Cycling Sisters

So, you had the misfortune to get in an accident. Or perhaps, like me, you just want to be prepared for the worst. Here's a basic guide to help you out should you actually have an encounter with the road--in the most literal sense.

There are some good online resources for this issue; one of the best is located at our own trusty Chicagoland Bicycle Federation website. Links are provided at the bottom of this page.

General advice:

1. Don't move until you've done a quick assessement on your body! Once you've figured out that all your limbs still function, carefully pick yourself up and get out of the street to a safer location.

2. Have a witness call for a police officer or for 911 service.
If there are no witnesses in the area, call 911 yourself.

3. If the accident involved a car or another bicyclist, try to keep them at the scene of the accident until the police arrive (sometimes a long wait). If not, be sure to get their name(s), address(es), phone number(s) and insurance information.

4. If there were witnesses, get their contact information (name, phone, address). Ask them to write a brief description of what they saw.

5. Once the police officer arrives, insist on an accident report.

6. Get medical help. In the heat of the moment, when your adrenaline is in overdrive, it's easy to overlook even a serious injury. KEEP ALL RECIEPTS! You might need them as evidence.

Here are some good online links for further information:

"Chicagoland Bicycle Federation"
http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=30_0_6_0

"Help - Bicycle Accident-What Happens Now"
http://tinyurl.com/ymnm6e

BikePortland.org » Blog Archive » What to do if you’ve been hit
http://bikeportland.org/2006/01/12/what-to-do-if-youve-been-hit/

"Accident Advice"
http://www.bicyclelaw.com/html/accident.html