Bike Safety: It All Comes Down to Common Sense
One night last winter as I was driving home from a friend’s house, I almost hit a cyclist. She was walking her unlit disabled bike on the right hand side of a dark shoulder-less road with her back to traffic. In case that wasn’t dangerous enough, she had even decided to dress in black, like a ninja with a death wish. I just wish she hadn’t tried to involve me in her grisly scheme. If you want to survive and flourish as a cyclist, you not only need proper equipment, you have to obey the rules of the road, ride defensively and always prepare for the unexpected.
What are the key rules of the road for cycling safely?
• Advertise your turns with hand signals, but be aware that some drivers won’t notice them and others won’t know what they mean. (“Heh Gladys, who’s that guy on the bike waving to?”)
• Stop at stop signs and traffic lights. This seems crushingly obvious but for most bike riders, myself included, it requires self discipline. It is very tempting to glance both ways when approaching an intersection and, if all seems clear, peddle on. Resist the temptation.
• Ride with traffic and walk against it. Novice transportation cyclists find this one difficult. There are also drivers who don’t understand it. Not long ago there was a radio program that featured a piece on a competitive Canadian cyclist who was killed when struck from behind on a four lane highway. Listener response included a driver who railed against the cyclist’s stupidity. “If he’d been riding on the other side of the road, he would have seen the driver coming and be alive today.” Note to drivers: It is illegal for cyclists to ride against the traffic. There are good reasons for this law. As a bike approaches a car, neither the cyclist nor the driver can accurately gauge the other’s speed of approach. It is also very difficult for the driver to predict what the rider will do.
The other element in reducing the likelihood of bike-car accidents is riding defensively. And strangely enough, a key component of defensive riding is being assertive.
One day I was coming down Alder Street on my way to the Quadra ferry. As I crossed the intersection at the Island Highway, cars were merging in from my right while I tried to scoot over and squeeze myself between the curb and the traffic. Eventually I managed to do so, but not without some pretty hairy moments. “Take the Lane!” shouted a fellow cyclist as he sped past me. As it turned out he too was taking the ferry and I got talking with him. He was an experienced and articulate rider and he gave me a quick lesson on safe riding.
When riding in traffic, he explained, unless there is a wide and clearly marked shoulder, the cyclist needs to take the inside lane just like a car would. This means vehicles are forced to follow behind, using the left lane to pass. The alternative, where the cyclist hugs the curb or shoulder while the car tries to squeeze past, is a recipe for getting clipped ie: injured or killed. So the motto is: Take the lane. You have a right to be there and often it is the only safe thing to do. Most drivers recognize that fact and will deal with it.
When it comes to left hand turns at intersections, being assertive is just as important. Well before you come to the intersection, move over into the middle of the left hand lane. This will feel weird at first – like an antelope among a herd of elephants, but you’ll get used to it. As you approach the light or stop sign, gear down so that when you enter the intersection you’ll be able to accelerate quickly. Make sure you signal before you make the turn and try to establish eye contact with the driver. You are attempting to make sure he sees you and isn’t daydreaming of the beer he’ll be cracking open when he gets home from work. This is all based on the theory that if the driver notices you, he or she is far less likely to kill you.
If traffic is too heavy or daunting or you just aren’t that comfortable with dodging among the feet of metaphorical elephants, then you may want to use the crosswalk to get through an intersection. That is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure you pull over onto the sidewalk before the intersection, dismount and walk your bike across. Remount on the other side and wait for an opening to safely enter traffic again. Do not ride on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for pedestrians.
Another important habit to develop is to watch for parked cars. Slow down when you approach them. Assume every car has a driver or passenger just waiting to swing open the door the moment before you get there. One trick is to watch the side view mirror to see if anyone is home. Another is to take the left hand lane if traffic permits. The rule is – be cautious.
In fact caution and more specifically, slowing down, is a good safety strategy in lots of situations – riding down steep hills, riding in the dark, riding in heavy rain or riding when the roads are icy.
It comes down to common sense. You’re not in the Tour de France. You’re just trying to get from A to B in one piece. Which is, after all, what transportation cycling is all about.
