Bike Safety: Is It Worth It?

There are certain events that occur in people's life that can alter their attitude and actions from that point on. Below is a brief retelling of 10 minutes out of one day, 12 years ago, that forever changed my mindset.

It was the last day of school before the long summer break; and being 14, probably the last summer I would have without the hindrance of work and responsibility. The day dragged on slowly, as it always does when you wish you were elsewhere. After a teenage eternity, the final bell rang at 3:15pm and I was free for a full 3 months of unencumbered laziness and relaxation.

My best friend Corey and I left the building and went to grab our bikes to head to his house. I had just purchased a new Specialized Hard Rock the week before, and was eager to try it out. We took off down the street and began the short ride to his house. I fell in line behind him and we were moving at a good pace when he cut to the opposite side of the street to take a shortcut. The thought that we were now on the wrong side of the road never crossed mind as I followed him along a short, winding stretch of paved road (Cyclists and Traffic Laws). Now you have to remember, I had just been set free from 9 months of educational imprisonment; so the normal hesitation that I would have at riding down the wrong side of the street, wasn't even an issue.As we rounded a curve, I looked up to see Corey jumping off of his bike just past a large tree. By the time I looked back, it was too late. The car that had forced him off the road was 10 feet in front of me and going almost 35 miles per hour. The next thing I remember is waking up at the base of a tree with a crowd of people around me.

As you may have guessed by this point, I was hit head-on by the oncoming car. In a last ditch effort to avoid the car, I turned my front tire hard to the left. This unfortunately opened up the entire right side of my body to the speeding car. As witnesses would later tell me, the force of the impact of the car's bumper into my right shin and knee catapaulted me up onto the hood and into the windshield. The impact broke my right tibia and fibia, as well as 3 ribs. I dislocated my knee, broke my nose, and was left with a fairly serious concussion. On top of all that, my bike was destroyed (my new bike, mind you). Laying there on the ground, I didn't think about my broken bones or my demolished bike. The only thing I could think of was the fact that it was 3:20pm on the last day of school; and in the space of only 5 minutes, I had ruined my entire summer.

I spent 2 weeks in the hospital and another 2 and a half months with a full leg cast (which I got off, by the way, three days before the new school year started). I spent my last summer as a worry-free teen propped up on the couch watching bad reruns and trying to scratch an itch on my leg that just couldn't be reached. As you would imagine, it was not the way I had envisioned my summer and despite my bad mood and ruined plans, I had no one to blame but myself.

The driver who hit me was not at fault, as we were the ones riding on the wrong side of the road (he was however cited for speeding). He was obviously shaken up by the incident at the time, but I doubt any real damage was done. For me however, the incident had a lasting effect.

It took me a long time, almost 2 years, to feel comfortable riding on public streets again; and even then my rides were short and infrequent. I began to realize just how fragile one's health is, and how important it is to always keep safety in mind. Now I know that sounds pretty lame, as it most certainly did to me when I was younger. In fact, I would probably still feel that way had I not been unduly influenced by the hood of a speeding car. Nevertheless, my thoughts had changed, and in my opinion, for the better.

Now when I ride, I try to keep safety in the forefront of my mind. I never leave the house without protective clothing and I always wear a helmet-ALWAYS! I have reflectors on my bike and use both front and rear lighting when I ride in the evening. I follow all of the standard bike safety rules ( check out crazybikerchick for more bike safety thoughts) and try to ride with a partner whenever I can. Most importantly, I ride defensively. I always ride with the belief that cars on the road can't see me. By following these few safety guidelines, the odds are fairly good that I will have an enjoyable time and arrive home safely to ride another day.

(guest post submitted by Josh Ryan)