Been commuting 9 miles each way almost everyday for about 4 years now, speaking to a few people they’re surprised I haven’t had any accidents with cars in that time so I was wondering how may incidents the average commuter has?

My Stats in 4 years:
Crashes involving other traffic: 0
Other crashes: 2 (both black ice)
Near misses: Only 2 that really stand out in my memory as being very, very close shaves.

On and off, c. 12 years of commuting anything from 6 to 28 miles daily.
Taken out by a car once and one self inflicted road rash wipe out.
I found the closer I rode to the speed of the traffic the safer it was.

18 months – 6 miles each way.

Once I got knocked off my bike (while i was on a cycle path) nothing too serious but the driver just wasn’t looking in the right direction

Other time i wiped out on something shiny on the road, dunno if it started on the traffic light studs or what but i just went over and was alright.

About 7 years of 3 miles each way. No car related knock offs, one hitting the deck when my chain came off on the bodged singlespeed, and one swing and a hit from a handbag of a walker on a shared cycle/pedestrian path. Still not sure why.

Think I’ve come off twice in about 30 years road riding, inc racing. Once on diesel and once on black ice.

I commuted a 6 mile each way trip in London for 2 years when i lived there, Kilburn to Waterloo.

Only ever got knocked off once and if i’m honest i could have avoided that incident as although it was my right of way, i could see the woman cutting through traffic and just carried on as i ‘was in the right’!
Learnt after that that it’s best just to yield as there’s only ever one winner in a car/cyclist collision. Having said that, my rear wheel bore the brunt and i was totally untouched.

Only other problem was a car full of eastern european types who swerved across the road 3 times to try and wipe me out after i’d given them a certain hand signal after they’d cut me up.

I did however break my hand recently after repeatedly punching a motorist who’d overtaken me into a mini roundabout, forcing me off the road and then stopped, got out and pushed me off my bike into the road. Red mist descended and i lost it completely. Only damage i sustained was my own broken hand but was lucky not to be charged with affray after he claimed i assaulted him (he didn’t seem to think that pushing me off into the road counted as assault – just my retaliation). Luckily the police seemed more inclined to believe my side of events.

Overall though i find 99.9% of drivers to be courteous and considerate but of course those generally are not the ones we remember….

Two years. Every day. No crashes. One assault.

18 months of about 1.5 miles each way.

0 crashes
2 passes close enough to make me swear like a navvy at the **** driving (both on the same roundabout within days of each other)
maybe a handful of instances of people pulling out/turning across me a bit too close

On the whole Bristol drivers seem to be quite aware of cyclists, probably because there are so many around

I don’t reeeeally want to contribute to this thread, for fear of invoking the crash gods but.. TO DATE i have only had one motorised vehicle impact.

Entirely my fault, trying to set a good time for my journey home using Endomondo. I had a proper word with myself and try to ride sensibly at all most times.

Plenty of accidents avoided through being alert/sensible. Most (90%) of my journey is Sustrans cycle route. Just the last bit either end thats occasionally tricky.

20 miles each way commute daily, 2 minor incidents involving vehicles with no injuries, 3 falls on ice, one resulting in quite a lot of cuts and bruises.

In 20 years

Black ice 3
Knocked off by cars 2 ( both while in London )

I reckoned on one every two years when I commuted 15 miles each way

Worst was pedestrians just not looking and stepping into the road.
Last one just creamed at me that he was deaf whilst I pointed out that this was NOT a reason to ignore looking.

10years-ish commuting 25miles.
1 T bone
1 intentional shunt from behind
1 “clip” car pulled out of traffic I was overtaking, sent me tumbling down the road
1 bloke pulled a U turn in front of me, I slammed on and lightly bumped into his side but he kept going and pringled my front wheel.
1 proper cut up. flatbed loaded with rebar cut up my (mandatory) cycle lane, rebar tore my jacket.
Quite a few mirror/bar interfaces (no actual damage to either party).
Lots of near misses.

commute xc now, much more pleasent with less confliction. did knock on the side of a van who was encroaching a mandatory bike lane I was in this morning, but as it was slow speed (and I was in a good mood) it was just a friendly knock knock, “hello I’m already here” rather than slamming the side of his van and shouting.

