What to Do if You’re Hit by a Car?

Plus, the history of the unicycle and Stats for the Nerds

Author

Sam Westby
October 02, 2025

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin, the newsletter that keeps your riding schedule more reliable than your parents’ “garage fridge” from the 1900s.

—Sam Westby @samcwestby

This is a weekly newsletter about bike trips, urban cycling, and a love for two-wheeled transit. The more time you spend on a bike, the better. I share new editions every Thursday, gearing you up for the ride ahead.

Here’s what we have today.

  • ❓ QUESTION: What to Do if You’re Hit by a Car?

  • 📖 READ: Strava Sues Garmin

  • 🚲 ARCHIVES: The History of the Unicycle

  • 📰 NEWS: New delivery tech and traffic management

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What to Do if You’re Hit by a Car?

My bike after an accident on Friday afternoon

Why would I write about such a morbid topic?? Wellllll I had a little incident with a car on Friday.

I’m okay. No broken bones. No concussion. My bike, on the other hand, did not fare so well. I have to bid it farewell.

The driver who hit me was kind, stopped, and even called the police. That isn’t always the case.

1. Get as much info about the vehicle as possible

Before the driver has a chance to flee the scene, write down as many license plate characters as possible, as well as a vehicle description. Get a video. Get anything.

Take a picture of their insurance and get their contact info.

Did anyone see the accident? Get their info, too.

2. ALWAYS get a police report. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Adrenaline can mask injuries even if you feel fine in the moment. Your bike might be more messed up than you realize.

The driver does not get a free pass. Now is not the time to be gracious.

You’re in charge, not the driver. Some people are not as kind as the person who hit me. Don’t let them intimidate you.

If you have their information, you have complete control. They have no power anymore. They could run, but the law will find them. Get that police report.

No need to overshare. All you need to communicate to the police is that the driver is at fault.

3. Be cautious when dealing with their insurance company

Odds are the accident was the driver’s fault.

The insurance company wants to give you as little money as possible. They will call you and try to get you to slip up. You do not have to share any information with them.

Just go slowly through this process. Find every expense from the crash. Did you Uber to urgent care? Was your clothing ripped? Did you miss any time at work?

Once you settle, you can not ask for more money. A slower settlement is usually better. No need to rush.

4. Get a lawyer

If things are getting complicated, the settlement is tens of thousands, or the insurance company is not cooperating, then experienced legal representation could make a large difference.

Personal injury lawyers may take one-third of the settlement, but many lawyers will also review your case for a few hundred dollars.

I hope you don’t have to use this info, but at least you’re prepared for the worst-case scenario.

WHAT I’M READING

Strava Sues Garmin

Strava Just Sued Garmin: Demands Garmin Stop Selling Devices

 Strava has sued Garmin, an act that I very much did not have on my bingo card for 2025. In doing so, they are demanding that Garmin cease selling effectively all of their fitness/outdoor watches, as well as cycling

www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/10/strava-sues-garmin-demands-stop-selling-devices.html

What happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object?

The lawsuit states that Garmin infringed on two of Strava’s patents.

  • A Heatmaps / user preference map / route-suggestion patent

  • A Segments patent covering how Strava defines, matches, tracks, and ranks segments.

Their demand: Garmin should stop selling all devices that infringe on the patents (every bike computer).

DC Rainmaker thinks the lawsuit is weak. It could also be strategically motivated with Strava’s upcoming IPO.

Strava said they won’t block data uploads from Garmin. That would be worst-case scenario for Garmin users. Not uploading rides to Strava? Why even ride?

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The History of the Unicycle

Unicycles have been around for almost as long a bicycles. Many believe it came from the Penny Farthing.

When penny farthing riders realized they could ride the bike without the small back wheel or the handlebars, they tried getting rid of those parts. The result: a unicycle

Read more on bicyclehistory.net

  • DoorDash. This food delivery company is piloting 20 mph delivery robots that can navigate bike lanes, roads, and sidewalks. They’re starting in Tempe, Arizona. I’m not sure if this will help bike lane expansion or annoy every bike lane user. (Momentum Mag)

  • Regulate Algorithms. NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani suggests that the e-bike safety issue is more of a delivery app algorithm issue. (Streetsblog)

  • Bus camera. Boston’s MBTA has started testing automated ticketing of vehicles stopped in bus lanes. They mount cameras on the front of buses and let the technology do its thing. This is great for cyclists. (boston.com)

  • Traffic calming. The City of Milwaukee made several infrastructure changes in 2024 to slow speeds. They found that those changes reduced speeds by an average of 27%. (urbanmilwaukee.com)

  • $2 million. The amount of money Atlanta is using to support development along the Beltline, a popular recreation path. (saportareport.com)

A Note From Sam

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