Have you hit a person a bike while driving?

[abbeyQ]

Yesterday morning I'm running through my normal routine and almost whacked some dude on a bike. The sun was square in my eyes and despite dark glasses and the visor in the truck I couldn't see the guy. It didn't help that he was on the wrong side of the road! I was making a right hand turn (without a stop sign) this guy was taking the same corner in the opposite direction, on the wrong side of the road. Thankfully I didn't plow into him. So I'm curious if any of you have hit or almost hit a rider due to their negligence and what was the outcome? Seems terrible to think about biker or biker crime but it's part of life in the hood.

[David Tollefson]

Ah, the old "I didn't see you" excuse... (Jason, relax, I'm not blaming you.)

I haven't hit anyone on a bike. Or a pedestrian. But I've come very close to hitting a pedestrian twice. Once they were coming out of a store, backing down some stairs, and had their back to me. I'm going all of maybe 15mph through the parking lot. They trip off the last stair right in front of me. The other, I was being stupid on a dark rainy night trying to make a left turn light on the yellow. Woman pushing a stroller, both totally darked out, flashes in my headlights. I nearly jumped the curb avoiding them. It was close -- I was probably a foot away from taking her out.

But how many times do we get in the car in the morning with a fogged up or iced up windshield, a legal-envelope-size area of clear glass to look through? I guess the "I couldn't see where I was going" thing just makes me think -- if that's true, why would you go there?

[dgaddis]

Came very, very, very close a few weeks ago. Leaving my office, making a right turn out of the parking lot onto a divided road, I look left to make sure no one is coming, start to pull out, and suddenly there's a guy on a bike inches off my bumper. He was riding down the sidewalk, going the wrong way. AKA - I didn't expect anyone to be there, and didn't really look. You bet your a** I do now though!

Scared the piss out of me, he just kept cruisin' with his headphones in. I don't think he knows how close he came to getting hit.

[Bobqzz]

When I was 17, I had a 16 year old kid ride right into the side of my car. It was night time, I was stopped in the curb cut as I was exiting a parking lot. He rode down the sidewalk (no lights) into the side of my car. Messed up the bike, but he was okay. After I made sure he was all right, I left. Next day my dad finds out there is a warrant out for my arrest for hit and run. Kids dad insisted he call the police and tried to get me to pay for a new bike. Luckily the police found out what really happened and it turned out okay.

I'm consistently amazed by some of the foolishness people display on bikes. I've seen the same guy several times riding down the pitch black bike path with no lights.....no freaking clue how he does it

[Zimmermanbicycle]

This same scenario has happened to me,a near miss no hit
-Eric

Came very, very, very close a few weeks ago. Leaving my office, making a right turn out of the parking lot onto a divided road, I look left to make sure no one is coming, start to pull out, and suddenly there's a guy on a bike inches off my bumper. He was riding down the sidewalk, going the wrong way. AKA - I didn't expect anyone to be there, and didn't really look. You bet your a** I do now though!

Scared the piss out of me, he just kept cruisin' with his headphones in. I don't think he knows how close he came to getting hit.

[dgaddis]

This same scenario has happened to me,a near miss no hit
-Eric

That's why I hate riding bike paths that are off the road and have lots of crossings (business parking lots, neighborhoods, driveways, etc) - NO ONE expects you to be there, and no one is looking.

[defspace]

Came very, very, very close a few weeks ago. Leaving my office, making a right turn out of the parking lot onto a divided road, I look left to make sure no one is coming, start to pull out, and suddenly there's a guy on a bike inches off my bumper. He was riding down the sidewalk, going the wrong way. AKA - I didn't expect anyone to be there, and didn't really look. You bet your a** I do now though!

Scared the piss out of me, he just kept cruisin' with his headphones in. I don't think he knows how close he came to getting hit.

Sidewalks are terrifying. I had a similar experience. I always double check now.

[BShow]

When I was 17, I had a 16 year old kid ride right into the side of my car. It was night time, I was stopped in the curb cut as I was exiting a parking lot. He rode down the sidewalk (no lights) into the side of my car. Messed up the bike, but he was okay. After I made sure he was all right, I left. Next day my dad finds out there is a warrant out for my arrest for hit and run. Kids dad insisted he call the police and tried to get me to pay for a new bike. Luckily the police found out what really happened and it turned out okay.