Near misses are a weird one, our perceptions of them I mean, I think mood has a lot to do with it. At what point does something change from “that overtake was to close” to “what the ****ity ****, **** where you doing then you stupid ****ing ****”? Had 2 close passes on saturday (despite 90% xc route) but I just shrugged them off, if I was commuting I reckon I might have been a bit more tetchy about them.

<edit>I’m also coming to the conclusion the majority of close calls are from drivers who just have no idea how scary it is for us and how much room they should be giving (only ever had a few obvious punishment passes) Trouble is their ignorance can be life threatening to me if I get a bit of a wobble on – easy when it’s windy.

14 years of cycle commuting – 1 crash (pedestrian ran into road), 1 slip on black ice, 2 instances of “significant” aggresion from drivers (one chasing after me after left hook, another threw something out of a van whilst driving past)

About 7 years in London (home to railway station – station to work & back)

1 hit from behind by Addison Lee car – managed to stay up
Many, many near misses

On the Occasional long commute (37ish miles each way)
1 hit from a car turning left. Managed to stay upright just about. No idea how, I should have been under the car

3 years 6.5miles each way.

Twice hit by a car, neither my fault.

Once slide over on the ice.

Been amazingly lucky really.

Only ever actually hit one car (he turned right, across oncoming traffic and into my path, I went into the side). Incredibly, no damage to me, my bike or my kit and the driver was mortified, he couldn’t have been more apologetic.

Got brought off once by a car coming onto the roundabout without looking, I swerved and came off. Again, the driver was VERY apologetic and paid for a new helmet cos mine got cracked.

Couple of road rage incidents.
I hit a pedestrian once (her fault entirely, she stepped straight into my path without looking).

But considering I do 15 miles each way most days through the heart of Manchester (and I’ve commuted 7 miles each way in London before), I’ve been incredibly fortunate.

Last one just creamed at me that he was deaf whilst I pointed out that this was NOT a reason to ignore looking.

I’d have though deaf people would be more likely to see cyclists. I would think a person with perfect hearing would be more likely to over-trust their hearing and cross because they haven’t heard a car coming and miss the quiet cyclist.

21 years comuting 14-16 miles per day couple of falls on Ice and got the front wheel clipped by youfs once and one spd stupid fall.

About ten years of cycle commuting, 4000-6000 miles a year

near misses beyond count
Many, many arguments with drivers although I stopped doing that about 18 months back now unless I feel they’ve been very stupid and actually risked my life
Plenty of abuse, a few things thrown at me, some spitting.
Probably about 5 or 6 falls by myself on ice, snow or mud
Say 5 or 6 properly close incidents where I’ve had to take severe avoidance action, i.e. up on the kerb, crazy braking, ride into something else.
2 actual impacts with vehicles. One guy overtook me and then immediately turned left in front of me. One guy coming the other way looked me in the eye and then turned right in front of me. I came away from both shocked but unhurt. Second guy had a dint in his bonnet.

I’ve been attacked by wildlife quite a few times, usually large birds. Domestic dogs a couple of times. Gangs of lads about 10 or 15 times.

I do around 10 miles a day and I’ve only had a few near misses.

I’ve changed my route to take out a tricky roundabout and pay particular attention at one unassuming piece of road that seems to always throw up trouble.

done 6 years commuting in various places ranging from 5-25 miles each way

same as crazy legs 1 off the bike over the bars incident from the turning righter

In a blizzard – he was flashed by a car to turn right in heavy traffic – i obviously had no idea the car was flashing as i rode along the cycle lane – i just about get passed the car thats done the flashing and the car pulls across me. SMIDSY – i couldnt have been any brighter if i tried – he didnt look.

35 lb of road rat hitting the side of your 10plate A3 and depositing the rider onto your bonnet makes for an expensive mess. was definantly my lucky day – walked away with no damage to me or the bike. – its a known trouble spot for that happening as its a rat run where people try to cross the main road

18 years of commuting varying distances.
Never been knocked off.
Been forced off the road avoiding a bus once.
Slipped on black ice once.
Had numerous close calls on narrow roads, at roundabouts etc.

