Best body position for a head on crash

[Gattopardo]

OT- isn't insurace to make sure that you are not at a loss or better position than before.  So you were injured on a commute it would also include how to comute including the cost of alternatives while your bike is replaced.

Again, as I recall, insurance wasn't involved (police not interested at the time, no household insurance in place).

In retrospect, if I'd been more alert while hammering down the middle of a road late at night, I might have seen him coming.

For those that know the area, I was heading west on the Uxbridge Rd through Acton, and he turned right at lights into Askew Rd. This was more than twenty years ago.

Sorry thought it was recent.

[Gattopardo]

How about jumping just before impact?

[teethgrinder]

How about jumping just before impact?

I have always thought that jumping would be best. But maybe jumping ON impact. Unless you can jump over a car from a standing position on your bike. Jumping on impact, would use some of the impact force to help propell you, I guess. I'm not willing to experiment on this and I'm too idle to study dynamics enough to make the calculations of every possibility.
The idea is to get yourself clear of the car. Even a glanging blow is better than a full head on impact.
I suppose that whether you jump on impact, or a little before, depends on the speed involved. i would say jump before, at high speed, but jump on impact at low speed. At low speed, idealy, you'd land on a panel of the car, which will be a lesser distance to fall on than the ground as well as the panel acting as a cushion. They are designed to give.
For high speed, I would aim to propell myself as far as possible. If you get it right, you should land quite gently. I know someone who hit a car which pulled out from a side road when they were descending at 40mph. They got up unscratched having been flung a long way down the road. His carbon fibre bike had become a cloud of dust.

You will always be in a situation where you cannot avoid an accident. EG someone pulling out from a side road when they are within your stopping distance and you have nowhere else to go. You can think much faster than you can react. You know that feeling when everything seems to slow down?
That's your brain going into overdrive and thinking very fast.
As has been said. Visualising escape plans and keeping them in mind can make all the difference.

[GruB]

Visualise I do.  I also have obviously thought about this a lot.
I've only come off the once ( tempts fate ) in the last few years and my lasting memory of that was sliding along the road with no control and wondering if the cars behind were going to stop in time.

I will now use my commute to visualise even more on the stand / jump decision.

 

[Fixedwheelnut]

Visualise I do.  I also have obviously thought about this a lot.
I've only come off the once ( tempts fate ) in the last few years and my lasting memory of that was sliding along the road with no control and wondering if the cars behind were going to stop in time.

I will now use my commute to visualise even more on the stand / jump decision.

 

 One of my first being knocked off by a car incidents I remember thinking that and in the midst of the slow motion adrenaline rush I twisted to my left as I flew right so that I would tuck and roll away from the traffic coming up behind 

 back to OP I have always thought get the legs up as high as possible so as to fly/roll/crumple over the car rather than have the bikestopandmenotnutssteminterface 

 That said in my latest spill on a patch of diesel I ended up on the wrong side of the road facing a car and bailed out up a driveway, all be it on my arse at 30mph

[FatBloke]

My last — in fact the only — close encounter of the vehicular kind was before clipless pedals had been invented. A minicab turned right across me and I rearranged his rear wing. His passengers ran off, he took me to casualty, and then I sued him via the CTC.

Was the cabbie's horse ok?   

[Ian H]

Was the cabbie's horse ok?   

Charlotte would know exactly how to respond in this situation.
Me? I can only hrumph!

[Tiger]

Correct procedure for colliding with a car:
Preceding impact check your speed using the brakes - being careful not to trigger an unfortuanate skid.
Immediately before impact, raise into 'prepared' position with legs extended. During initial impact, lift hands abive head and spring upwards, adopting the classic diving pose as you become airborne. Take care to avoid aerials etc as you pass over the vehicle, and assume the tucked position. Roll forwards and land on your shoulders in a rolling motion that avoids any ground impact, and keep rolling to rise up onto your feet to stand.
It is very simnple really and can be perfected with practice and constant preparedness.

[Aidan]

Correct procedure for colliding with a car:
Preceding impact check your speed using the brakes - being careful not to trigger an unfortuanate skid.
Immediately before impact, raise into 'prepared' position with legs extended. During initial impact, lift hands abive head and spring upwards, adopting the classic diving pose as you become airborne. Take care to avoid aerials etc as you pass over the vehicle, and assume the tucked position. Roll forwards and land on your shoulders in a rolling motion that avoids any ground impact, and keep rolling to rise up onto your feet to stand.
It is very simnple really and can be perfected with practice and constant preparedness.

How easy is this if your feet stay clipped in?

[Ian H]

It is very simnple really and can be perfected with practice and constant preparedness.

It's the 'practice' bit that worries me.

[rower40]

+1 for the 'bent.  It's counter-intuitive that you're safer when closer to the ground, but I find that I don't have time to gain loads of vertical speed before I hit the ground, usually bum-first.  And I'd much rather have my legs in the crumple zone instead of my head.

Plus the added factor of increased collateral damage to the SMIDSY's car; that's why chainrings are out the front.

[Wendy]

+1 for the 'bent.  It's counter-intuitive that you're safer when closer to the ground, but I find that I don't have time to gain loads of vertical speed before I hit the ground, usually bum-first.  And I'd much rather have my legs in the crumple zone instead of my head.

Plus the added factor of increased collateral damage to the SMIDSY's car; that's why chainrings are out the front.

