References used for my "bicycle accidents" blog

•Thompson, R., Rivara, F. & Thompson, D. (1989). A case control study of the effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets. The New England Journal of Medicine 320(21).

•Selbst, S., Alexander, D., & Ruddy, R. (1987). Bicycle-related injuries. JAMA, 141(2). 140-144. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1987.04460020030021

•Summala, H., Pasanen, E., Rasanen, M. & Sievanen, J. (1996). Bicycle accidents and driver’s visual search at left and right turns. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 28(2), pp147-153. doi: 10.1016/0001-4575(95)00041-0

•Kim, J., Kim, S., Ulfarsson, G. F., & Porrello, L. (2007). Bicyclist injury severities in bicycle-motor vehicle accidents.  Accident Analysis & Prevention, 39(2), pp. 238-251. doi: 10.1016/j.aa

•Robinson, D. L. (2007). Head injuries and bicycle helmet laws.  Accident Analysis & Prevention, 28(4), pp. 463-475. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2006.07.002

•United States Department of Transportation. (2015). Traffic safety facts: Bicyclists and other cyclists. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812151.pdf

Prepare for a possible bicycle accident

When you ride keep in mind that a crash could happen despite your best efforts, so be prepared for it with protective equipment, physically, mentally, and through other means like life and medical insurance. 

  Protective equipment should ALWAYS be worn while biking, helmet, gloves, biking shoes, and bright flexible clothing that is adjusted to the weather.  Practice looking back without loosing control or changing your path of travel at all; you can do this when no traffic or hazards are present.

Ensure others know your route, and expected times of returns. 

Wear ID and a medical tag with you, in case you are found unconscious by strangers. 

Be ready to perform first aid on yourself or others (especially if you ride in groups).

Ride in a group whenever possible, as bigger packs get noticed by vehicles and pedestrians much more than single riders, however do not follow group behavior if unsafe riding is happening.  Break from the group if they are acting in an unsafe manner as riding to fast, in inclement weather, or unnecessarily close to traffic.  Group behavior tends to have followers that mimic leaders regardless of appropriate behavior or not (conformity); avoid this.

Avoid rush hour traffic or heave traffic roads.

Plan your route through residential roads when possible.

Carry a warning device or be ready to whistle and warn others.

Carry a dog repellant spray, and be ready to spray down any dog that may attempt to bite you.  Be sure only to spray dogs that clearly are attempting to harm you and not those only looking for attention and a good chase.  Be careful not to let dogs take away your focus from traffic or loose your control; stop if necessary.

When things are getting too busy for you to keep safe, STOP and get off your bike.  Assess the situation or wait until things settle down; better to be late and walk a little than get involved in a possible accident.

Watch the sun rise and sun sets, these could blind drivers and render them unable to see you.  Keep clear of traffic during these times.

Be alert, be defensive, and be smart; always make the safest choice in any situation and don’t allow others to keep you safe.  Always keep safety in your control, it is your body, don’t leave it up to others.

Preventing bicycle accidents

Preventing bicycle accidents

The best way to protect against bike accidents is to avoid them all together.  For example, when have you heard of two elevators colliding? Never, because they are designed to stay in their track and only one car can be in the shaft.  Although you cannot isolate yourself like a elevator car while riding bicycle; you can minimize your exposure to hazards.  Ride away from oppositely traveling vehicles always, and keep good clearance from vehicles traveling in the same direction as you.  Here is a few pointers on how to minimize risk and avoid accidents.

Never assume they will maintain their lane, move over, or slow down, give them their way as if they will not see you there.

Look back only when it is safe to do so, as many riders will travel in the direction they turn their heads; often into traffic.

Keep away from the lane of traffic of any vehicle whenever possible, even if you must go on the grass or rough terrain and or slow down.

Use all of your senses to detect hazards and other vehicles; do not plug your ears or listen to music as hearing is a critical hazard detector (vehicles, animals, pedestrians, riders, etc.).  And, do not wear dark eyewear unless it is too bright to see well.

Plan your route, and take the reasonably safest path, even if it adds miles and time to your trip.

Ride during the day, in non-rush hours, and under dry conditions whenever possible, and watch the weather for the day before you ride.

Ride as if no one can see you.  Yield to vehicles or pedestrians as if they are trying to hit you.  Assume every driver is a distracted and unreasonable driver.

Stretch, and warm up prior to riding, and perform strength training often to maintain a adequate body strength in case you need to respond to a dire situation physically.  Swerving to avoid an obstacle or avoiding a fall can often depend on your body strength and fitness level.

Attempt to keep a low body weight, as it will help you to better bike and to have less mass in the event of a crash.

Keep your equipment, bike, and gear in good working condition, as good brakes, tires, quality sports wear may prevent an accident.

