Matt Lauer Hits a Deer With His Bike

Zooming downhill on his bike on Long Island last weekend, Matt Lauer was breaking a sweat, soaking up some of that early spring weather. Until a deer jumped out in front of him. What happened next hasn't been described in detail, but Lauer flipped over his handlebars, landing himself in the hospital with a separated shoulder.

Like a good cyclist, Lauer was wearing his helmet. Now that spring has finally arrived, cyclists are pulling their bikes out of storage and getting ready to ride. It's a good time to review those all important bike safety tips, like:

• Be like Lauer and always wear your helmet. Leave your headphones at home.
• Ride with traffic (not against it), and respect the rules of the road.
• Know your hand signals and use them.
• Dress for the weather, and make good use of layers.
• Use head and tail lights when biking at night.
• Keep your bike in good repair.
• Be aware of your environment. City cyclists don't have to worry about impulsive deer, but they do have to maneuver in traffic.

If you frequently ride your bike in traffic, then you know that cars are your biggest threat. Bicyclesafe.com shares 10 ways not to get hit by cars (a worthy goal). Back-road bikers, on the other hand, need to be aware of local wildlife. Because bikes are fast and quiet, it's recommended that you use a bell or talk loudly while riding in bear or cougar country (and maybe even deer country, Matt), to give animals fair warning that you're coming.

As for Lauer, he's recovering nicely by all reports. "Today" executive producer Jim Bell tells Ryan Seacrest that Lauer could be back on air as early as today or tomorrow, but that he might be suffering a "wardrobe malfunction." Rumors were swirling that competitors from "Good Morning America" had sent the deer to take Matt out, but co-host Meredith Vieira joked that she had hired the deer, "but only to graze him."

We're glad that Matt's OK. And maybe when he returns to work, he'll let us know what happened to the deer.