Hi everyone,
Am so relieved I can actually be writing this, and following Montage's post I thought I'd just share what has been a very difficult week (and is clearly not quite over). I have just come back from hospital where I spent four days after being hit by a car on my commute back from work. The driver wanted to join the main road and never saw me. I tried to swerve but she still caught me. I was in the middle of the road unconscious for 10 minutes. Emergency services were fantastic. In any case, I cam off incredibly lightly: lost a tooth, suttured lips, will probably get facial scars, burnt knees and shoulder but nothing broken (the new bike is smashed but it's a bike), I walk and I'm alive. To say I'm grateful is nowhere near what I feel. The horrible part was when the police brought me my helmet. Now, I've never been one saying that cycling is dangerous: it isn't inherently. But looking at my helmet, crushed to pieces on the left side where my skull should have been, I know it saved my life. Simple. I'd never been convinced that a helmet would be that useful in accidents. Well, my first serious accident was a side crash and it saved me. I don't really care if sometimes helmets are ineffective: the important bit is that sometimes they also are (and more effective than your skull). I could have lost so much in that accident, anf left quite a few people hurting. For me, it's gonna be helmets all the time. You never know what's going to happen down the road.
Anyway, I don't mean to sound patronizing. Just wanted to share my (and my family's) relief. Now I'm gonna crawl my way to the lounge.
Keep riding,
ben
