Accidents

[Gr8fun]

Less than 20% of bicycle accidents are reported. Start a new topic to post accidents. The accident and what to do to avoid further incidents. And lessen the possibility of further accidents and resulting injuries
with ebikes we travel more miles at higher speeds. Increasing our odds of serious injuries.
The first two ice cars in utah auffered a fatal head on collision. Safety in cars has gone a long ways since then.
But the data base on bike accidents is to meager to make rapid advances. There are a lot of crash dummies out there who have not reported in on their tests. Or theorized on future safety improvements.
yes we are going to ride on the roads and the roads are dangerous.

[ChrisJTX]

The best thing, and cant say this enough is to wear a helmet. I see many people on ebikes cruising 20+ without helmets...crazy. also I would inspect daily that bolts are torqued correctly as most diy bikes are not tested to go 30mph+ and if you have a ebike that can reach speeds of 35+ I would wear a motorcycle helmet. personally I use a mips mtb helmet for cruises and change to a full face motorcycle helmet when I want to mess around testing high speeds. 2 side mirrors will also definetly help on heavily trafficked areas. dont let being stealthy to blend in hurt you bad.

[commuter ebikes]

I can't believe all of the bicycle riders that I see riding around without a helmet!

[Gr8fun]

After last accident i lost some skin. Big improvement on top speed. Air flows right through. Weight sifference also adds some speed

[artdrectr]

Stop signs.
I was on the bike yesterday stopped at a sign, had my thumb about to press the throttle and car blew straight thru the stop, fraction of time from me being flattened.
This AM I was in the car at the same stop but a woman on a bicycle (no helmet) breezily pedaled thru the stop, I nearly flattened HER, she just waved ‘thanks’.
Just a reminder to be careful at 4 way stop signs.

[Jake January]

I can't believe all of the bicycle riders that I see riding around without a helmet!

If you ever visit Holland you will notice almost no one wears a helmet while on a bicycle.
Only tourists and competition riders wear helmet...competition riders should wear helmets
IMHO, the helmet craze is a scam to make oblivious automobile drivers more comfortable while hurtling around in 5000 lbs death cages....

[Retrorockit]

I've crashed with a helmet, and i've crashed without a helmet. I much prefer the helmet version. But I do believe in natural selection and freedom of choice.

[jaymz77]

In state law up here in Washington state and I would say 1 out of 10 wear helmets. A petty thing to enforce and so there is no threat from the law and off they go without a helmet. I don't care about the law, I have 2 kids and a wonderful wife to take care of.

[commuter ebikes]

I won’t ride without a helmet.

[Jake January]

In state law up here in Washington state and I would say 1 out of 10 wear helmets. A petty thing to enforce and so there is no threat from the law and off they go without a helmet. I don't care about the law, I have 2 kids and a wonderful wife to take care of.

Problem is, with such do-gooder helmet law is generaly created by the automobile drivers and not cyclists...
If cyclists were to create law it would be; 'mandatory death penalty' for any automobile driver who kills a cyclist.

[jaymz77]

As a daily commuter, time and time again drivers look directly at me and my bright headlight and just keep on going, too may close calls and I like to say I am extra careful with 1 interaction with a car and 35 years of biking under my belt. I am sure I would be dead by now if I just 'floated' around on the streets assuming I have any rights to the road.

[Retrorockit]

Where I ride they recently changes a left lane to continuos green when the other lanes are stopped.The only way to cross is to use the pedestrian crossing button. That's the only time all 4 lanes stop. 3 cars ran the red light before one stopped. The pedestrian cross light was green the whole time.
Another one today was I was crossing with the light at an intersection which was OK, but after the intersection there is an access road without a light. Good thing I stopped before going onto the access road. Someone used it to bypass the traffic stopped at the light, and the light, then turn back onto the main road. A varaiation of the right turn lane = passing lane maneuver.
This is just one ride on one day around here.

[Jake January]

As a daily commuter, time and time again drivers look directly at me and my bright headlight and just keep on going, too may close calls and I like to say I am extra careful with 1 interaction with a car and 35 years of biking under my belt. I am sure I would be dead by now if I just 'floated' around on the streets assuming I have any rights to the road.

Bright lights are a good idea. Seems ebikes are generally well endowed lighting wise.
High visibility IMHO the #1 best accident prevention.
I won't ride without a bright colored shirt or neon windbreaker...
Too often I see cyclists wearing dark/grey clothing making them almost invisible on the grey tarmac.

[Retrorockit]

High Vis clothing only works if they're actually looking at you. A Coast guard approved air horn (Airzounds is one brand) makes them look. For daylight I use an OLD NiteRider offroad headlamp which is not only very bright but has a rapid strobe ( the newer ones are slower because it's less annoying). This makes it look like you're moving quickly.
It's very common at night to see riders with black clothing, black bikes and no lights and often no reflectors either. They also tend to not follow any rules of the road. FL has a very high accident rate for cyclists. It's not just the drivers who are screwy as hell, the cyclists are just as bad.

[e-rod]

I live on a small 2 lane country road. So many drivers act like they own the road and I'm in the way on my bike, that I pull over or get out of the way somehow. I don't trust a driver coming past me from behind on a narrow road! Many are either distracted or brazen or both! I guess because there is not a lot of traffic I have the luxury of getting out of the way. Cars and e-bikes do not mix well. We are invisible even when colorful. They will win encounters and at least unconsciously, they know it. It was nice while we were in quarantine, traffic was way down. But that is GONE around here. Seems like drivers are making up for lost time! Ride with a swivel head! Happy Motoring, e-rod

[Retrorockit]

Go you have a bright daytime strobe tail light? With fresh batteries so it stays bright.
I use this one which has a syncopated strobe and built in reflector function.
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...-35-rear-light
I also have a rear view mirror. I use the Mirrycle. It's real glass, convex.

https://www.mirrycle.com/product-category/mirrors/

I leave the middle piece out so it sticks up like a lollipop.
I have the luxury of lot's of options of which route I take. But lot's of belligerent yahoos around here too.