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PSA - Always be on alert
Yesterday I was reminded how fragile life can be and that we, as folks who are frequently on the road unprotected, need to be always playing defense.
Yesterday, my 11 yo daughter and I were in a terrible car accident when a driver heading in the other direction suddenly swerved directly at us crossing the double yellow line. Little time to react - I hit him head on. Likely he was using his phone or distracted otherwise somehow. Airbags deployed in our car and when I regained my senses I was able to get my daughter and myself out of our wrecked SUV. Luckily, we were shaken but mostly ok. I ran over to the other vehicle and found that the other driver appeared to be semi-alert and in no immediate danger and I asked someone to call 911.
I've got some whiplash (neck X-rays negative)and aside from being shaken to the core by the ordeal, I am surprised and thankful that my daughter and I walked away from this mostly unharmed. However, now that I've had some time to reflect (a very sleepless night), I cannot stress just how much we, as cyclists and runners are unprotected on the roads regardless of how many lights or bright colors we wear on our bodies and bikes. There are just too many drivers out there who are distracted, angry or inattentive behind the wheel. Although a lot of this is beyond our control, I am reminded that we must always keep vigilant as to our surroundings. For me, this means no more head down on the Garmin chasing watts, or running on the unsloped part of the road. There are simply more important things. Safety is simply a priority.
We were lucky this time. Lucky as to where I struck the oncoming vehicle. Lucky I was driving a very large SUV vs my other car, which is a Mini. Lucky that it ended this way instead of countless other things that might have happened. I am grateful that my daughter doesnt have a scratch on her body. I know I'd not be able to handle this if that were not the case.
I am not writing this to dissuade you all from going out to train on the roads that you normally do. I am here simply to remind you all to be careful and always take notice of your surroundings. Be aware. Be safe
Yesterday, my 11 yo daughter and I were in a terrible car accident when a driver heading in the other direction suddenly swerved directly at us crossing the double yellow line. Little time to react - I hit him head on. Likely he was using his phone or distracted otherwise somehow. Airbags deployed in our car and when I regained my senses I was able to get my daughter and myself out of our wrecked SUV. Luckily, we were shaken but mostly ok. I ran over to the other vehicle and found that the other driver appeared to be semi-alert and in no immediate danger and I asked someone to call 911.
I've got some whiplash (neck X-rays negative)and aside from being shaken to the core by the ordeal, I am surprised and thankful that my daughter and I walked away from this mostly unharmed. However, now that I've had some time to reflect (a very sleepless night), I cannot stress just how much we, as cyclists and runners are unprotected on the roads regardless of how many lights or bright colors we wear on our bodies and bikes. There are just too many drivers out there who are distracted, angry or inattentive behind the wheel. Although a lot of this is beyond our control, I am reminded that we must always keep vigilant as to our surroundings. For me, this means no more head down on the Garmin chasing watts, or running on the unsloped part of the road. There are simply more important things. Safety is simply a priority.
We were lucky this time. Lucky as to where I struck the oncoming vehicle. Lucky I was driving a very large SUV vs my other car, which is a Mini. Lucky that it ended this way instead of countless other things that might have happened. I am grateful that my daughter doesnt have a scratch on her body. I know I'd not be able to handle this if that were not the case.
I am not writing this to dissuade you all from going out to train on the roads that you normally do. I am here simply to remind you all to be careful and always take notice of your surroundings. Be aware. Be safe
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The cell phone has revolutionized human transport, making it insanely more dangerous.
My recipe: drive a big vehicle, ERG mode and netflix:
People are just dumb stupid with their cells on the road.. its the same issue as alcohol and driving.
Hope nothing will show up to your daughter and you in a few days!
Brad: I am relieved you and your daughter are ok.
Cellphones/distracted driving is becoming the scourge of our era. Before, if you stayed off the roads at night you could hopefully avoid the drunk drivers, but now the texters are out there 24/7, day and night. Hopefully something is done about this sooner than later.
OMG, that is terrible and traumatic!
Counting our blessings!
Very happy you guys made it out reasonably ok save the mental trauma/stress.
SS
Grateful you are physically well. Rest over the next few days. Whiplash and occult brain injury/concussion go hand in hand.
Thank goodness you are both ok! I hope you were able to calm your mind and dad heart enough to rest last night. Peace my friend. When your daughter starts driving remember to get her a shermin tank not a neon.
Keep vigilant.
The soreness I have will not let me forget what happened yesterday. I am hoping the good that comes out of this experience is that my kids learned from it, and that it'll be in the back of my mind when I venture back out on the roads. PLEASE be safe out there.
I run a 10k route that passes by a local metro park where people are often on bikes and walking. I wave at every car that passes me. Many locals drive faster than the speed limit, there is no side walk and part of the road is dirt. I don't want to be friends...I just want them to SEE me, know that someone may be running on their short cut to work or whatever. Most drivers wave back, which is a good sign. But not all do. I will keep waving and hope the regulars at least start to expect see someone running. I rarely ride my bike outside of the local metro parks, but as Kori mentioned above, you are not safe there either. Many are hit in the parks by inattentive drivers.
Thank you for your reminder to be vigilant, especially as the days become shorter and many are running in low light or darkness!!!
If you haven't you should have had the other driver's cell phone examined by the police. Change of this begins with enforcement which starts with you as the victim. I am actually very sensitive to this as a friend's son was killed as a passenger in a car where the driver was later found to have been texting while his friends were in the car sleeping as he drove. My friend was respsonible for getting "evan's law" in NY passed. 5 points for using your phone while driving. He is now working on getting the "textulizer" law passed.
there was a good thread on slowtwitch on this. At the end of the day this is like drunk driving, we have to press for stronger laws & enforcement. Police & DAs have to be pushed to bring maximum charges and judges have to be pressed to issue maximum penalties.
my oldest daughter is the president of our HS's SADD chapter (Students against destructive behaviors) they've gotten me to put the phone down, even when they aren't in the car.
I am a HS teacher and am constantly on my students about texting and driving as I see them and their parents driving around.
Off to visit the chiro today. Neck and back pain persists. Hopefully nothing too bad.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/health/distracted-driving-textalyzer/
So glad that you and your daughter are ok! I read somewhere that auto fatalities are up by a significant amount, the first increase in a long time, and it's mostly attributed to the increased use of cell phones behind the wheel. Bike paths, mountain roads, and mountain biking for me...
The day before Thanksgiving my 18 yo daughter was driving southbound on a two lane 35 mph road. A car coming out of a neighborhood on her right made a left turn right in front of her...as if my daughter's car wasn't even there. With no time to brake my daughter hit the back left side of the other car which bounced up and actually ran over the driver's side of the car hood. The air bag went off and fortunately my daughter walked away from that with some minor neck and back strain. Our car was totaled. The other driver was cited for failure to yield and my daughter thinks the other driver (also a young lady) was on the cell phone. So my thankful Thanksgiving was that I still have a daughter.
My own opinion is that the same technology causing the accidents today will solve this problem in the near future. Self-driving cars won't be affected by cell phone calls/texting, etc, and even those with human drivers will have strong anti-collision software built in (e.g., in this case, software that would have either warned the driver or actually disengaged the transmission when the other driver pulled out in front of my daughter). Older people and drunks will be far less likely to hit bicyclists as the cars will detect the rider and prevent the driver from swerving into them. It's coming.