From the Urban Dictionary:
v. to crash into and/or over a driver's side door(of a vehicle) while riding your bike. A painful biking experience where two conflicting world-views collide.
It's been exactly two weeks since I crashed into a gentleman's car door on Washington Street, on my way to watch the Fourth of July fireworks at a friend's house. There are a lot of things I should have done the night of and in the days after that I didn't, either because I was in shock or because I was trying to be tough. I learned a lot from the experience about how to be prepared and what to do when something like this happens. So, in case its helpful for other cyclists, here are my four recommendations:
1. Call the cops
The guy who hit me gave me a fake number and at the time of the accident, I didn't think to take a picture of his license plate or anything like that. When in car accidents, folks always call the cops and let them deal with getting all the info. Why not do the same for a bike/car collision? It didn't even cross my mind.
2. Carry the bicyclists accident report
I give these to people all the time but for some reason I didn't have one in my wallet the night of my accident. The report was created by Josh Zisson, a local lawyer specializing in bike law, who also launched Bike Safe Boston and has been making accident reports for cities across the United States.
3. Go to the doctor, even if you think you're okay, especially if you have health insurance.
I felt pretty banged up after my accident. I was initially dizzy and was in a lot of pain but nothing felt broken and it didn't feel like I'd hit my head. Later that night the dizziness went away so I thought I was fine. I was covered in bruises and it hurt to laugh for nearly five days but that's what happens when you smack pavement, right? Nearly a week after the accident I started feeling dizzy again I started having tiny panic attacks, something I've never experienced before. I went to the doctor Friday and learned that I had a concussion. I have had a couple before, but I didn't realize that you don't have to hit your head to get a concussion, even whiplash can cause head trauma. I also learned that mood swings, irritability and other psychological abnormalities can be symptoms of a concussion.
4. Ask for help
Trying to be tough is stupid and crashes are scary. Don't be afraid to ask friends or loved ones for help and hugs and whatever you need. Crashes are traumatic and I didn't allow myself to process the trauma until just a few days ago. My instinct was to tell myself and everyone around me that I was fine but I suffered as a result and missed out on the moral support and guidance I really needed.
What we really need in Boston is cycletracks, bike travel lanes that are physically separated from traffic. Luckily this is something the Boston Cyclists Union is working on and Boston may see it's first cycletrack before the end of 2012. Maybe someday we'll even get our own bicycle superhighway.
v. to crash into and/or over a driver's side door(of a vehicle) while riding your bike. A painful biking experience where two conflicting world-views collide.
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| What dooring looks like. It is illegal in Massachusetts to door a cyclist. |
1. Call the cops
The guy who hit me gave me a fake number and at the time of the accident, I didn't think to take a picture of his license plate or anything like that. When in car accidents, folks always call the cops and let them deal with getting all the info. Why not do the same for a bike/car collision? It didn't even cross my mind.
2. Carry the bicyclists accident report
I give these to people all the time but for some reason I didn't have one in my wallet the night of my accident. The report was created by Josh Zisson, a local lawyer specializing in bike law, who also launched Bike Safe Boston and has been making accident reports for cities across the United States.
3. Go to the doctor, even if you think you're okay, especially if you have health insurance.
I felt pretty banged up after my accident. I was initially dizzy and was in a lot of pain but nothing felt broken and it didn't feel like I'd hit my head. Later that night the dizziness went away so I thought I was fine. I was covered in bruises and it hurt to laugh for nearly five days but that's what happens when you smack pavement, right? Nearly a week after the accident I started feeling dizzy again I started having tiny panic attacks, something I've never experienced before. I went to the doctor Friday and learned that I had a concussion. I have had a couple before, but I didn't realize that you don't have to hit your head to get a concussion, even whiplash can cause head trauma. I also learned that mood swings, irritability and other psychological abnormalities can be symptoms of a concussion.
4. Ask for help
Trying to be tough is stupid and crashes are scary. Don't be afraid to ask friends or loved ones for help and hugs and whatever you need. Crashes are traumatic and I didn't allow myself to process the trauma until just a few days ago. My instinct was to tell myself and everyone around me that I was fine but I suffered as a result and missed out on the moral support and guidance I really needed.
What we really need in Boston is cycletracks, bike travel lanes that are physically separated from traffic. Luckily this is something the Boston Cyclists Union is working on and Boston may see it's first cycletrack before the end of 2012. Maybe someday we'll even get our own bicycle superhighway.
Shit man, sorry to hear about your accident. I've always been of the mindset that when you ride often, whether commuting, racing or touring, that its not a question of IF you will get hit by a car, rather its WHEN you will get hit and how bad will you get hurt. With this frame of mind, its helpful to be mindful of these tips on how to avoid accidents (not that yours was avoidable): http://bicyclesafe.com/
ReplyDeleteI got hit by "The Right hook pt 2" a couple years ago. I was flying down a hill in the right side bike lane and was largely keeping up with traffic until a car ahead of me started to slow down. I could tell he was planning on turning, despite him not having his blinker on, and started to slow down myself when he suddenly took a right turn right in front of me. I couldn't stop in time and turned into his turn, thus avoiding myself and the bike a lot of pain (I still collided, and was glad he stopped). Even my flimsy ass kickstand survived impact! It was great to yell at the guy (he was super apologetic, and neither I nor my bike were in any way damaged), especially since I was wearing this t shirt (I felt like a bike safety spokesperson)
Sadly, its up to us cyclists to be über defensive riders and be aware of what oblivious motorists are up to. Hope you recover completely. Don't fuck around with a Dr's orders on treating concussions. That sensory deprivation treatment is no fun, but its better than headaches and disorientation for months after the accident.
I'm so sorry to hear you got doored! That's the worst.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving out my cards though, I'm glad you like them. Oh, and be sure to check out the new post on BSB this week, it's all about dooring. I happened to notice this post as I was writing it, what a coincidence!
Yours,
Josh Zisson
Oh, also: do you have an auto insurance policy? If you do, it may cover your dooring. I'd be happy to explain the details if you'd like.
ReplyDelete