What to Do After a Bike Crash

Nobody plans to crash, but if you ride long enough it will happen. Knowing what to do in the moments after a bike crash — when adrenaline is running and your judgment might not be at its best — can make a real difference in your recovery and your legal situation if a car was involved.

Stop and Assess Before You Move

If you go down, take a breath before you jump up. A quick self-assessment: can you move everything? Any sharp pain in your neck or back? If there’s any doubt about a serious injury, don’t move and call for help. Adrenaline masks pain — something that feels minor might not be.

Get to Safety

If you’re in a road and can move safely, get yourself and your bike out of traffic. Don’t try to ride an unknown distance on a bike that might be damaged in ways you can’t see yet.

If a Vehicle Was Involved

Call 911. Get a police report. Even if the driver is cooperative and the damage seems minor, get the report. Injuries sometimes don’t show up immediately, and without a police report your options later are limited.

Get the driver’s name, license, insurance information, and plate number. Get contact information from any witnesses. Take photos of the scene, your bike, your injuries, and any damage to the vehicle before anyone moves anything.

Do not admit fault or apologize at the scene — not because you’re trying to be difficult, but because fault determination involves more information than you have in that moment.

Check Yourself Before Riding Again

Road rash needs to be cleaned properly — embedded grit causes infection if not fully removed. Head impacts should be evaluated even if you were wearing a helmet and feel fine. Concussion symptoms can be delayed. If your head hit anything, get checked out.

Check Your Bike

Before your next ride, inspect the bike. Check the fork, the frame, the wheels for trueness, the handlebar and stem for movement. A crash can damage carbon components in ways that aren’t visible but can cause catastrophic failure under load. If you’re not sure, bring it in — we can check it properly.

More on staying safe on the road is on our cycling safety page.

— Matt