Of course the corollary is that when we do actually hit/are hit by something, then we're into a wall, rather than flipping over the bonnet.  I think the reduction in likihood of an accident more than outweighs this though.

[Fixedwheelnut]

+1 for the 'bent.  It's counter-intuitive that you're safer when closer to the ground, but I find that I don't have time to gain loads of vertical speed before I hit the ground, usually bum-first.  And I'd much rather have my legs in the crumple zone instead of my head.

Plus the added factor of increased collateral damage to the SMIDSY's car; that's why chainrings are out the front.

Of course the corollary is that when we do actually hit/are hit by something, then we're into a wall, rather than flipping over the bonnet.  I think the reduction in likihood of an accident more than outweighs this though.

 How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

[Sigurd Mudtracker]

+1 for the 'bent.  It's counter-intuitive that you're safer when closer to the ground, but I find that I don't have time to gain loads of vertical speed before I hit the ground, usually bum-first.  And I'd much rather have my legs in the crumple zone instead of my head.

Plus the added factor of increased collateral damage to the SMIDSY's car; that's why chainrings are out the front.

Of course the corollary is that when we do actually hit/are hit by something, then we're into a wall, rather than flipping over the bonnet.  I think the reduction in likihood of an accident more than outweighs this though.

 How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

A super-sharp diamond tipped one and a suitably rapid cadence (with short cranks, of course) would mean that you could cut your way through any problematic obstacles such as errant motor vehicles...
 

[Wendy]

How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

Hehehe!  I'm reliably informed by a certain Aunty C that a recumbent crank end makes a mighty impressive dent in a car door after some stupid driver pulled out on her.  Apparently the woman was not best pleased, LOL!

[Jacomus]

How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

Hehehe!  I'm reliably informed by a certain Aunty C that a recumbent crank end makes a mighty impressive dent in a car door after some stupid driver pulled out on her.  Apparently the woman was not best pleased, LOL!

I can guess which woman was least pleased though!

[Mr Larrington]

How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

Hehehe!  I'm reliably informed by a certain Aunty C that a recumbent crank end makes a mighty impressive dent in a car door after some stupid driver pulled out on her.  Apparently the woman was not best pleased, LOL!

I can equally reliably inform Thee Panel that careful position of the chain and cranks of a Windcheetah can leave a nice line of half-inch pitch holes in the front passenger door of an XJ6

[Spikey]

I think you should put your weight as far back as possible.
In a head-on colision, the front wheel will stop suddenly leaving the rest of the bike and rider to rotate in an upwards arc around the front hub (think pole-vault). The height achieved is more related to the distance from the front hub, than height above the ground. Also, if you keep the weight back and down, more of the impact energy will be absorbed by the front wheel, forks and car, thus reducing the speed at which the rider is propelled, up and over the car, thereby reducing rider impact speed and hopefully injuries.

It worked for me last year when a driver pulled out and stopped in front of me. I was surprised how long I had before impact. Time to brake, rear wheel skid on greasy wet roads, correct the skid, continue braking and brace for impact, resulting in significant damge to car door and front forks, while I escaped with barely a scratch.

[Tiger]

How about getting a circular saw blade slightly larger diameter than your chainring and bolting it to the chainset like an MTB chainguard, that should get them worried.

Hehehe!  I'm reliably informed by a certain Aunty C that a recumbent crank end makes a mighty impressive dent in a car door after some stupid driver pulled out on her.  Apparently the woman was not best pleased, LOL!

I can equally reliably inform Thee Panel that careful position of the chain and cranks of a Windcheetah can leave a nice line of half-inch pitch holes in the front passenger door of an XJ6

I would so like to run the business end of 115k of my speedmachine, me, and bags into the forgiving side panel of the next car that pulls out in front of me with the driver looking straight through me. But I must admit I bottle it and stop. One day.

[Tiger]

I think you should put your weight as far back as possible.
In a head-on colision, the front wheel will stop suddenly leaving the rest of the bike and rider to rotate in an upwards arc around the front hub (think pole-vault). The height achieved is more related to the distance from the front hub, than height above the ground. Also, if you keep the weight back and down, more of the impact energy will be absorbed by the front wheel, forks and car, thus reducing the speed at which the rider is propelled, up and over the car, thereby reducing rider impact speed and hopefully injuries.

It worked for me last year when a driver pulled out and stopped in front of me. I was surprised how long I had before impact. Time to brake, rear wheel skid on greasy wet roads, correct the skid, continue braking and brace for impact, resulting in significant damge to car door and front forks, while I escaped with barely a scratch.

Alternatively an actual pole jutting forward would in fact replicate the pole vault as you braked. Perhaps we should suggest this modification to urban cycles. A carbon pole extension (ruuber tipped for grip) to enable elegant vaulting dismount at speed.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

+1 to standing.

That's what I was taught by the BMF as a spotty 18 year old wannabe onna 100cc motorbike.  Lo and behold, a couple of weeks later, Mrs Magoo pulled out on me and I had about half a second to react.

I remembered my instructor and stood up.  Result; about 50 yards worth of free Air Miles and an arse that looked like I'd taken a cheese grater to it.  Nothing broken. 

My KE100 was totalled, as was her front offside wing 

I have to say, though - the "stand up" advice may be a little tougher on fixed 

Don't think thats recomended any more.  They now recomend escape routes.

'Beam me up, Scotty'?