Several years ago a man was descending from the foothills in Boulder, CO with his wife. Several pedestrians hit the button to flash warning lights signaling they were about to use the crosswalk to cross the road. Vehicles — including bikes — are required to stop. The wife did, husband didn’t. He hit a pedestrian, who suffered minor injuries, but the man crashed, skidded and his helmet was knocked askew. The husband died of brain injuries. He:
- Wasn’t paying attention
- Violated the vehicular traffic law
- Didn’t wear his helmet correctly.
I started cycling over 40 years ago (yes, I’m an old fart) in Palo Alto, CA. In 1971 John Forester was ticket in Palo Alto for riding his bike on the street instead of on the sidewalk, a recently legislated separate bikeway along that section of the street. He contested the ticket and eventually the city ordinance was overturned.
Forester is the father of “vehicular cycling” and wrote, “Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.” The Boulder cyclist above died because he didn’t act like the driver of a vehicle. I was hit and nearly killed by a truck driver who didn’t treat me like a vehicle. Car drivers and bike riders both bear responsibility to avoid accidents.
As a cyclist what can you do to prevent an accident?
1. Behave like a car. Forester’s basic point is to ride just like you’d drive.
- Signal your intentions to turn right or left.
- If you will be going straight ahead at an intersection, don’t get in the right turn lane.
- If you are going to make a left turn stick out your left arm, check behind you and move onto the roadway before turning left. If possible move to a left turn lane — don’t just dart across from the shoulder.
2. Be predictable. For example, don’t move right between parked cars and then back into the traffic lane.
3. Don’t ride against traffic. You wouldn’t think of riding down the shoulder against traffic. If there is a two-way bike path adjoining the road and you ride on it against traffic, a driver entering the road from the right will look left for oncoming traffic and won’t notice you coming up on the right.
4. Ride on the road, not a path. You are much more likely to be seen by a driver if you are riding on the shoulder than if you are on a separate path along the road. Not all experts agree with this and depending on the circumstances a separate well-signed bike path may be safer.
5. Obey all laws. Following the law makes you safer and makes a good impression about cyclists on drivers.
6. Yield to cars — they’re bigger. Even if you have the right of way if your not sure if it’s safe to proceed then yielding is probably prudent.
7. Always wear a helmet and wear it correctly. If I hadn’t been wearing a helmet when the truck hit me I would have been an organ donor. You shouldn’t be able to move your helmet more than about 1/2 inch (1 cm) with your hands. The Snell Foundation is an excellent resource on how to buy the proper helmet for your head and how to adjust it.
8. Use a mirror. Another Boulder rider was killed because he moved left without looking behind himself. I use helmet mirror because I ride several different bikes and the mirror is always with me. Some riders prefer a mirror on the glasses — this works as long as you remember to put it on. Some riders prefer a mirror on the end of the handlebar; however, the rider has to look down from the road to see in the mirror.
9. Look twice. A mirror is good for monitoring what’s going on behind you; however, if you’re about to move or turn left also look over your shoulder to be sure the road is clear.
10. Look for yourself. If you’re riding in a paceline and the lead riders yell “clear” as they enter an intersection look for yourself to see if it’s clear as you approach it.
11. Use only one ear bud. If you like to listen to music while you ride only use one ear bud in your right ear. Your hearing is a good supplement to your mirror.
12. Scan continuously. Fighter pilots are taught to scan the sky rather than looking ahead; they’re more likely to spot changes, which could be significant.
13. Be aware and anticipate. As you scan the road, anticipate potential problems. Especially in a group keep looking around for potential problems.
14. Be visible. For a dozen years I led the UltraMarathon Cycling Association and also ran my JHnFriends bicycle tours. I produced different jerseys each year and most of them just hang in my closet now — they aren’t very bright. I’ve also started using a flashing headlight and taillight day and night. My riding partner John Elmblad has written a column on Rear Lights for Daylight Riding.
15. Assume you are invisible. Even with a bright jersey and flashing lights don’t assume that the driver of the car about to make a right turn or exiting a parking lot sees you.
These tips will help avoid an accident riding in a group.
16. Know your fellow riders. If you’re riding with a group you don’t know well be cautious because you don’t know how they’ll behave.
17. Call out your intentions. In a group either signal your intentions or call them out before you turn or move sideways.
