Cycling Accidents Do’s & Don’ts
Andries from UpPedal asks, “Have you ever had a big fall from your bike?” Most people who ride bikes fall at some point…it is just how it is. A rite of passage even! Usually, it is nothing serious. Just a slight tumble where you get up again and dust yourself off. But sometimes it can be a bit more serious. So when there is a serious cycling accident, what should you do?
Not too long ago, Andries and her friends went for a ride and one of her friends had a big fall (the dust cloud from the tumble looked like a nuclear mushroom cloud!). Luckily there were no broken bones or serious injuries (just a cut requiring a trip to the emergency room for some stitches that resulted in an awesome scar). But the incident made us realize that they were not prepared for such a situation. After that, they figured out what they would need to do and what they should carry with them to be able to handle a similar situation again.
Below she outlines a list of do’s and don’ts that anyone involved in a cycling accident should keep in mind. Obviously your choice of cycling (road cycling, cycling to work, mountain biking, etc) will have its own unique set of circumstances. But hopefully, the information below will help you when you don’t know what to do!
1 – Check For Danger
The first thing in you should do in any situation like a big fall, is to make sure you/the person who fell are not in any further danger of being run over by someone else who has not seen you. Check for possible traffic and move out of the way if possible (i.e. no serious injuries to anyone).
2 – Do NOT Panic
When confronted with an emergency, it is easy to panic. We are only human after all. However, panicking will not help anyone. When you feel you are starting to panic, focus on breathing and staying calm until the situation is fully under control.
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