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I was grateful to find that my employer covers physio appointments. Five were required during a three-month recovery, each costing over $100, after a cycling accident on St-Antoine St. this spring.

I wish I could say I was cut off by a motorist. Or that it was the fault of another cyclist I encountered, this one riding west in the eastbound bike lane. Or the bus that looked like it might pull away at any moment. But no, it wasn’t any of these.

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The truth is I was playing with my phone — I don’t even remember exactly why — and had to brake suddenly, causing me to fall amid moving cars during morning rush hour.

Thankfully, the motorists in this case were more attentive than I was and managed to avoid running me over. The only casualty — aside from the ligament I pulled in my leg — was the dignity I discarded in such a stupid moment.

Now, everywhere I go, I notice I’m not alone in engaging in this kind of risky behaviour. Every day, I pass multiple cyclists using their phones while riding.

Maybe they’re figuring out the distance to their destination. Or changing plans with friends. Or ordering dinner. Or taking pictures. Whatever the reason, it is not worth a trip to the hospital.

There are a few simple truths that you realize after a spill like this. Foremost among them is that, when cycling, you need your hands for more than just steering. It’s a good idea to signal your intentions to the drivers around you. And you need to be able to hit the brakes quickly and safely in response to changing circumstances around you.

Yes, we need more and safer bike paths. Yes, we need drivers and passengers to check for cyclists before swinging the car door wide open into our path. Yes, we need people to stop using bike lanes for deliveries and double-parking. Yes, we need pedestrians to stop randomly walking into oncoming bike traffic, or stopping to chat in the bike lane. Yes, it would be great if the electric delivery scooters would just go somewhere else.

But we cyclists are all part of the risk potential too — the risk we pose to ourselves and the risk we pose to others.

Do everyone, including yourself, a favour. Take those extra 30 seconds to stop and make that call, check that map or take that picture. Make it home safely, so that you can continue to enjoy the happiness and freedom that our bikes bring us.

Joseph McKeown is a data insights engineer and avid cyclist living in Old Montreal.

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