Wednesday (Has been a disaster): What to do if you get hit by a car while riding your bicycle

I got hit by a car on my lunch time bike ride today. I was going straight west on Beverly, the light was green, it was a through lane, and the car was not indicating in any way (With neither a light nor movement) its right turn intentions. So it hit me.

I'm okay. But I made the mistake of assuming everything was okay since I was able to get up with some minor scrapes and bruises. I did not get the driver's insurance information or file a police report. Upon closer inspection I realized that my rear wheel was bent. Of course, this was after the driver had left.

I am filled with all the self-anger that a perfectionist would be in this situation, blaming myself for everything. The bike - my Lola Divine - is currently in the shop for inspection, and will most likely require a new wheel. There is some hope that I may be able to use my dad's spares pending the fit of the gears from seven to eight.

This is just one of many negative incidents that has occurred lately, but I refuse to give in. I am going to turn this into something positive. Upon hearing stories of the same mistake, I am going to educate cyclists on what to do in an accident. For some reason, it's a lot more startling on a bicycle (Probably because most of your thoughts center around "OH MY GOD I AM STILL ALIVE!"). I feel that if I had been in a car, I would have followed the proper procedure.

So if you are on your bike and you are hit by a car, this is what you should do:

1. If the driver does not pull over, call the police immediately, or ask someone nearby to. Hitting and running is against the law.

2. As the driver pulls over, get up if you can, but don't push it. If you're really hurt, call for assistance. But let's say you're good to get on your feet, once you're up, call the police so you can file a report. This is in case you need it for a lawsuit later. If the driver gets a ticket, that can help you too.

3. Also, don't assume that just because you can walk you're okay. Some injuries may show up hours, or even years later. You should go get yourself checked out.

4. Make sure you get your side of the story in to the police report. Some cops may negate the cyclist. Get your say in, but be respectful. Report all your injuries. If you are too injured to do this, try to get a bystander to help you.

5. Obtain all the information you can from the driver: Insurance, license plate number, name, address, phone number. Don't assume that just because the driver says he is sorry that he will take responsibility once the insurance company calls. Obtain names and contacts from witnesses.

5. As soon as you can, write everything down! Where it happened, what time it happened, road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions...any detail you can remember, write it down before it gets too hazy!

6. Seek medical attention, even if it doesn't seem that bad. Document your injuries with photographs and keep a journal of your injuries and their progress.

7. Preserve your evidence. Don't wash the clothes you got hit in, don't fix the bike, don't toss the helmet. Photograph everything.

8. This site I'm looking at says it's better to have an attorney speak with the insurance company. But that can be expensive, especially if it's just to reimburse you $25 for an inspection at the shop. I suppose that at this point, it might depend on how bad your injuries and damages are. If it looks bad enough that the other side might balk, then consult a lawyer.

I understand that when hit it might be difficult to remember all these things, or even intimidating to do so. But a bicycle is the same as a car, so you should treat your accident like a car accident. By acting going through the proper procedure you will also help demonstrate that cyclists are not expendable and that we are a valid form of transportation.

If anything, remember at least these key things: POLICE REPORT, INSURANCE INFORMATION, DRIVER'S INFORMATION. Or uh...PID...if you like. PID: POLICE, INSURANCE, DRIVER.

PID!!! PID FOR YOUR LIFE!!!

I wrote this with the help of this and this.

Please comment with any additional information and I will revise my list accordingly.

And now...I'm going to this, because I need to get out of here and because Donnie is one of the most fascinating people I know.



And then...and then I think I am gonna take the rest of the week off of my blog.