When I was younger I got knocked off a couple of times by cars turning right across me. Both times, over the bars, over the bonnet, rolled on the road. Both times before I was in the habit of wearing a helmet. Didn’t hit my head, I’m alright 🙂

Both times before I was in the habit of wearing a helmet. Didn’t hit my head, I’m alright

first time I was hit (clip incident) was just after I started wearing a helmet, was slightly disappointed my head didn’t hit anything, what a waste of money 🙄

Involving other trafic – 0 (appart from once accelerating into the back of the car in front after they stopped mid junction, but they didn’t notice so it doesnt count)

1 on oil on the sheffield tramways

Too many on snow and ice, but I’m not counting those as I go out knowing I’m going to crash a few times.

Almost had my first road bike crash at silly speeds yesterday, coming back into Caversham, there’s a right/left at the bottom of a steep hill, hit the first apex what felt perfectly, but looked for the exit and realised there was a cat in hells chance of making it as the corner tightens slightly and I wasn’t turned in enough. Pulled the bike upright and hopped the kerb, through the trees and rejoined after the next corner. Felt proper ‘pro’ 🙂 , like it needed a poor quality ITV4 commentary of “his mountainbiking makes him a quicker decender” and overhead hellicopter shots.

http://www.google.co.uk/maps?ll=51.468472,-0.977354&spn=0.000013,0.008508&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.468545,-0.979775&panoid=v64oIqGnFHZsLfmyeYhXjg&cbp=12,127.69,,0,0

(The first corner’s sharper than the map makes it look)

Properly commuting for 12 years I think.

5 yrs in London, no crashes, lots of close calls!

7 years in Bristol/Into Bristol – 2 small accidents (car pulled out onto me x 2) – no injuries. 1 nasty black ice fall, bruised hip

I stopped getting angry about 5 years ago, I found it just induced more issues.

20+ years.

1 x slippage on back ice
1 x properly Knocked off
5 x “incidents” (1. hit on arm by big truck, 2. pushed into side of road by overtaking lorry, 3. pushed onto pavement by dozy bint, 4. stopped in front of by dozy bint on cycle lane (see youtube), 5. arm hit by wing mirror of dozy bint’s car)

I think that’s all.

I stopped getting angry

+1

I used to be fuming about incidents for hours, I can still remember getting cut up really badly by a tit in a black BMW on his mobile commuting to my first propper job, now I just shout some obscenity and move on.

Many years of commuting:

1 collision. Totally my fault, rear ended a car, The story begins with me setting off to work thinking “That (cable) brake could do with a bit a of a tighten up, best do that later” and I don’t really need to tell the rest. Driver utterly apologetic even though he’d done nothing wrong and I’d scuffed his rear bumper a bit with my tyre.

A couple of near misses, cars setting off from behind me at a junction, getting alongside and then trying to turn left through me. Or pulling out at junctions I’m travelling past at the time. I work on the assumption that all motorists are on a secret mission to kill me, but they have to make it look like an accident, so I generally know they’re going to do something stupid before they do and I’m ready for it. I therefore don’t count most “pulling-out-when-I’ve-got-right-of-way-at-the-roundabout” type incidents as near misses.

Two or three examples of aggression – invariably drivers utterly incensed that I have delayed their arrival at the back of a long traffic queue by 10 – 20 seconds or so. Only verbals so far. I’m a crap fighter, so hope that stays the case.

No ice / snow related fails (not on the commute anyway).

3 or 4 years at 20 miles a couple of times per week.

One collision with a car. She turned right across me (clear road, sunshine, not flashed across, just didn’t see me despite hi viz) and I went over the car, landed on the roof then fell onto the floor. Bike and helmet both write offs, I got away with a headache for a week or so and a sore back for a couple of months (and a year when I did far less cycling for fun than I had before the accident).

A couple of offs that were my fault, failed attempts to bunny hop kerbs, hitting gravel etc. one clip less moment, sadly it was right outside the office.

