What to do when you get knocked down

Khannie · 10-09-2011 8:58am #1

So I got knocked down last night. No major damage. Hit by a van turning left. All I could think when I realised I was ok was "I want to get out of here". I didn't even think to check my bike (I know! Right?!) so I thought it might be useful to have a checklist of what you should do in the event that you get knocked down but aren't hospitalised (obviously if you're hospitalised the whole checking yourself thing will be dealt with by police / ambulance etc.). I'll edit this post with suggestions as we go along. I'll get the ball rolling.

Check yourself for cuts. With adrenaline pumping you're unlikely to notice cuts.
Take some pictures of the scene if you have your phone with you. Position of the vehicle, where you landed, etc.
Get the other persons phone number and insurance details. You might feel fine now, but not later. You may notice damage to your bike later (I did).
Get a phone number of a witness.
Phone the police to report the incident, even if you're cycling away from it, it's good to have it on record.
Check your bike. Check that the wheels are true. Check that your deraileur is ok and that you can change gears. Check for damage to the frame. Take your time on this.
You may feel sore after the fact (the next day or later even). If you're in any way unsure, get yourself to a doctor.

Satanta · 10-09-2011 9:23am

If you have a camera phone, take a picture if the scene?

Beasty · 10-09-2011 9:30am

Hope everything's OK Khannie - it's a bit of a shock when something like this happens, and there can be confusion surrounding exactly what happened (in my accident I was very heavily concussed and still cannot remember anything until an hour later when I was coming out of the scanner in hospital)

In terms of injury, if you take a bit of a knock there could be a delayed effect - a number of boardsies have reported adverse effects only showing a day or 2 after the accident and it's worth getting yourself checked if in any way unsure of potential injuries

One thing to think about is getting some photos there and then - most of us have cameras in our phones, and showing the exact location, position of vehicle when it stops etc could be invaluable should there be any dispute over what happened

Sr. Assumpta · 10-09-2011 9:42am

- Check around the scene for bits and pieces (computer, light etc.) which may have fallen off your bike.
- Remember a small mark on a carbon frame / fork might be hiding something much more sinister.

Khannie · 10-09-2011 9:42am

Thanks Beasty. I'm more or less grand. It was pretty straightforward stuff. The guy immediately admitted liability etc. I knew I wasn't badly damaged (no broken bones or other serious injury) so just wanted to get going again. With hindsight that was the wrong thing to do. I should have at least gotten the guys number, but I was killed telling him not to worry.

That's what prompted me to start this thread up. Good to have a little checklist in your head for these things.

Beasty wrote: »

(in my accident I was very heavily concussed and still cannot remember anything until an hour later when I was coming out of the scanner in hospital)

:eek: Wow. That is serious business.

Good suggestions there from both of you. Added to the list.

Idleater · 10-09-2011 9:44am

One thing I can recommend is after hitting the ground is to stop and wait for a minute. Even if it's "in the way", with the obvious proviso that it's okay to do so : i.e. vehicles stopping and going around you.

I remember doing this the time I was hit and it served the dual purpose of calming me down and also the Guy in the Jeep that was so intent on telling me I came from nowhere. After a minute everything subsided and I was able to collate the details you already have mentioned: cuts bruises, pictures, insurance etc.

bad2dabone · 10-09-2011 9:48am

Excellent idea for a thread. Good to hear you're not broken Khannie.

Beasty · 10-09-2011 12:56pm

Just another thought on this

When I had my accident although apparently completely conscious throughout, it was not until about 7 hours later that I even worked out what day of the week it was. The accident happened at 7:20 and I sussed out I had the Blackberry with me and e-mailed work to let them know I wouldn't be in around 2pm. I then discovered they hadn't even noticed me missing:eek:

To further complicate matters, my wife and kids were away in Cornwall for the summer and I was the only one at home. I couldn't remember the wife's phone number (although I apparently relayed full contact detail at the scene of the accident), and had to get in touch with another relation to get the message through

Ever since I've made sure I have an "In Case of Emergency" or "ICE" number in my phone to allow emergency services to contact my wife should I be involved in something like that again. I also have an wristband ID as well as something similar on my helmet

So I guess, in summary, always carry emergency contact ID that can be easily found by the emergency services

G rock · 10-09-2011 2:23pm

good idea those helmet things

did you buy them from that site?

Beasty · 10-09-2011 2:30pm

G rock wrote: »

good idea those helmet things

did you buy them from that site?

Yes - they have a load of stuff that may be of interest, be it reflectives, lights and those ID products

Mucco · 10-09-2011 2:54pm

Plenty of advice here.

Khannie · 10-09-2011 7:12pm

Like that id and phone number thing Beasty. Didn't know that ICE was a standard. Adding one to my phone now. I'll update the first post later.

SerialComplaint · 10-09-2011 9:20pm

Satanta wrote: »

If you have a camera phone, take a picture if the scene?

And use either the video-recorder or the voice-recorder to take details of cars (including insurance details from the disc on the windscreens) drivers and witnesses.

tomasrojo · 10-09-2011 10:59pm

Sr. Assumpta wrote: »

- Check around the scene for bits and pieces (computer, light etc.) which may have fallen off your bike.

Good point. I lost my lock when I had a bit of a spill and split the skin under my knee (just a slide on Luas tracks; no collision). Didn't realise I'd lost the lock till the next day. Also didn't realise I was injured until I got home and noticed that there was copious blood all over the inside of my rain trousers. No pain or anything.

Cookie_Monster · 11-09-2011 12:37pm

This:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LODkVkpaVQA

CramCycle · 11-09-2011 1:32pm

Khannie wrote: »

[*]Phone the police to report the incident, even if you're cycling away from it, it's good to have it on record.

