be careful on your commute

[moose8]

I just commuted in on the same route I always do through downtown Boston, at the intersection of Washington and Kneeland (I was going down Washington) and probably have done close to 1000 times now, so I am very familiar with it and its dangers. Today, a driver ran a red light at an intersection as I was going through it and I slammed on my brakes and flew over the handlebars and into the street. I was fine, aside from a banged up elbow and knee and scratched handlebars. I was wearing bright clothing and I even had my flashing bright front and back light on, so I'd like to think I was pretty visible. I screamed as I saw the car and slammed on my brakes so as to not be hit by him, and was fortunate to have stopped just soon enough. I doubt I was going much faster than 10 or 11 mph, but it was a reminder that that is fast enough to get hurt. It was very strange, too, as I got out of the road one of legs wouldn't stop shaking and I had to stand there a few minutes to calm down - it must have been adrenaline or something.

On the positive side, it was nice that three different people stopped to make sure I was ok, and confirmed the car completely ran the red light. Of course, the car took off. I felt kind of helpless because it's hard to account for things like people flagrantly breaking traffic laws when you are trying to be safe. It also was a reminder that there are a lot of really dangerous drivers out there (I worked as a prosecutor for awhile and a huge percentage of cases were unlicensed drivers driving unsafely).

Anyway, I just needed to vent, as this is not the sort of thing I share with my fiance or family, as they already worry too much about the fact that I ride my bike through Boston.

[druptight]

Anyway, I just needed to vent, as this is not the sort of thing I share with my fiance or family, as they already worry too much about the fact that I ride my bike through Boston.

I feel you on this sentiment. I ride 10 miles from Melrose to the seaport most days. The close calls do not get mentioned to them. Thankfully the more I ride in to work the fewer the close calls seem to be as you learn the trouble spots, but it just goes to show you that even the most safe seeming spots can become treacherous when people do stupid things. Ride safely!

[MattTuck]

I would report this to the police. It is probably small potatoes, but it is possible they could pull a license plate from a camera in the area.

Glad you're ok.

[OldCrank]

Wow, glad you're OK.
No place is safe, but sheesh some of these maniacs scare me.
Even garbage trucks;
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/05/20/visiting-mit-scientist-killed-while-riding-bike/dInajrzVpmVxILk9oU0puM/story.html

[bambam]

Glad you were not seriously injuried.

Every now and then I take that my being safe is good enough and fail to be alert enough.

In the motorcycle safty class I remember the instructor saying something like "the bike is not a place to get away from things, Be alert".

Again, Glay your ok.:)

[eddief]

but i wonder if any camera got a pic of this? and if yes if there is way for you to see it. does that intersection have one?

[saf-t]

Ugh- that's not an intersection I'd want to go through on a regular basis.

Used to work at Dana-Farber, and Mass. Ave. in North Cambridge was the part of the route I hated the most...

Second on seeing if there's a camera there.

[sc53]

Somebody running a red light could have hurt you even if you were in a car! So unacceptable--agree to let the cops know, maybe if they receive enough complaints they will post a squad car there during rush hours. Flashing cop lights tend to slow people down.

[weiwentg]

This is why I am a fan of red light cameras and speed cameras.

I've never got a red light camera ticket. I have got two speed camera tickets. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, you wonder if cities are just trying to fill the budget gaps. But the cameras do reduce fatalities, and we should have them. Heck, we should have them at every intersection.

Glad you are OK.

[InspectorGadget]

Glad you're here to post about it.

[moose8]

Thanks for the well wishes. Experience has taught me that reporting it to the police won't do much. And I don't think there are any cameras anywhere - apparently, or so I've been told, cameras in Massachusetts need to be approved by the state legislature before they can be installed. I've never seen one in Boston (though I'm just going by what someone told me).

Mostly I'm taking it as a reminder to go slow and be hyper aware. It's weird though because that particular intersection isn't usually that bad because there is so much traffic cars are usually stuck in lines of traffic. But I guess if you ignore red lights there are no cars in front to slow you down.

[zott28]

Makes we think of my 10 minute ride to the station. It's downhill, and if I wait about 500 feet from the first light, and start to roll when it turns green, I can make thru the next 4 lights.
The 3rd one is a major road and I seem to make it thru with 2 sec on the count down meter. Every morning I hope someone is not tuning left to beat the light.
I should slow down and account for another 5 minute to go slower.

[Pars]

Somebody running a red light could have hurt you even if you were in a car! So unacceptable--agree to let the cops know, maybe if they receive enough complaints they will post a squad car there during rush hours. Flashing cop lights tend to slow people down.

Agreed. Some lady T-boned my parents while running a red light @45 mph. My dad never really recovered...

Glad the OP is OK, and that would have shaken me up too!