18 months of 10-11Km each way, 9km of which is on cycle path. Been knocked off by a car once on a roundabout, a couple of other occasions where I’ve had to slam on to avoid the same again.
The worst I see is on the cycle paths when people overtake coming towards you, expecting you to disappear up your own backside as they carry on regardless – I think a lot of it is due to Strava etc. and trying to best their times – not really thinking about what a combined 70Km/h head on collision would feel like…

Interesting question – the usual news perhaps belies a reality where a great many long term commuters have avoided accidents? Perhaps but I doubt it.

About 4 years of 7 miles each way in London before I moved away 7 years ago (suspect things are a whole lot worse now):
– Once rear-ended by a motorbike on London bridge. Not serious and it came partially as a result of me having to hit the brakes hard enough to endo to avoid hitting the car in front, i.e. I was just as guilty as he was of failing to foresee cars stopping abruptly ahead.
– Once (satisfyingly) hurt my hand punching the wing of a Porsche after its aggressive lunatic driver tried to kill me by lurching into the bus lane to get the better of another driver who also would’ve got there quicker on the tube.
– a few near misses, mainly buses overtaking then cutting in to sandwich me between them and railings/curbs/anything.

commuting 10 years now, no crashes with other vehicles, only a couple of real near misses, lots of “ffs, give me some room”

Came off once on black ice, really shook me up and persuaded my wife that Ice Spikers were a good idea

My mate used to commute Didsbury to Chorley 1-2 days a week. His wife needed a season ticket for A&E parking! Usually on roundabouts, usually once a year. Usually when the novelty of the bike he bought with the last claims payout had worn off…..

Two years+ commuting over the Blackdown Hills to Taunton and back on the A38, 15 miles each way. So not much traffic except in Taunton itself.

Came off a few times on black ice first winter. Second winter had spike tyres

Came off one time too fast on a bend covered in shite, ripped my coat

Lots of near misses with cars but no collisions

one spd stupid fall.

I’m assuming that everyone has one of these, right?!

Luckily my one happened when I was next to a bus so I just ended up leaning clumsily against the side of it much to the amusement of the passengers!

Apart from that I’ve only got 4 months of 7 miles each way in the bank. One women tried to run me into a parked car because she decided to answer a mobile call. Somehow managed to not end up crushed and she was as shocked as me afterwards, and I think learnt a lesson! That’s it.

*Touches every available piece of wood for the rest of the day*

Circa 4 years, approx 13 miles a day.

1 full on me/car interface.
1 fall on tram lines indirectly caused by car driver.

Couple of close calls that stand out but nothing major. I start and finish work earlier than most so roads are fairly quiet when I’m commuting, thankfully.

7 years commuting in London anywhere between 8 and 20 miles a day.

1 crash with a pizza delivery scooter who was weaving as I was filtering – bit of a grazed knee
1 crash into the back of a taxi – it was raining, my brakes didn’t work – no damage
1 crash with another cyclist who underestimated my AWESOME acceleration and cut me up after some lights – we both went down – no damage

worst injury was going up the spiral ramp to the car park at work – leaned over too much and clipped a pedal – went down on my knee on rough grippy concrete and removed half the flesh from by knee.

all in, nothing serious :touches wood: and I’ve gone through phases of riding like a bellend too.

One time knocked off when a guy overtook me on a winding lane and then immediately slammed on his brakes. He was very apologetic.

One off on ice which left me sliding towards an incredibly busy, fast road trying desperately to dig my cleats in to stop me. that was interesting.

One full blown shouting match after a car and a van tried to overtake me over a single lane humpback bridge whilst I was signalling to turn right immediately after.

Edit: 4 years of 2-4 mile commutes around Wharfedale and 2 months into central Newcastle.

Been road riding/commuting for a year now. Both my crashes were a result of my own ineptitude, no one else involved. 😳

I live in New Zealand, knocking cyclists off bikes is a highly competitive national sport. I’ve had an uncountable number of near misses. Less experienced cyclo-commuters seem less lucky.