18. Guard your front wheel. In a group don’t let your front wheel overlap the rear wheel of another rider. If he moves sideways he’ll knock you down.
19. Feather your brakes. In a group brake lightly to slow down so you don’t take out the rider behind you.
20. Use both brakes and get your weight back. Most of your braking power comes from the front brake. If you have to brake hard use both brakes and slide back in the saddle so you don’t go over the bars.
21. Practice cornering. Set up a slalom course in an empty parking lot and practice riding through it. Start slowly and gradually go faster. Here’s a column on how to countersteer, an effective way to get through a corner faster.
22. Practice riding a straight line. In a large empty parking lot practice riding in a straight line on a white line separating parking spaces. You can also practice this on a road with very little traffic. Practice riding on the white line separating the shoulder from the road while using your mirror to watch for traffic coming from the rear.
23. Practice balance. See how slowly you can ride across a lawn just in case you fall. Ride with a friend to see who can go slowest.
Resources
- John Allen has an excellent on-line tutorial called Bicycling Street Smarts.
- John Forester’s Effective Cycling explains how to ride in all kinds of conditions: on congested city streets, busy highways, winding mountain roads, day or night, rain or shine. It goes into detail about how to choose a bicycle, maintain it, and use it in the most efficient manner.
- The League of American Bicyclists has an excellent set of Smart Cycling Videos.
Coach John Hughes has been riding since the 1970s and coaching since the 1990s. He has earned coaching certifications from USA Cycling and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is the author of the best-selling Anti-Aging 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process as well as over 40 other eBooks.
Coach John Hughes earned coaching certifications from USA Cycling and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. John’s cycling career includes course records in the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200-km randonnée and the Furnace Creek 508, a Race Across AMerica (RAAM) qualifier. He has ridden solo RAAM twice and is a 5-time finisher of the 1200-km Paris-Brest-Paris. He has written over 40 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training and nutrition, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach John Hughes. Click to read John’s full bio.
Two comments. 1) I always try to make eye contact with drivers at intersections. If they look me in the eye, it’s a pretty safe bet that the “see” me and will yield appropriately. If they don’t look me in the eye, I make extra sure I’m ready in case they pull out in front of me. 2) My bike club stopped saying “clear” at intersections (in agreement with LAB). We know say “rolling” and have trained the members that “rolling” actually means “I am proceeding through this intersection but it’s up to you to determine if it’s safe for you to proceed”. It sounds a little redundant, but everyone gets so complacent when they hear “clear” that we decided to change up the dynamic.
Excellent response!
Coach Hughes
Be alert for car doors
Dennis, Thank you! Coach Hughes
Take away the driver’s decision and make it for them. When riding in the bike lane approaching a car at an intersection waiting to pull out. Move into the middle of the road so they can see you. The driver now knows it will take extra speed of distance to clear you. You’ve decided how you want to negotiate the intersection. Drivers are looking for cars so be where the car would normally be. Getting a driver’s attention with eye contact is hit and miss.
99% of the time where I live/ride, there is no bike lane. So I’m already in the road. Making eye contact seems to work well in that situation.
David – great suggestion! John
In your comment, which I wholeheartedly agree with, I would like to add:
“If you are going to make a left turn stick out your left arm, check behind you and move onto the roadway before turning left. If possible move to a left turn lane — don’t just dart across from the shoulder.”
I would add the following, which I *always* do: before moving to the left lane for any reason, I always signal my intention to move to the left lane by extending my left arm out and then look back to see if any vehicles are there. In essence I’m actually asking that vehicle if I can merge to the left in front of him. After I begin to initiate my merge into the left lane I “profusely” wave “THANKS!” and give them a “thumbs up” as they pass me. Some are still grumpy, but most smile or nod “you’re welcome.” At the very least I think that I’m helping to create a better vehicle-cyclist relationship, and that I don’t have an “IN YOUR FACE!” attitude.
Imagine if all of us asked and then thanked drivers.
That’s right out of the LAB manual. Scan, signal intent to change lanes, scan again, and make the change. I also always wave to drivers who give me the right of way. You’re right…sometimes they are annoyed, but the wave diffuses some of their feelings.