I'm consistently amazed by some of the foolishness people display on bikes. I've seen the same guy several times riding down the pitch black bike path with no lights.....no freaking clue how he does it

I guess they got your tags from security? I doubt the kid would have the wherewithal to get them after he hit you. He probably lied to his old man to cover up his stupidity and not get in trouble, and it backfired.

When I was a kid, I was riding on the sidewalk and went off the curb, between two parked cars, and t-boned the side of a moving car. I was really lucky. I hit the deck in a hurry and my back rubbed on the side of the car as it rolled past. driver stopped and was scared that I was really hurt. I shooed him away and limped home with a taco'd wheel (on a friend's bike) and my tail between my legs.

I was legitimately tired that day for some reason and had a couple near misses all the way across town. I shouldnt have been riding the bike as my judgment was clearly impaired.

I have never hit a cyclist, but I've had some sketchy moments when there are clowns wearing all black, pedaling around with zero reflectivity in the dark of the night.

[Nierman]

Almost, a couple times. One was a kid that came barreling out a driveway obscured by a parked car. Good thing I wasn't of the 85% of my neighborhood that exceed the speed limit.

This is a good reminder. I have a fiction piece on this very subject I started years ago that I've never finished. Winter is a good time to write.

[nahtnoj]

I grew up in a rural area with a high concentration of Mennonites and Amish where bikes and buggies outnumbered cars on most roads. Always been super cognizant of the presence of bikes.

But the situations you guys are describing - near misses with a bike coming from a place where you don't expect/it should not be - these are all too common in Philadelphia.

[seanile]

ive t-boned a cyclist who ran a stop sign, while i was also riding my bike. very nearly hit a few bikes in my car for various reasons, most of the time i'm in the middle of a maneuver and they just pop out of nowhere.

[Corso]

Yes, I did, about 18 years ago...

Driving to the commuter train to go to work, as i did 1 million time before. Early morning, sun in eyes-visor down, same drill every am.
Taking a left at traffic light, panel truck clears, I begin to turn left (from dead stop), cyclist hidden by truck…He’s riding next to truck, but as truck moves at a faster speed, he’s left RIGHT THERE.

SUDDENLY, he’s on my windshield! See bike flying over car...

He rolls off, I stop (I had just begun to accelerate, so speed was very low)…I get out leaving my car blocking all traffic.

Male, about 30, in work (painters) clothes. No helmet, wearing walkman-headphone. Not why I’d call a “cyclist”, but a guy on a bike (which makes him a bike rider?) He gets up, stunned, slight bleeding from back of head. We get him to sit on the curb, witness calls police, police there in 2 minutes.

Guy is talking, not yelling, everyone civil. I pull car to side of road. Police officer comes, I tell him what happened I say time and time again, “I HIT HIM”…MY FAULT.

Police officer walks over to guy, says ‘how many beers you have this morning Joe?” Guy says, "just a couple, i was on my way to work…"

This was about 7:30 am. Police officer calls ambulance, as head was bleeding (not pouring, but still). Guy does not want to get in ambulance, asks me instead to give him ride to hospital. Cop says NO, get in ambulance. Officer explains he knows the guy, and was sure it wasn’t my fault, i tell him, BUT I HIT HIM.

Police officer sees Thule bike rack on my car, looks at me in my jacket & tie, says he know the guy, has a drinking problem and says again, he’s sure it’s not my fault, bad solar glare and all.

I go to work, feeling TERRIBLE and ill all day. I was shaking... I tell my boss what happened, he just says, “did you kill him”, I say No, he says, "well, don’t worry about it”… (my boss at the time was a complete asshole).

How could I, an avid cyclist, hit another cyclist? What if it was a kid, why didn’t I see him, what could i have done differently? I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for cyclist (and runners)… This thought ran through my head a million times for several weeks.

In the end, he was fine. (thank God!)

My insurance company buys him a new front wheel and fork for his old 10 speed, case closed.

Except for the awful memory of my hitting a guy on a bike.

