Cyclists and pedestrians hit by a car — your ICBC coverage and recovery.

Many people on a bike or on foot assume ICBC is only for drivers. It is not. Under ICBC Enhanced Care, cyclists and pedestrians injured in a crash with a vehicle are eligible for the same care benefits, regardless of fault. You do not need to own a car, hold a policy, or have been the one driving.

What matters is that a vehicle was part of the crash. If that is the case, ICBC opens a claim and your care is covered the same way it would be for a driver or a passenger. ICBC sets this out on its own page for people hurt in a crash as a cyclist or pedestrian.

This page is for general information only. It is not a diagnosis or medical advice. A clinician needs to assess you in person before any treatment plan is set.

Being hit while on a bike or on foot is different from a crash inside a car. There is no seatbelt, no airbag, and no metal frame around you. The injuries tend to be more varied as a result, and no two cases look the same.

In our experience, these crashes often involve direct-impact injuries where the vehicle struck the body, fractures, road rash from contact with the pavement, and in some cases head injury. We mention these only to set expectations. They are common patterns, not a prediction about you. Your own injuries can only be identified by a proper assessment.

If you have an urgent injury, get medical care first. Call for help or go to hospital. The steps below are about your ICBC claim and recovery, not emergency care.

Once you are safe, the path is straightforward. Report the crash to ICBC. Get a claim number. Then get assessed so a treatment plan can start. We walk through exactly how to do this, and what to bring, in our guide to getting a claim number and booking.

Hospital and emergency care handle the urgent part: fractures set, wounds cleaned, serious injury ruled out. Physiotherapy picks up after that, once any acute medical care is done and you are cleared to begin.

The aim is to get movement back, settle pain, and rebuild the strength and confidence you lost. Because these crashes can produce a mix of injuries, the plan is built around what your assessment finds, not a fixed template. We coach the right amount of movement at the right time and adjust as your symptoms change.

You get the same pre-approved Enhanced Care treatments as anyone else injured in a crash. That means you can usually start approved care, including physiotherapy, in the first weeks without waiting for ICBC to sign off on each visit.

We confirm your coverage with ICBC before your first session and bill ICBC directly, so there is nothing to pay upfront for covered visits. For the full list of what is included and how the early weeks work, see what ICBC covers.