Fantastic channel - thanks TJ!

Thank you for this! It's a topic I've been talking about a lot this summer. Yes, I was in a serious bike accident this summer that sidelined me so, while I've always tried to ride safe, this downtime has given me time and motivation to try to do something about it, much like you've done with this video so, again, thank you for this. My accident as on a multi-way trail that is closed to vehicle traffic. But these trails get a lot of traffic from other cyclists, runners, walkers, people walking their dogs and so, so many new e-bike riders and the traffic volume on these trails will only increase over time. I was taken out by a dog. The dog owner was scrolling through his phone and the entire time I was closing the distance towards him, he never looked up from his phone once. Long story short, he released the retractable leash to let the dog wander across the path. Unfortunately, the dog moved in front of me and I couldn't stop in time. I hit the dog (barely, and the dog is fine), went over the handlebars and landed on my chin. I did yell out but not early enough. I almost stopped in time but not quite. Using my voice earlier could have saved me so I appreciate you mentioning that one. When I ride on the road with traffic, I try to look into the driver's eyes to make sure they see me. I could have done that with this guy. We can only control our own actions, not those of others. Shared paths and shared roads mean we all have a shared responsibility to act thoughtfully and lawfully. That doesn't always happen, though. The sad truth is that, as cyclists, our safety often relies on us doing more than just taking care to act responsibly ourselves. I've come to the additional conclusion that perhaps we should also assume others people out there are idiots. Until there is better education provided for trail users on common and lawful protocols, until there is a modicum of enforcement for those rules, bylaws and protocols, the reality is the cyclist is often the one at greatest risk of injury. For that reason, hyper vigilance might be our best defense. But what do I know? I'm open to more suggestions and more videos like this one. It is much appreciated.

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