Would you have done the same?

.Wilier.

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Friday last week, me and the family Wilier set off to stay with friends in Lichfield. Andy, my mate, is a very good cyclist, and me and him were gonna do a few hours on Sat whilst the wimmin went shopping in Birmingham.

About 7pm, just got onto the A38 and Mrs Wil decides to ring our friend to check all is OK for our arrival. A woman answers, Mrs Wil thinks femal friend and proceeds to chat............turns out to be a nurse at Burton hospital.

Andy has been in an accident whilst cycling home from work. Head on collision with a Land Rover (one of the old ones). Could we come to the hospital, sinse none of his family have been informed yet (he was worried that his partner would panic if the hospital rang her)

It turns out that he had met the car on a single width lane, he was descending at about 35mph, car climbing at about 40ish, blind bend, no where to hide.

Now, question is this. Bearing in mind that he is a very, very good cyclist (national standard) and a young lad (23) did he do the right thing by leaping off his bike at the last minute, into the windscreen of the car, in an effort to save damage to his legs?

His face is smashed in big time. Eye sockets, nose, cheeks, all broken. Massive lacerations to his face (although he did have a helmet on, thankfully)
Plastic surgery is definatley necessary.

His legs, as is the rest of his body, are untouched.
 

Lazarus

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Actually think it was bloody quick thinking.

If he had stayed on the bike, god knows what kind of damage he could have sustained to his whole body with that sort of impact.
 

SheepCow

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Maybe, but it'd be because I'd rather not have a bike mangle me. Doubt I'd jump into the car though ...
 

Insane

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definately would have jumped as well, a windscreen is slightly softer than the front bumper of a car. :( he was somewhat lucky to not have gotten killed at that speed

bit naff that it happened tho, hope he's up and running (or should i say cycling) soon.
 

Deadmanwalking

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Very hard to say unless it actually happens to yourself or you see it (Even then it's tough). Putting your head into any form of contact is never a good idea as that is where your most important organ lives, and that can only lead to tears.

Also legs tend to be alot more resiliant then say your head. Especially if he is a very very good cyclist, he is likely to have stronger legs then most people.

I would have gone with the legs, but as i said it is very hard to call it either way.
 

Embattle

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I would of tried to jump clear although at those speeds its unlikely to work so jumping into the windscreen was most probably a good idea in some ways as it stop him mangling his legs and then his head (which would most probably still of hit something) by staying on the bike.
 

Xavier

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Seeing as you can easily end up roadkill from a vehicle moving at 30mph, i'm not so sure he'd have survived at all if the whole of his body hit the metal front of the land rover.

The glass is far weaker, and in breaking will have absorbed a fuck load of the collision force @ 70MPH+ - could you imagine a stationary cyclist being hit by a vehicle like that and surviving? Because that's what we're talking about here. Instead of cosmetic damage and the breakages you've mentioned phil, chances are he'd have been facing massive internal trauma at the very least - so he probably didn't save his legs as much as his life.

Xav
 

~Yuckfou~

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Part of motorcycle training teaches that you should do exactly what your friend did. Better to miss the offending vehicle completely, but better to hit glass than a radiator/cylinder block.
He did well to react so fast.
 

Frizz

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I would have rather gone for the body tbh, having been in a bike accident myself this year. I recently had a head injury (unrelated to the bike), which involved a nice metal pole, which i fell onto (they're about a foot high, used to lock up bikes - bane of transport?) and took my body weight + the velocity of which i was traveling. I had no-idea what had hit me. My eye completely closed over instantly, as i felt a drop of blood slide down my face. I thought i was blind, but it was merely swelling and strained eye muscles (which the hospital took a nice 7 and a half hours to tell me :/).

If it were me on that bike tho Wil, i would have rather gone for a hit on the shoulder or something, as i don't like having a messed up face, it's just too delicate for me. Whereas the body i'd say is almost sacrificial in comparison.
 

mank!

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I would probably have gone "eek" and died horribly but hey, quick thinking by him looks to have saved his life and full use of all of his limbs. I know which I'd settle for.
 

SoWat

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I think I'd fall into the 'EEK->Dead' category too.

Full marks to him for the quick thinking.
 

throdgrain

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Friend of mine had a similar situation, he hit a landrover on a blind corner on his motorbike.
He died, the girl on the bike died, both on the spot :(
Reckon your mate was lucky tbh Willier .
 

Tom

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He did the right thing. I've been in a few near misses on the bike, and never have I had the foresight to do what he did. My instinct would be to swerve away, but I have to ask, what was the speed limit on that road?
 

.Wilier.

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Tom said:
He did the right thing. I've been in a few near misses on the bike, and never have I had the foresight to do what he did. My instinct would be to swerve away, but I have to ask, what was the speed limit on that road?

Im not sure Tom, but I would say its probably national speed limit (60) since its a quiet country lane.

Ive just spoken to him on the phone, kinda......he was a bit muffled.....and he's actually been discharged from Derbyshire RI last night.

