Don’t Tread On Me!

[ornoth_cycling]

After 1,100 hours and 16,000 miles on the bike, you have to figure it was about time for something to happen. Last night I was right hooked by an SUV on the way home.

I was eastbound on Comm Ave, one block from my house when a big, black SUV came around me just in time to make a right turn onto Exeter, right in my path. I slammed into their right front quarter and the bike and I were deflected to the right, throwing me onto my right side.

I rolled and skidded to a stop and took inventory. Fortunately, most of the impact was taken by the bulky winter clothing I had on. My right knee took the brunt of my fall, resulting in a couple good patches of road rash and bruises. My left forearm also seems to have been injured, although I have no idea what from: a side mirror? my handlebars? the road?

The driver, a young black woman, stopped and did a fair job of being apologetic, repeatedly claiming “I didn’t see you!!!”. I checked myself and the bike (the bike seems to have received less injury than I did) and got her name and digits before letting her go and going home to look myself over.

My arm and leg still sting and are quite swollen and very stiff, although there’s nothing to complain of beyond the usual minor crash damage.

I’ve thought back, and I can’t see how I could have done anything different to avoid the accident. I was well-lit, wearing light clothes, in a well-lit area, riding within the travel lane. Maybe I could have ridden more defensively, but I’m already pretty conservative, and to ride more so one would pretty much have to give up any hope of getting anywhere. I guess sometimes your number just comes up, and I do know that mine was overdue.

I guess I’m fortunate to have gotten out of it with nothing worse. And I suppose I can look at it as a relatively inexpensive lesson in defensive riding. But it definitely reinforces my distaste for people who drive SUVs.

Comments

[awfief.livejournal.com]

"I didn’t see you!!!"

"That's because you weren't looking!"

Hopefully she's learned she needs to CHECK HER BLIND SPOT when turning AT ALL.

Glad you're OK, and that there's no major damage to you or the bike.