Systemic Rachel sent me a link to this article on the local DC blog Greater Greater Washington, which details the story of a man named Zach who, while cycling, wound up in an accident with a car. For those of us that commute by bike that is always a big fear. I know I have been in three cycling accidents throughout my five years of commuting to work that way, but luckily nothing as serious as the one mentioned here.

Before you click the link, know that it isn’t an article about how gruesome the accident was or how wrong the driver was. In fact it’s the story of how Zach attempted to get his insurance to cover the accident, how the accident was reported, and how lucky he was that it was caught on camera.

During the test, Officer Carter entered the room. He asked me to sign a ticket for running a red light. I asked him to take a look at footage since I was certain I hadn’t. He wasn’t interested and asked me to sign the ticket and admit fault. I didn’t. He left.

That’s just the beginning of the story. This is a cautionary tale for all the cyclists that read this site to obey traffic rules whenever possible, know your rights as a cyclist forwards and backwards, stand your ground when you know you’re right, and of course be safe out there.

Give it a read, and feel free to come back and post your thoughts. I’ll be waiting.

“It must have been your fault. C’mon. You are a biker.” (via Greater Greater Washington)