Ron – thanks! Coach Hughes
Hi agree with a comment never call clear. Everyone is responsible for themselves going through an intersection. In group riding, call out “slowing” or “stopping” In addition to hand signals. One Additional comment. At stop signs, slow way down or stop. When leaving the stop, stand up as you start out..this is a very visable change in motion and not just a rolling through the sign.
I am surprised to read the suggestion to use only one ear bud for music rather than decry the use of anything that can distract one’s attention. Most crashes occur due to distracted cyclists and listening to music is a assuredly a primary distraction whether the audio source is monaural or binaural.
I switched to jawbone conducting headphones (e.g., Trekz Air). You can still listen to music, but you can also hear everything going on around you. Sound quality is just OK, but you’re not wearing these for concert hall-like sound!!
Tony, Good suggestion. Coach Hughes
Yes, a better way to say it would have been to strongly discourage using ear buds …. but if a rider must then only 1 ear. Coach Hughes
If cyclists shouldn’t listen to music, drivers shouldn’t have their radio on.
Another tip: Even after you have identified a potential source of conflict (e.g. oncoming driver signalling a left turn) don’t focus exclusively on it – there may be other hazards as well (e.g. driver about to pull out from parking spot) in front of you.
One of my pet peeves: Half-assed signals. Too many people riding bikes (and I am particularly pointing to “racer-types”) give a tiny, arm bent, finger wiggle-waggle to signal a turn. WTF? What motorist, even if they see it, has any idea what that means? When you use a hand signal, do it like you mean it! Arm OUT! Point! Wiggle fingers (motion catches attention!).
Chris, Good point! Coach Hughes
4. Ride on the road, not a path. You are much more likely to be seen by a driver if you are riding on the shoulder than if you are on a separate path along the road. Not all experts agree with this and depending on the circumstances a separate well-signed bike path may be safer.
This advice needs expansion and clarification. “Path” seems to mean “a parallel, bike-only lane that is part of the road”. This is not to be confused with bike trails, which are usually independent of roads. Bike trails can be used in accordance with following the speed limit and being aware of all other trails users. Many riders can’t ride 20 miles per hour, and bike trails offer another safe place to ride as well connections within a ride.
There are also a lot of roads that should never see a bike: such roads have no shoulder and high speed traffic with lots of trucks and cars. I know it may be your legal right to use almost any road that comes along, but that will not help you overcome the laws of physics when a wayward motorist, ineptly driven RV, or inattentive trucker knocks you from your perch..
Maybe a paragraph could be added to address bike trails.
John, You make several very good points, as have other respondents. I’m going to write a follow-up for next week:
Perhaps instead of just path I should have said something like “trail adjacent to and parallel to the roadway.
Yes, I’ll add something on safety on bike trails
Yes, some roads should be avoided entirely.
Cheers,
John
As one of the Certified Instructors for the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), we emphasize all of these tips and more in a 9 hour (3 hour classroom and 6 hour road session) Smart Cycling course. Readers of this newsletter could benefit from taking this course as road markings such as Sharrows, and traffic calming streetscape such as roundabouts are now being installed in many areas.
The American Bicycle Education Association (ABEA) offers Cycling Savvy, which also teaches cyclists how to ride legally, visibly, and safely by becoming “relevant” as part of traffic. Much of their material is on-line with excellent animation to demonstrate proper road positions and more.
Apart from those classes, there are excellent videos on line. One of my favorites is this one that teaches groups of riders how to merge left from back to front without impeding following motorists. Turn up the sound to enjoy the Florida women showing how it’s done near the end of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnGVeDdSfjg
Pete, great suggestions! I got a lot of good comments and am going to write a follow-up for next week. Cheers, John
Paceline riding is the same thing as tailgating for motor vehicles and should be illegal.
Well intentioned but two things:
1. Don’t behave like a car. Cars don’t behave, drivers do. Instead behave as the operator of a vehicle. And consider that the vehicle you are operating is not a car, but rather more like a really slow motorcycle. Of course this still means follow the same rules of the road an operator of a car must follow. Yes, all of them.
2. If you truly assumed you were invisible, you’d never be able to negotiate for room on the road with any other driver. Car behind me? If invisible, I’d better get all the way off the road, right? Instead, look to 14 and be sure you are visible and have a plan for what to do if it appears you have not been seen.
Jack,
Thanks for the comments.
