A member of our cycling group was hit by a car today.

bjdw_1977

She was at the back of the group and was going to turn back early. She signaled right at the intersection where she was going to turn back (we drive / ride on the left here in NZ) and turned. The car coming up behind us, instead of slowing to let her turn, pulled out to overtake us. She had nearly made it across the road but the car hit her rear wheel and she went down. She was not badly hurt, just some lost skin on her legs and face. Her helmet cracked also.

There is probably fault on both sides, she shouldn't have turned with a vehicle that close behind, and he should have slowed to let her turn when she signaled. He says he didn't see her signal.

He has no insurance and didn't wait for the police to arrive.

It's a horrible feeling to hear that bang and look back and see one of your riding buddies down on the road. It so easily could have been much worse.

Running or riding, we are so vulnerable when we are out there on the road with traffic, especially in high speed areas.

Be safe out there people. It won't matter if the mistake is yours or the drivers, dead is dead.

JeromeBarry1

Good that she survived and will heal. I am surprised to read that some other country has a plague of uninsured drivers.

NorthCascades

I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm glad she isn't hurt worse, I hope the memory doesn't haunt her.

garystrickland357

So sorry to hear this. I tell myself that when I was obese I was killing myself; if I get hit cycling that’s on someone else. That sounds all well and good - but the dangers are real. I hope your friend heals both physically and mentally. I can’t believe the driver left before police arrived.

FL_Hiker

I’m sorry to hear this. Every morning I run I am reminded never to trust drivers. Many times I’ve had the cross walk symbol and people try to run me over. It’s a risk we all take, it pays to be alert. Glad your friend wasn’t seriously hurt.

Lolinloggen

Sorry to har this And yes you are right that both parties are to blame a little.
However, as one having lived in NZ, this does not come as a surprise. Being uninsured seems to be the in thing with the young crowd as well as driving as if their name is Scott Dixon.
As a cyclist (being born Dutch) I cycle everywhere in the Netherlands but I flat out refused to be on a bike in NZ though I really wanted to. I left NZ 10 years ago and these days there are improvements in NZ with some cycling lanes in Auckland I think. Yet the root cause is bad drivers teaching the young to drive (no you don't have to go to a driving school), no compulsory insurance and a WOF that allows barely drivable cars onto the road. Come tot think of it, many of the uninsured don't have WOF either probably

bjdw_1977

Insurance isn't compulsory here, but accident related injuries are covered by ACC (Accciden Compensation Commision, the government pays for your treatment).
She does have an expensive bike but it looked like only the wheel was damaged.
Leaving the scene of an accident where someone has been injured is illegal, so the police will be having words with the guy whether they find him culpable or not.

Lolinloggen wrote: »

As a cyclist (being born Dutch) I cycle everywhere in the Netherlands but I flat out refused to be on a bike in NZ though I really wanted to. I left NZ 10 years ago and these days there are improvements in NZ with some cycling lanes in Auckland I think.

My father is Dutch, from a town called Baarn.

amorfati601070

Did you get the rego? I was just recently hit by a car and they just drove away without stopping. GoPro camera footage would be great evidence of you have it. We have TAC in Victoria which does provide some compensation because it was on a public road.

Sorry to hear that...it's horrible. I have dream..where we can share the road peacefully. ☮️

bjdw_1977

amorfati601070 wrote: »

Did you get the rego?☮️

Yeah, we got his rego and name but apparently he needed to be at a medical appointment many miles away so off he went. He did wait for half an hour or so, cops are hard to find when you're ruralish.

Fuzzipeg

I had a similar incident on a UK road many years ago. I was following my then, teenage son, on a main road. A taxi driver wanting to join the road from the left saw him but not me, cycles don't travel in two's do they! Fortunately I remembered what a young friend had said, Never let your head drop, keep your handlebars up; as the car folded my front wheel in half, to a right angle at the hub, I heaved at the handlebars. I did walk away. He feared the loss of his taxi licence/livelihood. Part of me wishes I had informed the police, though it was such a close call that I think he would always look for the second bike. He did get the bike repaired for me.

Some time later I took a coach holiday to Austria, would you believe, he and his wife were on it! A reminder if he needed it. I kept out of their way, fortunately I was in another hotel.

All the very best to your friend.

Anna022119

That's terrible indeed!
My brother got killed in a bicycle accident when he was only 16, back in the 80's, in the Netherlands a cycling country.
The driver was mostly at fault and struggled emotionally ever since from what we've heard and of course it pretty much ruined our family life.

Having gone through that all, I'm still happy to cycle in Holland (as it was a very unfortunate accident at the time) but not so much in other countries. Road accidents happen but I'm very aware what it can do with you.

