit a crack in the road, or a little piece of trap rock. They've never had a dog or turkey suddenly appear in front of them and feel fear. In short, they do not have a CLUE. They think it's all riding up and down the dead-end street on their Schwinn Stingray with cards on the spokes.

If everyone rode a bike, there would be very few of these problems. Unfortunately, even $6.00 per gallon gasoline won't force these people out of their cars and onto a bike. I'd still see 99.99% of the vehicles driving to work with one occupant. TALK ABOUT YOUR SOAPBOX!! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED!!!

[KnottedYet]

Am I the only one dorky enough to think that bike flags that stick up above car roof level are cool? I've seen folding ones, so you can fold it down when you're out of bad traffic.

I also really like the reflector paddles that make the bike look wider (stick out on the car side about 1 1/2 feet) so it is clear the bike vehicle as a whole is as wide as the person riding it, not just as wide as the bike itself.

I've been lucky so far in my commutes that I have been on quiet bike-laned side streets, but I am really thinking about getting a folding flag for my more urban errands and my new commute.

Does anyone know if flags actually make bikes more visible to cars?