Keep hydrated, rested, energized (with food) and fit; these will keep you alert and help you make better decisions and take accident avoiding action.

Keep your protective equipment on while riding, including helmet, eyewear, gloves, and proper clothes and shoes.

Helmets are proven to minimize severe head injury, gloves generally give you better grip and will protect your skin in case of a fall, eyewear is important because bugs and debris are abound in open air, and flexible and weather-appropriate clothing can be critical for sudden maneuvers.

Proper shoes are highly recommended as they may help you keep your feet on the pedals, and protect your feet in case of a fall or crash. 

Wear bright colored clothes; it helps other see you. 

Also, wear bright colored gloves and signal your intentions like turning, yielding, stopping, or going ahead; communication helps a lot. 

Don’t get curved in.  Don’t remain on a narrow shouldered road that has a curve (raised concrete step); as getting off the road is difficult when these are present, and may prevent you from avoiding traffic.

How bicycle accidents happen

As the survivor of a serious bicycle accident where I escaped with minor injuries just barely; I can attest to the violent forces that can accompany a bike accident involving motor vehicles.  I was among the fortunate, to this day, to have escaped a crippling injury or death; but felt the pain and violence that could be brought on by motor vehicles on the human body.  In a hot May day of 2000, while on security bicycle patrol, I was eager to go buy lunch across the street from the shopping plaza I patrolled.  I considered myself knowledgeable on crossing busy roads (simple, wait until there is no cars coming nearby).  But just before I got off my bicycle to cross the road (stopping at the edge of the road, on the curve) a vehicle had lost control (apparently) and swerved into the curve (toward me) and the vehicle hit my bicycle and me.  The vehicle crashed into me while screeching tires and as I screamed “Oh shit!”, and impacted my front wheel hurling me forward toward the windshield head first.  I was not wearing a helmet, and hit the windshield apparently with my upper right cranium.  I don’t remember the split seconds after the initial impact, but recall regaining consciousness within seconds after impact; I was sitting down a few meters from the crash site and attempting to get up.  I recall a lady, a supermarket employee, came to aid me and warned me of what had just happened as I was not aware.  She told me to seat back down, that I was bleeding badly, and told me I had been hurled into the air by the impact of the car.  I was within minutes picked up by rescue workers and taken to the hospital to treat the minor injuries that could have well been fatal.

  Motor vehicles could weight from two to five tons (2000-10000 Lbs.) and be moving at over 30 mph at the moment of impact with cyclists.  So, the forces involved in the impact of a 2-ton vehicle at 30 mph could be over 6000 lbs. of force.  (13.4 m/s * 2000 Kg = 26800 N), that’s like putting the weight of a midsize car on the impact area of your body, or accelerating your body from 0-30mph in a split second by a force of 6000 lbs.  That could hurt, and this is being conservative.  Road speeds in a busy street can often average 45mph and exceed 60mph.  A study found that bicycle-car crashes at speeds exceeding only 20mph are associated with the largest percentage of deaths for cyclists (Kim, 2007).  The human body can be violently accelerated in the opposite direction of travel as the impacting vehicle or object; and cause serious damage to those body parts that tend to be accelerated slower than the rest (such as your head, and the larger and internal organs like the brain, liver, lungs, etc.

  When oppositely traveling bodies collide, their acceleration in the opposite path of travel is added, thus obviously the damage is greater.  So, hitting a stationary object is not as damaging as hitting an object of the same mass that is traveling in your opposite direction.  And, hitting an object traveling in the same direction as you is even less damaging.  So, it is smart to stay well away from opposite traveling traffic.  You should try to avoid traffic all together, but if necessary stay on the right lane in the U.S. (with the traffic).

  The body responds to bicycle crashes depending to a variety of factors like speed and direction of travel of rider and impactor, mass of impactor, mass of the body of the rider, contact surface area of the impactor and rider, energy absorption qualities of the impactor and rider, etc.  Injuries depend on a repertoire of factors from fitness and age of rider, to temperature conditions.  But most serious injuries and deaths are sustained by older riders, and younger riders; not only due to their body composition but due to their riding behaviors too.

  The psychological response to a bike accident can be traumatic for survivors.  I know first hand of this feeling as after my bicycle accident; I felt extremely fragile and afraid of even riding in a vehicle.  I felt this way the accident night I was released from the hospital after finding out I was not seriously injured and after being treated.  I recall thinking every other car was too fast on the road, and that it was extremely risky and dangerous to even be out driving in a vehicle.  This feeling lasted for weeks and slowly faded; but not completely.  Today I drive slightly slower than the average person my age, and I am much more careful with anything dealing with motor vehicles.  I know the traumatic effects of a crash can be deep and long lasting in some individuals; yet short lived or even non existent in others.  The factors involved in the psychological effects of accidents are many and complicated, and require a comprehensive work to describe.  But, this trauma should, at the very least, be a small incentive to attempt to prevent such accidents.  But, of course, the suffering and possible death or injury: are the primary reasons to avoid accidents.