And when I’m crossing an intersection while riding my bike, I’m VERY cautious and alert.

[Too Tall]

Jason, it's time to glue a plastic Mary on your dashboard. Thank g-d everything turned out ok. Situation awareness and how to maintain it when it counts is stinkin' hard to do 100%. Yer ok man.

[Jonathan]

I did, once. Scared me to death. I got lucky. I was making a right off a one way to another one way downtown and a man sized adult kid riding a BMX bike came the wrong way down the sidewalk. He was really moving when he hit my wheel from the side. He and the bike rolled over the hood of my CRX. Nobody and nothing got scratched but I'm sure we all brown spotted.

[bking]

didn't hit them, but after several miles, i wasn't happy. i was on a small low traffic highway between Mesquite Nevada and St George Ut. at the same time there was an organized ride going on. i'd gone around many, slowly as it's always great to see folks out and love to see what they're on. on a long downhill stretch cut into the side of the mountain i came on a group of 4 or 5 riders strung out taking up the entire lane. wasn't safe to get around them by moving into opposing traffic, and they seemed content to keep me behind them mile after mile. had they moved to the right i'd of easily gotten by. at first i thought perhaps they didn't know i was behind them. i went from happy to see folks out riding, to amused, to pissed over the 5 or 10 mins i was stuck behind them.
there are times when we are obnoxious.

[quickag]

when I was a kid

me, neo and eddy spaghetti went to todd's house because todd bet ES that he couldn't beat mike tyson's punchout with his eyes closed. After witnessing the single most amazing video gaming feat in history, I hopped on my bike and started riding home.

Todd's neighbor had one of those yellow pythons and was playing with it in his front yard. I was riding one handed staring at the python and WHAM!

Ran right into the back of the ice cream truck...music and all. Luckily I lived in a poor neighborhood so there weren't too many kids getting ice cream. I was ok and rode home.

So yeah, eddy spaghetti could beat mike tyson's punchout with his eyes closed.

[edoz]

I had a close call years ago with a dude who was riding at night with no lights or reflectors, and just barreled out into the street out of nowhere. I locked it up, and kept from hitting the guy. I checked on him anyway, and told him to come tot he bike shop where I was working at the time and I'd give him a blinkey light. Guy came in the next day and I bought him a brand new blinkey and gave him a nice safety lecture to boot.

[rowdyhillrambler]

Was this in nashville?? Or are ther more than one eddy spaghettis? If so, I sure hope he is not like the one I grew up with. The world only needs one of that guy.

when I was a kid

me, neo and eddy spaghetti went to todd's house because todd bet ES that he couldn't beat mike tyson's punchout with his eyes closed. After witnessing the single most amazing video gaming feat in history, I hopped on my bike and started riding home.

Todd's neighbor had one of those yellow pythons and was playing with it in his front yard. I was riding one handed staring at the python and WHAM!

Ran right into the back of the ice cream truck...music and all. Luckily I lived in a poor neighborhood so there weren't too many kids getting ice cream. I was ok and rode home.

So yeah, eddy spaghetti could beat mike tyson's punchout with his eyes closed.

[quickag]

Was this in nashville??

Houston. He was an idiot though...he tried to build a half pipe in his living room while his mom was in jail. Probably the same dude.

[deboat]

Last night I hit a person walking down my street. I was sitting on my bike but not moving and he walked out of a shop and while looking at his phone walks straight into me and both of us falls over into the snow. First thing this American tourist says to me is "In my country, this would be a lawsuit". I then asked him if he is hurt. When he said no I said he was lucky because in this country we dig a deep hole and bury people like you in it. (This is not really true)
I live on Linzegasse in Salzburg, Austria. And this street does have plenty of bike riders, hardly ever any cars but even more people. If you have been to Salzburg then you have walked down my street.
Last night I hurt my wrist again and when he walked away he was limping a little. So I had two emotions going on. One I was pissed that my wrist was burning and second I felt bad for hurting the guy even though it was his fault.
The thing here is to always look at the what is happening around you. Walking, riding , driving or flying take measure of what damage you can make to yourself and others around you.
Maybe I should have saved this for tommorrow!!