Pleased your friend came out alright!

snowflake954

Rome, Italy. Walking to the gym at 8:15 Thursday morning I saw a big white bus parked on the street with yellow police tape all over it, policemen everywhere, more tape, the street to the gym closed to traffic, a crumpled bicycle, and a block away a body in the intersection covered in a white sheet. The 60 yr old was cycling to work at 5:30 in the morning when the bus hit him. The driver didn't even realize it until he heard the bicycle rubbing under the bus and stopped a block away. The body wasn't taken away until 10:00.

tcaley4

Glad your friend is OK. I hope she is able to conquer her fears and get back on a bike again and continue to ride.

makkimakki2018

You can still file a police report. Hope you got the liscense plate number. They'll find him and take care of the situation as necessary. If she'd like she can even get an attorney to sue and replace (equal value) or fix the bike/accessories (if at all repairable). The guy in the car is pretty much cooked either way since he fled before the cops arrived. Hope she recovers quickly!

cwolfman13

Sorry to hear...

I never trust drivers. There's a 12 mile loop I do frequently as it is basically out my front door and I do a turn around just before a 4 way intersection...after a couple of close calls, I let any car that is near me pass me before I loop around. It's not a particularly busy road and it is slow (30 mph) and well patrolled, but people are stupid and sometimes I think they barely see me even though I have a big flashing red light on the back of my bike.

deannalfisher

as a cyclist, i'm struggling to see how she was to blame - legally she is allowed to be riding on the road; she indicated her intention to turn (and i'm assuming that the rest of the group did as well) - then based on the info provided she has no fault in the situation - the car that hit her failed to give way and allow her to proceed as by law.

I would recommend checking out the BikeLaw initative that is currently ongoing - i shouldn't have to fear for my life whenever I ride out on the road. Just a couple weeks ago 2 cyclists were killed in Florida by a car that hit them from the rear - they were all in reflective clothing, riding within the bounds of the law...

Sabine_Stroehm

Thank you for posting this. It's a sober reminder for all of us who ride.

lorrpb

Glad she is ok and that her helmet did its job. As a new rider myself, I take every opportunity to learn from stories like this.

solieco1

So many of my friends have been hit and I struggle now with the fear of someone texting as they approach. I'm so glad she will recover

NorthCascades

I hope it wasn't a fancy wheel. And I hope it gets paid for some how, that she isn't just out.

lorrpb

Its also a good reminder to wear hi vis clothes and flashing lights even in daylight. I just can’t get over all the cyclists I see dressed all in black when I’m the one driving.

BrianSharpe

Glad she wasn't badly hurt, a cracked helmet is usually a sign that it saved your life (or, at least, a serious brain injury). We had a cyclist killed here the other day and the haters were out in full force in the comments sections on social media.

size102b

A Hole he probably hasnt a licence either
He should be prosocuted

GiddyupTim

Terrible.
I'm sorry.
I agree with those previous comments that have a hard time seeing how she had any fault. She signaled.
Insurance or no insurance, he should pay for bike repairs, if nothing else. But, it is probably too late for that.
At least ... she's going to be okay. That's the important thing.

RealWorldStrengthLLC

I'm not much of a cyclist, but one of the best pieces of advice I ever received about riding motorcycles on the road was "ride like you are invisible to every single person in a vehicle"

Im glad to hear your friend is ok

mph323

So sorry that happened - and so glad she was wearing a helmet and the injury wasn't worse. experience,

AliNouveau

Yikes glad she's ok. I have almost been hit by a car while out running. A contractor stopped to watch one incident and told me I was a second away from being hit. Drivers need to be more aware of what's going on

Noreenmarie1234

I’m so sorry! A similar thing happened to me. I was crossing the road where it said yield to pedestrians but the car came zooming through and hit me. Totaled my bike. I’ve learned not to ever trust drivers will stop at stop signs or yield after that.

losingbaylee

Hoping for a quick recovery! That is seriously my biggest fear when riding

AnnPT77

I'm so glad she's OK! I live in US/MI where things like this and this (with safety vest, front/back lights, etc.) have happened, among others, so I know the risks are huge.

I so much appreciate drivers who are attentive, courteous, and careful . . . and I do my utmost to be one. As a cyclist, I'm wearing my helmet, bright colors, and doing my best to also be courteous and clear about my intentions.

Let's keep each other safe!

mom23mangos

I'm so sorry that happened to your friend. I've also been hit and was lucky enough to walk away with just some alignment issues. I try to make myself as visible as possible with bright reflective clothes, flashing lights and even a vest that signals what direction I'm going or if I'm stopping. I always tell my kids...NEVER cross in front of a car stopped at a light if you haven't made eye contact with the driver and received acknowledgement that they have seen you. Even if you have the right of way. Cars coming up from behind are a whole nother ballpark and I try to let them pass me as much as possible unless I have a lot of room between them and me to ensure they see and know what I'm doing.