Why bicycle accidents happen

Some of the general known types of serious bicycle accidents include: (1) crashes with motor vehicles; (2) crashes with other riders or stationary objects; and (3) falls.  Crashes with motor vehicles are more often the most serious of all bicycle accidents, often causing crippling injuries or death.  Crashes with vehicles are the top source of deaths among bicyclists world wide.  Crashes with other riders more often occur in areas where cycling is popular, as with vehicle crashes; head on collisions are often more serious.  But, crashes with other riders can lead to loss of control and crash with vehicles or stationary objects, and or falls.  Crashes with stationary objects can vary is severity depending on what object is struck, where a crash into a bush can cause minor injuries; crashing into a concrete column may cause permanent injury or death.  Falls are the most common accident on bicycles; but many falls can lead to serious injury or death due to surrounding hazards such as moving vehicles, stationary objects, or dangerous terrain (e.g. cliffs, rocky terrain, or bodies of water).

A smaller yet real hazard are aggressive domestic and wild animals.  From pet dogs, to alligators; although rare animals can cause serious injury and even death to the unaware rider.

  These types of bicycle accidents happen because of (1) exposure to each of the factors to various degrees, and (2) lack of protective measure for each of the factors mentioned (knowingly or unknowingly).  Bicycle accidents involving any of the above factors can be completely eliminated or at least minimized; while still being able to ride the bicycle.

  Once an injury-accident is allowed to occur, whether due to ignorance, lack of protection or both; the accidents happen under specific circumstances.  The specific circumstances of bike accidents include distracted driving and or riding; drivers overlooking riders; riders crossing the path of cars (knowingly or unknowingly; riders loosing control; and riding at night exposed to traffic.

  Distracted operation, in part of the motor vehicle driver or bike rider, can be a common event today.  Digital devices can divert much needed attention away from the road and safe / defensive behavior.  Many bike for fitness reasons and fitness activities are often accompanied by music through earphones.  Music can be encouraging and relaxing, but also appears to take away attention, and logical and quick judgement (all critical when on the road).  And, perhaps more critically, music masks critical sounds of your surroundings as a rider or driver; drowning many sounds that could offer early warning and prevent accidents (like the sound of engines, tires, brakes, horns, or calls and whistles.

  Drivers may not be looking for riders, only other car-sized objects while driving, this is a known phenomena and a  major cause for car-motorcycle crashes.  Also, a study found that vehicle right turns into an intersection is a major cause for crashes with cyclists approaching from the right of the driver; this is because drivers are generally not expecting any vehicles coming from the right which would obstruct their path (Summala, 1996).

  Too often, riders unnecessarily come close or into the path of motor vehicles; to avoid rough terrain like grass, gravel, rocks, or wet areas.  But, these are hardly reasons to risk an accident and contact with a motor vehicle.  The risk of getting struck by a vehicle is obviously increased the closer a bike rider gets to the normal path of the vehicle.  At no point should a rider expect a vehicle to slow down, yield, or avoid the cyclist.  The contrary is often true; where drivers may not even be aware of a cyclist coming into their path; due to distraction or even not registering the situation in time in their brain.  During driving; you only have split seconds to react to many situations and you should not assume drivers are all alert and can make sound judgements, more on this on the Prevention Section.

  Often, riders loose control and may fall and strike the ground; other riders, pedestrians, stationary objects, or even moving vehicles.  This is another good reason to keep a good distance from moving or stationary hazardous objects, like cars, solid structures, people, and other riders.  You may loose control at any moment, no matter your expertise.  World class cyclists are known to have fallen for no apparent or obvious reasons.  So, loss of control and failing to provide clearance between riders and obstacles; are contributors to bike accidents.

  Riding at night raises the chances for accidents several magnitudes due to a repertoire of reasons: less visibility (reaction time), less alert riders and drivers, and poorer surface conditions; are only a few of many other factors.  Night riding can be a contributor to bike accidents.

  In a 1987 study it was found that 84% of bike accidents happen less than five blocks from home; 49% occurred in streets; 36% riders reported issues with the surface they rode on; 45% lost control of the car; 17% of riders were struck by motor vehicles; 10% were hit by other riders or pedestrians; 54% received no riding safety instruction (Selbst, 1987).

  Many studies show that cyclist and driver traffic and safe driving/riding errors lead to many accidents; perhaps most.  So, a majority of the cause of bike accidents and deaths can be attributed to ignorance and poor judgements (both preventable causes) (Kim, 2007).  Once an accident has occurred, a major cause for serious injury and death is the lack of wearing protective head equipment (helmets), as they are proven to lower the damage (Thompson, 1989; Robinson, 1996).