Photo: Instagram/Nev Schulman (Composite)
Riding a bike instead of driving an ICE (internal combustion engine) car is certainly a greener, perhaps more efficient and more fun approach to daily commuting. In the event of a collision with a vehicle, it is also more dangerous.
Studies of cyclist and bicycle injuries show that cyclists are the most vulnerable in traffic due to a combination of factors that include their occasional tendency to violate traffic rules, the reluctance of motorists to consider them as “full-size” participants in traffic, and the sheer inequality between their two-wheelers and cars. It's not a question of assigning blame, and especially because responsibility is distributed on a case-by-case basis.
Reality star Nev Schulman, star of the 2010 documentary and cultural phenomenon Catfishwas involved in a bicycle accident last week that he said could have easily killed him. Schulman was on his way to pick up one of his three children from school when he collided with a truck.
The reality star said he was “kind of glad” he never got to pick up his son from school because he was alone when he fell. “Me and the truck” explains in a social media post that you can also see at the bottom of the page. “And then I think the sidewalk. I was alone and unconscious. And then conscious.”
Photo: Instagram/Nev Schulman
He doesn’t go into details about the accident beyond that, including whether he was riding his electric bicycle or a motorcycle. In the past, Schulman has preferred to ride a café racer-inspired e-bike like those made by Super73, which are popular in North America.
He didn't always wear a helmet, but on this particular occasion he did. In the series of photos and videos from his hospital bed, he includes footage of his helmet breaking. He doesn't say it out loud, but the implication is that it saved his life in the accident.
Schulman says he is lucky to be alive and lucky to look forward to a full recovery. His statement is understandable, given that the collision caused him to break his neck, but doctors were able to “fix” the fracture between his C5 and C6. Videos posted on social media show he was able to walk within days of being rushed to the hospital and undergoing surgery.
Nev Schulman isn’t the first celebrity to be involved in a serious bike accident, whether it’s on a standard e-bike or a more powerful version of an electric two-wheeler. He’s also not the only one to urge his fans and followers to wear safety gear when they ride, more or less directly.
Ultimately, a motorcyclist doesn't have much of a say in terms of shifting the balance in his favor in the event of a collision with a car. But he can minimize the risks of such a serious impact by making sure he has the proper safety gear with him when it happens.
In most areas, wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement for cyclists, but as dramatic as it may seem, it has been proven to make the difference between life and death.