I asked him about his diving decision, and he said that he and another friend had been discussing the exact situation a couple of weeks before. Dan, the other friend, was in an accident with a car early last year. He smashed his kneecap and whilst he can ride again, he has missed a season, and the chance of a birth at a French amateur team, although, at least he's still alive.

When I spoke to Andy on Sat morning, I asked how he was (stupid question, I know) and he admitted to being very lucky.......because he can still do this and made a cycling revolution with his leg. Today, he admits he was very lucky because he can still do this....and he took a breath. I think the realisation has just set in that he is very lucky to still be alive.

One good thing is that I will be able to keep up with him for a bit when he's on recovery rides ;)
 

nath

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There'd be no hope in hell of me having quick enough reactions to make a choice but if I did I'd have to go with the windshield.. as everyone else has said, there's every chance he could have lost the use of his limbs or even been killed if he hit the front of the car.
 

Scouse

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Not trying to be flippent or churlish - and I'm glad your m8 is relatively OK - but there's a lesson to be learned that I'd be remiss in not pointing out:


If it's a blind bend - slow the f*ck down - 35 mph on a bike on a blind bend is kindof madness :(



Glad he's ok....
 

Will

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Scouse said:
If it's a blind bend - slow the f*ck down - 35 mph on a bike on a blind bend is kindof madness :(
So is 40mph in a Land Rover coming the other way.

If I was in the same situation, I don't think I'd have time to react. I hope there isn't any long term damage.
 

Clown

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I thought it was a quiet country road? You don't really expect people to be coming the other way :(
 

RandomBastard

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If its an old land rover as you say...
i would definatly jump, as glass is a lot softer and i mean a lot than the steel that makes up the front end of a landy.

Some of my friends from college drive old landys which theyve restored. The front bumper of a landy is 4inch by 4inch steel which doesnt crumple.

If he hadnt jumped i doubt the landy would even have been scratched tbh
 

mank!

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Clown said:
I thought it was a quiet country road? You don't really expect people to be coming the other way :(
One of the first things I was taught when I started learning to drive is to always expect the unexpected, the same goes for cyclists especially if they're going at nearly 30mph!
 

RandomBastard

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mank said:
One of the first things I was taught when I started learning to drive is to always expect the unexpected, the same goes for cyclists especially if they're going at nearly 30mph!

Indeed cars have brakes designed to deal with that speed (40mph is norm on country roads, but not neccasirly on blind corners) cyclists do not.
 

Clown

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I know you're meant to expect the unexpected... but you still don't expect it :(
I'm sure they will be from now on.
 

Scouse

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I agree with Manc thoroughly.

It makes no matter what other drivers do - it's up to you to look after yourself. If he'd have crept around that corner he'd have been hit by a Land Rover at 40 miles an hour instead of a combined speed of 70.....

Also - you have to admit - you must be much more aware of yourself as a cyclist - if you hit someone in a Land Rover you're probably not going to feel much - if you ride into a brick at 5mph and hit your nuts on your bike you feel it.....
 

L_Plates

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I definatey think he made the correct decision in leaping from the bike. If he hadnt we know he would be worse off and might even off been killed.

As for would i off done the same who knows. I would of probably just screamed :(

---

Hope your friend gets better soon.
 

TdC

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imo your mate should be glad he had the presence of mind to be able to take positive action in the split second he had to react. I can only hope that -were such an accident to ever happen to me- I would be able to do the same. the *EEP/SPLAT!* option does not hold much appeal tbh :(


other than that.....(and without the slightest intention of being a harping **** - you know I'd not do that Mr Wil) mad mtb person though I am (at times) I consider it unwise to take blind corners at high speeds.
 

Lazarus

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something else that springs to mind. Not being a "mad bike riding type", you may need to excuse me.

Correct me if Im wrong - dont the old style Land Rovers make a hell of a noise?
 

Brynn

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Any diesel Land Rovers make one hell of a racket. My pug diesel makes a un-godly noise.
 

Will

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Lazarus said:
Correct me if Im wrong - dont the old style Land Rovers make a hell of a noise?
If you are travelling downhill at 35mph, you can't hear much at all.
 

Chameleon

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I'm out on my bike twice daily, minimum, and this is exactly the kinda thing that scares the F out of me tbh. So many near misses every day, it's scary!
Your mate was very lucky. I fear a torso hit most to be honest, as the chances are many of your internal organs would be crushed. Better to have to deal with some comestic surgery, however severe, than to be in a wheel chair for the rest of your life or even dead.
The last year of cycling really made me realise how dangerous it is to be on a bike, on the roads. You really have to wear a crash helmet (however you think you look with it on), high visibility clothing (in the day as well as at night) and proper lights (static and flashing - don't just use flashing, it's not legal and not as visible!) on, even when the street lights aren't on sometimes.
Glad your mate survived, thanks to his quick thinking. I'd like to think I'd have done the same, but it's easier to say than do! Hope he isn't put off cycling by this.
 

itcheh

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I don't think I would have been able to react in time = I would be roadkill

... yet another reason why I don't exercise ;)
 

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