My Bicycle Collision

My first coherent thoughts, after the collision, occurred in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I wanted to know if my feet were moving. Are those are phantom feet I feel? Are you sure my feet are moving? I’m moving my feet left to right, are they moving? With great patience my questions were all answered affirmatively.

    While on the ground, sure of very few things, I recall thinking, ‘very soon I will feel thirsty but I shouldn’t ask for water because they won’t give me any.’ When I began to feel thirsty I wondered, if I asked for my water bottle, would be able to figure out I’m thirsty? I’d take a sip before they could stop me. I promised myself it would be small sip. I came to realize someone was holding my head and neck still. Do I have a head injury? Am I paralyzed? I think I can think, nothing hurts too much, am I OK?

    I was in Emergency, at RCH, for three hours. It seemed like minutes. Maureen arrived with Scott and April. A RCMP officer appeared seeking information for the police report and bearing helpful information to piece together what had happened. I tried walking but I was too dizzy. I ached all over. The hospital X-rays didn’t reveal any fractures. I did manage, with my brother's help, to go to the washroom.

    The dizziness led to a blood sugar test. A ‘3’ led to cookies and orange juice. Lastly a wheelchair ride to my brothers truck. Home to bed.

    Over the next few days I discovered what had happened. My helmet is ‘totaled’, my bike too, the contents of my fanny pack was in sad shape containing a crushed electronic diary and a broken house key.

    I crawled for three days until, with some propping up, I could walk to the washroom by myself. I couldn’t negotiate stairs which, in a three level townhouse, stranded me on the top floor. With Maureens' good help, crutches and Tylenol 3, I got to my doctor's office a few days later. More X-rays the same day, more X-rays the next day and finally the diagnosis of a fracture of the left pubic ramus. That explained the broken nose on my bike saddle. Bruises appeared on my left leg and the scab at the top of my shoulder was healing nicely. No road rash, very strange.

    For weeks it seemed very important for me to explain the collision wasn’t my fault. Then one day I had enough of the explaining. Enough of the advice too. Sorry friends. As sick and tired as I was explaining the collision, I was also tired of the ‘guess you’ll soon be rich’ comments. ‘Got a lawyer?’ ‘Gonna sue their ass off?’ ‘Make sure you Do this...’ ‘Make sure you Do that...’ Connecting the dots I soon realized, if I stopped explaining, I wouldn’t get the repetitious advice and monetary/legal opinions.

    One more time. Riding home from work, east on Lougheed Why approaching Brighton, the light turned green, the intersection cleared, traffic began crossing the intersection but, due to build up from the next set of lights, only a few cars got through the intersection.

    Confident I was protected from cross traffic by red lights; I approached the intersection, watching motorists on my right, entering Lougheed, from Brighton. I usually go slower than 20 KPH because I’ve seen some bad driving in this section. I was riding beside the slowing cars in the right most through lane. Suddenly, there was a car crossing my path. I did an emergency turn to the right, 90-degree turn, colliding with the motorists' passenger door, bouncing off and landing on my back and back of my head.

    Witnesses said the motorist was on the Lougheed, facing westbound but in the left turn bay, to cross the Lougheed, onto Brighton. After traffic on the Lougheed crossed Brighton on the green, but stopped due to volume build up, the motorist ran the turn bay red, crossing my path.

    The rest, as they say, is painful. Another stupid motorist trick. Yes, there were plenty of witnesses. Yes, he got points. Yes, I was wearing my usual white jersey, white helmet and orange vest. Yes, this is the most frequent type of (motorist caused) car/bike collision. No, there was no way he could have seen me because I was beside traffic. Yes, I feel confident I did everything to minimize the effects of a possible collision by wearing bright colours, safety glasses, a helmet and gloves.

    Practicing what I preach, I turned amazingly fast using the techniques described in ‘Effective Cycling’ by John Forester as taught in the CANBIKE bicycle skills program. For a few weeks I was quite bitter. Now, six weeks later, able to walk but not ready for prime time riding, I am coping with the injuries and my anger. I did all I could be expected to do, riding safely and predictably. TV programs like Road Worthy, media campaigns like Road Sense, all help raise awareness for motorists and cyclists.

    Please, when you ride or drive, be predictable; obey traffic signal devices and signs. Ask your friends and family to do the same. Save a life, yours or mine, we are worth it, spread the news.