Make sure you report it before you leave the scene, even if liability is admitted best to have it confirmed. Happened to me before and the opinion of the driver changed dramatically when she got home.

As inconvenient as it is, best to get it done. Also get the phone number of witnesses (a taxi pulled up behind me on another occasion and told me he saw the whole thing and handed me his phone number if a witness was needed), this was the deciding factor in the end for the insurance after the driver changed there mind on leaving the scene.

chakattack · 11-09-2011 1:40pm

Get something in writing if you can....In my experience drivers are shocked themselves, apologetic and happy to admit liability at the time but can want to wrangle out of it after.

Get something in writing to the effect of:

Date
Time
Location/Junction
Accident between J blogs and An Other
Details of Injury or Damage
Witnesses
What happened
Statement along the lines of "Agreed to get bike and body checked out and cover any expenses"
Signature
Phone Number
Address
Reg
Insurance

Kintarō Hattori · 11-09-2011 1:51pm

If you do have an accident and a car knocks you off your bike, what are the legalities of that? As in do you need to phone the police? I presume you'd call the local station to you area rather than 999?

DisasterIRL · 11-09-2011 2:54pm

Very good info here

galwaycyclist · 11-09-2011 3:09pm

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

If you do have an accident and a car knocks you off your bike, what are the legalities of that? As in do you need to phone the police? I presume you'd call the local station to you area rather than 999?

AFAIK You still need to report it afterwards even if you have rung it in. The key issue here is to make sure it goes in to a document called the daybook which normally sits behind or near the front desk. Make sure you get the name and number of the guard you are reporting it to. (Same goes if any attend the scene).

Going off reports I have heard from other cyclists, you might need to be quite insistent. If the guard takes out a notebook or a piece of paper and starts writing - that is no good. It has to go in the book. Likewise if a guard attends the scene but it doesnt go into the day book or up on PULSE then as far as the system is concerned it never happened

galwaycyclist · 11-09-2011 3:16pm

You should also assume that the other party involved will show up at the station and seek to have their own, possibly different, version of the same events recorded on the system.

username2010 · 11-09-2011 7:30pm

Very useful thread - cheers, and glad your accident wasn't too bad....

cyclopath2001 · 11-09-2011 7:33pm

SerialComplaint wrote: »

And use either the video-recorder or the voice-recorder to take details of cars (including insurance details from the disc on the windscreens) drivers and witnesses.

Don't forget to check your Garmin if it was recording your ride at the time.

doozerie · 13-01-2012 10:43am

SerialComplaint wrote:

And use either the video-recorder or the voice-recorder to take details of cars (including insurance details from the disc on the windscreens) drivers and witnesses.

I agree. I was advised in the past by a Garda to take the car registration numbers of those cars whose occupants may have witnessed an incident. It seems that all too often witnesses are not inclined to linger or come forward, particularly if they perceive an incident as minor I'd imagine (and it's amazing what can be perceived as "minor" by someone not involved in an incident), and in that situation it ends up being your word versus that of the other party. All it takes is one more witness to swing things/culpability one way or the other. If you can give the gardai a number plate or two I was told they can approach the owner(s) of the car(s) after the fact and invite them to give a statement - they obviously can't oblige them to give a statement, assuming the gardai are even willing to approach them in the first place, but it's certainly worth giving yourself that option to fall back on.

Oh, and something that's easy to suggest but far from easy to do - try not to openly vent at the other party if you want people to step forward and help. They might well deserve it but it can turn the situation around in the eyes of witnesses from you being the victim to you being the aggressor and people are likely to be more inclined to walk away and leave you to it (or worse, feel justified in stepping forward to defend the other party even if they know them to be the one at fault). In my experience, in a car versus bicycle/anything else altercation some people seem to have little understanding of, or sympathy for, the dangers posed by careless or reckless actions on the part of the driver whereas by comparison even just an "enthusiastic" verbal response by the person on the receiving end of those actions can be perceived as downright aggressive and seems to wipe their memories of the previous actions that led to the incident in the first place. Empathy seems to go only so far.

mtdelany · 13-01-2012 12:13pm

Carry a bit of chalk in your saddle bag if you have one.

This mean you can both agree where you were cycling, and where collision took place. This is usefull as if you draw a straight line on the ground of where you were cycling, and both agree at the time, s/he cant come back later saying you were weaving through traffic etc

Consey · 15-01-2012 11:10pm

Very good advice. I had an accident in July last. Was going along nicely on clear stretch of cycle lane on quays outside Dublin City Council offices and a van came from nowhere overtook me, turned sharply left and then stopped dead because the street he was turning into was blocked. I had no option but to plough into his bumper, and because I was clipped in, fell onto the buslane. Luckily no busses were coming.

I got a fright and had cuts and bruises on my right thigh, arm etc, though nothing worse than that. The bike was damaged too, but not badly.

A cyclist coming behind me witnessed the whole thing, and put himself and his bike in front of the car to prevent him driving off. They then had a blazing row about his driving while I watched sheepishly !

The driver first said he didn't see me but then admitted he was in the wrong, that he tried to get past me and then mistimed my speed.

He apologised with me but then had an ongoing blazing row with the other chap, along the lines of 'you'll do it again', 'no I won't', 'yes you will' etc etc. Eventually I said 'just leave it, thanked the other cyclist for his support and went on ahead. I took the number of the car but that was it.

At a minimum I should have taken the other cyclist's number as I have no doubt he would have given evidence for me.

Since then I have developed some medical complications which have led me to have almost 2 months out of work and 2 of which were very serious and could have been fatal. I'm on medication for rest of my life most likely.

I'm told this incident may well have triggered it (though it's not certain) and my problems started a couple of weeks after.

Moral of story is - follow the advice of earlier posters and get the info.

What to do when you get knocked down

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