Coach Hughes
Rule 1 and Rule 14 seem contradictory. In Rule 1, you assume that the driver is paying attention and knows how to operate his or her vehicle around bicyclists. In rule 15, you assume the reality that most of us have to deal with: inattentive or impaired motorists who don’t have a clue. Having been hospitalized three times from altercations with cars, two of them being hit and run, I tend to lean a lot more toward Rule 15.
I’d also suggest an additional rule: If you ride at night use BRIGHT head and tail lights. (I assume that most of the motorists with whom I share the road are pretty dim.
Bruce,
The point of Rule #1 is that you’re less likely to have problems in traffic or an accident if you ride the way you drive. This doesn’t guarantee no accidents – look at all the vehicle-vehicle accidents. #15 recognizes that riding like you’d drive doesn’t offer this guarantee.
Coach John
All of us keep repeating the same thing regarding clothing- “be visible.” So WHY do so many ecyclist continue to buy *black* kit?! The only environmen t that I can imagine where black it will make you be visible or standout is in a white environment. What’s going on? Do roadside emergency repair persons wear black to be more visible to the drivers, and AT NIGHT or in the rain!? ¿Qué pasa, eh?
Solution: tell the LBS and online dealer that you refuse to buy kit that makes you less visible. STOP BUYING their products.. Do not allow the manufacturers to DICTATE TO US what we are going to wear, as if we are going to allow them to dress us.
A cyclist may like to wear black. Burgundy, dark green when not cycling, but come on . . . why say that we want to be visible and predictable on the road and then buy kit that makes us blend in the environment? And who started this idea of being “fashionable” while riding? The kit manufacturers!
WE determine what we are going to wear and why, not a kit manufacturers.
ATIKA! ATIKA!! (Someone help me down off of this soapbox)
Just stop buying kit that puts you in a greater risk fo NOT BEING VISIBLE.
so there. 😊. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Excellent response! My wife and I hate the black kits for exactly that reason. My favorite jerseys are the ‘day-glo’ (not really that brand, but BRIGHT yellow) that I got when the company I worked for sponsored bike event participation. And like you said, we now refuse to purchase jerseys that are not “bright” (we prefer the ‘day-glo’ or white stuff).
Take the lane when it’s dicey for a car to pass. A few days ago, a police car came up behind me and yelled to ride to the right. I ignored him, and he drove on.
I’ve had the Forester book on my shelf for decades.
John S. Allen has updated Street Smarts w/a new Cycling Savvy edition as he is also a Cycling Savvy Instructor. Here’s the link to the organization which is the only national organization focused on cycling education. https://cyclingsavvy.org/
Honestly, it would be great if people focused on encouraging more people to cycle, whether that’s through advocacy or better cycling infrastructure, and everyone teaching their children how to ride in the road. The problem is there are so many people who only use cycling as exercise or play, and that poses a risk to those of us who use it to commute every day because drivers begin to view all of us as slowing them down for fun. I abide by all these suggestions, and I wear reflective clothing, but drivers still drive like they don’t care. They’ll yell at me to get off the road because “it’s for cars”, coal roll me, or try to pass me in unsafe situations even when I’ve “taken the lane” because they’re too impatient to wait 5 seconds. I think people need to log 100 hours of cycling with an instructor as part of their driver’s license. because following the rules of the road doesn’t do enough to protect me if drivers don’t want me there and don’t see it as a viable mode of transportation.
Thank you for #8. There are so few riders out there who use a mirror and most (if not all) swerve a little bit when trying to look behind them. The excuse I heard when I was riding with a more recreational group – “I don’t use a mirror because it looks stupid’. Me? I’m ok with “looking stupid” and being able to easily see what’s coming up behind me :-).
What about riding solo on lightly traveled back roads with minimal or no shoulder to the right of the fog line? Hug the line or position somewhere in the right half of the lane?
Think Motorist Mentality: All motorists, you and me included, are taught that the center line is a pane of glass and God Forbid you should break that pane of glass. That means if a slow moving vehicle, especially one with two wheels, gives the motorist even the barest hint that the motorist can pass without breaking the pane of glass, guess what?? That is precisely what the motorist will do regardless of where the right side (or rightmost protuberance) of the vehicle might be or where the slow moving vehicle might be. But, if you, on two wheels, convince the motorist that there is no room to pass without breaking the pane of glass, then they do. Widely.
Chris the LCI