Your bike goes down and there is traffic all around you when it happens. Odds are good that, if you can, you will want to get away from it and get off the roadway. You survived one accident and don't want to take part in another, you don't want a car to run into you. You want to get off the road as soon as possible.

My advice: Stay with your bike!

That is,

• wait until you know that you are physically able to move
• wait until it is safe to move off the road
• wait until you know what the traffic around you is going to do

After an accident you will be confused and possibly hurt. While it is natural to want to get away from the scene of the accident, particularly if there is traffic around you, to immediately get up and dart across a lane or two of traffic DRAMATICALLY increases your odds of not surviving the original accident.

As an example of what is, in my opinion, wrong headed thinking on this matter, though containing both good intentions and at least one valuable insight to share with you, here is the substance of an e-mail message I recently received:

AFTER A FALL, DON'T RUN ACROSS LANES INTO ON-COMING. ALWAYS WALK IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC FLOW. After a minor fall, we have all sudden realized that there may be on coming traffic. With adrenalin pumping, the natural tendency is to jump up and run from the road to the side-walk. With out looking up, we may run into the path of a swerving car.
So LOOK UP, ALWAYS move in the direction of the traffic flow, and THEN decide which escape route is the safest. Only when you see it is safe should you move across the lanes. Remember, the shoulder of the road may ALSO be used by a swerving car trying to avoid you. So don't automatically think the shoulder is a safe haven, even if you fall just next to it.

(Disregard the obvious spelling and other grammar errors in the message - the person who sent it to me is not a native English speaker.)

This person and I exchanged messages trying to get clarification. I, for example, was sure that he didn't actually mean that you should walk in the direction of traffic, but it turns out that he did. I cannot imagine trying to get off a roadway by walking with traffic coming from behind me.

In any event, please note that this person's advice is essentially to get away from your down bike. Wrong! It may be the only thing that protects you from being struck by a moving vehicle.

If it was a minor accident and you are certain that you are not badly injured, THEN you might wish to get out of the roadway, BUT AFTER AN ACCIDENT YOU ARE NOT THE BEST PERSON TO CONSULT ON THE MATTER! If there is any doubt in your mind, at all, stay down and await help!

If you are going to get up and cross lanes of traffic, FACE traffic rather than away from it.

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