Keeping Yourself and Others Safe Part 1: Hazards Ahead of Us
Keeping Yourself and Others Safe Part 1: Hazards Ahead of Us
Many things we do, such as wearing bright, contrasting colors, having reflectors that indicate biomotion (pedals going up and down, wheels spinning), lights on the front and our backs of our bikes, help us be seen. Improving your visibility is a great first step to avoid being hit by a car. But there is more to avoiding accidents than improving visibility, especially in this age of distracted, impaired, or aggressive driving. If the driver is not paying attention, driving faster than their line of sight, or lacks empathy, all your efforts to be seen are for nought.
The most common bicycle accident is when a car at an intersection ahead of you pulls unexpectedly out of a lane, parking lot or driveway on your right, and if you’re in front of it, you get hit, or if you are close behind, you slam into it1. To avoid either situation, try to make eye contact. A light on your helmet positioned to shine into the driver’s face helps this, particularly in twilight or at night. If you can’t make eye contact, wave your entire arm. And, that doesn’t work, don’t be shy about yelling or screaming at them. A timely “I am going to die” scream once saved me from being hit. Slowing down enough so that you can stop if you can’t get the driver’s attention is also prudent.
If there is no one behind you, consider riding further left. This will put you into the middle of the lane, where the driver is more apt to see you as they look for oncoming vehicles. It will also give the driver more time to brake as you approach, reducing the speed of the collision and likely, the injuries associated with it. While this approach may seem dangerous as well, any driver coming from behind you is more likely to see you than one at an intersection ahead of you. This tactic will also help avoid getting hit by someone opening a car door in front of you.
When there are a bunch of parked cars in front of you, look behind you before you move left. Get a mirror to make this easier. Avoid cutting in and out between the parked cars, as this is more likely to shield you from an oncoming car’s line of sight.
To avoid getting hit by a car making a left in front of you, do not pass other slow moving vehicles at the intersection on the right. The vehicles prevent the driver making the left from seeing you. Attempt to get the driver’s attention by waving, and slow down enough to stop in case you can’t.
In a study by the White Line2, 52% of drivers surveyed noted they see people driving while talking on their phones frequently. And 72% of them reported seeing others speeding over 10 mph over the limit frequently. One in three of those surveyed reported failing to yield to pedestrians and cyclists, and the same number admitted to being annoyed when they had to slow down for them. The fear of hurting someone was the biggest driver in terms of changing their driving habits for the better.
White Line also noted that the people they surveyed weren’t bad themselves - it was everyone else who had a problem. Don’t fall into this fallacy. Since most of us drive a lot more than we cycle, please yield to pedestrians and cyclists, drive the speed limit, keep off the phone, and be vigilant so that our entire BTCNJ community benefits.
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