[palincss]

Today, a driver ran a red light at an intersection as I was going through it and I slammed on my brakes and flew over the handlebars and into the street. I was fine, aside from a banged up elbow and knee and scratched handlebars. I was wearing bright clothing and I even had my flashing bright front and back light on, so I'd like to think I was pretty visible. I screamed as I saw the car and slammed on my brakes so as to not be hit by him, and was fortunate to have stopped just soon enough. I doubt I was going much faster than 10 or 11 mph, but it was a reminder that that is fast enough to get hurt.

I think the "driver running a red" aspect of this situation has been thoroughly covered, but nobody's said anything about the other aspect, going over the bars during emergency braking. I did a little googling and came up with this comment from Jan Heine, ed. of Bicycle Quarterly in a discussion of braking, as quoted on the Avalon Bicycling blog:

The reason the rear brake does not contribute even at low speeds is that almost all the weight is transferred to the front wheel. Furthermore, focusing on one brake only is easier. When you brake truly hard, the rear wheel will lock up even under very little braking, and the rear wheel will slide, which makes controlling the bike difficult. It takes a lot of slipperiness to make the rear brake useful - snow and ice, or rain after a long dry spell are common scenarios. There, you cannot brake hard anyhow, and the weight transfer is limited.

We discussed the issue of which hand should control which brake in our "Brake Special" Vol. 7, No. 2. I don't think a general recommendation is needed, but consistency is useful, so riders don't accidentally actuate the wrong brake.

The most important result of the test for us was how hard one can brake with correct technique. We commonly got the smell of burnt brake pads rising from the front brake after we came to a stop. The risk of going over the handlebars only occurs at very low speeds, because at higher speeds, wind resistance pushes the rider backward. The rear wheel rises slowly, and riders easily can open the brake to counter this. Most "over-the-bars" incidents appear from the rider flying forward as the bike slows down, similar to car occupants flying forward into the windshield if they don't wear seatbelts. Bracing yourself against the handlebars is crucial during hard braking. That is perhaps the most important part of the technique to be taught.

[schwa86]

If its any consolation (for lack of better phrasing) on my commute home last week from the LMA to suburban Newton, I got all the way to final red light by my house (I was on a small cross street to Centre street). Stopped. Waited. Light turned green and started to pedal, car behind me started driving too. Another car coming crosswise blew right through a red with both of us in the intersection (eg not even close). Lots of slamming on brakes honking etc. It was one of those "there is absolutely nothing I could have done differently moments." Had similar reaction of pedaling the last few yards to my house and then just sitting on my stoop for 10 minutes with my head in my hands.

[jimcav]

I have gone over even with my belly button against the back of my saddle. if the brake has enough force to stop the front wheel and you have enough momentum: you are going over. it isn't like car occupants continuing forward in a linear path, it is the conversion of the momentum forward into rotation about the front axle--because that can still rotate.

Maybe someone with a front disc setup can go practice on grass and see if the lack of rotation at the axle makes a difference--I would think it would, but it won't be enough of a difference to stop it...

I've gone over on my MTB which had disc, and this was when i was "braced" and trying to move back and unweight the front for impact--maybe a gymnast who can iron-cross on the rings could do it, but i doubt it--the bike came with me as my inertia carried me and the bike forward: in effect the entire bike with myself hanging on was simply a big wheel trying to rolling over the ground--I think the only thing that can change is how long you could hold onto the bars.

I think the "driver running a red" aspect of this situation has been thoroughly covered, but nobody's said anything about the other aspect, going over the bars during emergency braking. I did a little googling and came up with this comment from Jan Heine, ed. of Bicycle Quarterly in a discussion of braking, as quoted on the Avalon Bicycling blog:

The reason the rear brake does not contribute even at low speeds is that almost all the weight is transferred to the front wheel. Furthermore, focusing on one brake only is easier. When you brake truly hard, the rear wheel will lock up even under very little braking, and the rear wheel will slide, which makes controlling the bike difficult. It takes a lot of slipperiness to make the rear brake useful - snow and ice, or rain after a long dry spell are common scenarios. There, you cannot brake hard anyhow, and the weight transfer is limited.

We discussed the issue of which hand should control which brake in our "Brake Special" Vol. 7, No. 2. I don't think a general recommendation is needed, but consistency is useful, so riders don't accidentally actuate the wrong brake.

The most important result of the test for us was how hard one can brake with correct technique. We commonly got the smell of burnt brake pads rising from the front brake after we came to a stop. The risk of going over the handlebars only occurs at very low speeds, because at higher speeds, wind resistance pushes the rider backward. The rear wheel rises slowly, and riders easily can open the brake to counter this. Most "over-the-bars" incidents appear from the rider flying forward as the bike slows down, similar to car occupants flying forward into the windshield if they don't wear seatbelts. Bracing yourself against the handlebars is crucial during hard braking. That is perhaps the most important part of the technique to be taught.