{"id":3982,"date":"2010-06-04T12:27:59","date_gmt":"2010-06-04T16:27:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/?p=3982"},"modified":"2010-06-04T12:27:59","modified_gmt":"2010-06-04T16:27:59","slug":"getting-hit-by-a-car-some-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/2010\/06\/04\/getting-hit-by-a-car-some-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Hit by a Car: Some Lessons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I managed something that I hadn’t done for a very long time (more than 20 years, in fact): I got hit and knocked off my bike by a car. I’m a little banged up, but generally fine (and it’s pretty much the same story for my no-longer new bike).<\/p>\n

This happened here<\/a>, on my way back from lunch-time laps at Hains Point. If you clicked that link and ride past Arlington Cemetery regularly, I bet you already know exactly what happened. I was on the southern sidewalk along Memorial Drive (heading west), trying to exit from the sidewalk onto the road at the north-bound off-ramp from Jefferson Davis Highway (cyclists are forced onto the sidewalk until this point). I stop, cab stops, I proceed into crosswalk, cab accelerates (turning right) into me while looking left. Takes me down, but at least it was slow enough that he didn’t run me or my bike over.<\/p>\n

Through this experience, I was reminded of a couple of things.<\/p>\n

You Won’t Always Do The Right Thing, Even When You Know What It Is<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cabbie that hit me wouldn’t even get out of his car, and was in a hurry to move on with his passenger. I got up and had to yell through the glass to even get him to drop his window. I should have, at this point, just stopped talking, dialed 911, and generally followed Bob Mionske’s advice<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Always wait for the police to respond to the accident scene so that an official report will be filed. [ . . . ]<\/p>\n

You should not attempt to negotiate with the at-fault driver. The driver may not give you accurate information about his or her identity, insurance coverage, or vehicle ownership. Many drivers who cause accidents will initially apologize and accept blame for the accident, but later, after they have had time to consider the ramifications of their negligence, will deny that they were negligent. They may even deny that they were present at the accident scene!<\/p>\n

If an accident report is written, make sure that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s accurate. The accident report will include the driver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s statement as well as all other witness statements. The responding officer may decide to ticket the driver, and this can be useful when trying to settle the case with the insurance company. The accident report should also include the cyclist\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s statement; unfortunately, law enforcement officers don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always take a statement from the cyclist before completing their report. In these instances, the officer may have already decided that the cyclist is at fault, without even talking to the cyclist. If you are able following the accident, make sure you give your statement to the officer. Regardless of whether an accident report is written, make sure that you have the driver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name and contact info, as well as the names and contact info of any witnesses. If you are physically unable to gather this information, ask a witness to do it for you.<\/p>\n

The accident scene should be investigated for information about how the accident occurred. The investigation should include obtaining skid mark measurements, photographing the accident scene, speaking with additional witnesses, and measuring and diagramming the accident scene.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite the fact that that is all excellent advice<\/em> that I thought I had long ago internalized, I didn’t do any of that. I was a bit dazed and a bit more angry (the first thing he said when he rolled the window down was “I stopped at the stop sign!”). I first got his name and cab number. Then I established that I wasn’t obviously hurt. Next I checked out my bike. Considering the lack of damage, I decided that there was no point in engaging in further argument or calling for the police to come. \u00c2\u00a0I believed then, as I do now, that 911 responders have more important things to do. \u00c2\u00a0So I gave my assent to his leaving, figuring that I could just phone in a report after I’d gotten home and calmed down.<\/p>\n

This was a mistake for a few reasons:<\/p>\n