Cycling on British roads like a battle between David and Goliath; in an accident between an SUV and a bike, there is only going to be one loser. There may be a lot of injustice, but the only thing we can do is cycle defensively and minimise the dangers to ourselves.
- Be predictable. Ride a straight line. For example, if there is a street with a few parked cars and spaces in between then it is best to keep the same line and not weave in and out of the spaces.
- Move to the Centre of a lane at a Traffic Light. When I stop at traffic lights, I move to the centre of the road so the car has to be behind me, rather than squeezing past. This can be dangerous when you start at the same time as the car, especially if the car is turning left and you are going straight on. This manoeuvre is also important for right turns.
- Anticipate Dangers. Give yourself distance for a car door to open. Expect cars which don’t follow the rules of the road.
- Try to scan through car windows for pedestrians and cars which may come out of side lanes.
- Be wary of Pedestrians. They will inevitably cross the road without looking; they are used to listening for traffic. A bell can be a good tool. However, a real problem is that when a pedestrian is crossing the road you start to anticipate that they will continue walking therefore, you take a line, which will miss them. However, if they suddenly hear your bell, they will freeze and stop right where you are, then you will have to change your line. Never expect pedestrians to do the obvious thing of 1) Looking where they are going or 2) continue in a certain direction.
- The Best Response is No Response. If a motorist makes you angry by behaving in a bad or dangerous way; it is best to avoid making an obscene gesture. Usually, this will be a signal for an escalation and subconsciously the motorist feels he has succeeded in riling the cyclist. If you maintain silence, he has nothing to escalate this. The best thing is to get the number plate and report illegal infractions.
- Be Seen. In 70% of accidents you will hear the excuse from drivers “but, I didn’t see them…” Do the best to be highly visible. If you ride in dark clothes and no lights, you can only increase the chance of being another accident statistic.
Related
As a pedestrian I suspect my road crossing occasionally leaves something to be desired – I do have a habit of starting to cross roads before it is properly clear. That said, I make sure that the line I take and the speed I go at means I should miss everything / everyone – which is where the predicatability (from everyone – I’m including myself here) comes in – and that includes other road users being able to predict what I’m going to do.
Enjoy cycling – Enjoy your life
Ride to survive!
How many times have you seen cyclists without lights? Now I don’t mean that everyone should be using the best cycle lights but any form of lighting is infinitely better than having none at all.
How many times have we seen riders without helmets? Again, wearing helmets may not protect in every type of accident, but surely having some protection is again the order of the day!
Come on cyclists, come on Government, lets make people more aware of the risks.
Of course, we all know that the benefits of cycling outweigh the dangers, but the safety message must still be made very clear.
Coming up to junctions or crossing roundabouts, if a car is waiting to pull out, I have heard that ‘eyeballing’ the driver drags his attention towards you. I’ve tried it and it seems to work, in that I haven’t been pulled out in front of…..yet!
Rgds
Fred
It’s the best attitude to have.
Very helpful set of tips.
One extra thing I always try and do when cycling in London is ride far enough out from the curb so Cars have to properly overtake you rather than trying to SQUEEZE by as they so often do.
This is kind of the same as item 6 in the list!
Good points all! As one who commutes 30 miles a day through Manchester, I’d like to add another. I found that by choosing to be positive and friendly towards other road users, I have a much more relaxed, focused ride. There’s no point in getting angry at a driver who behaves badly, tempting as it is. If I get cut up then, if I can, I try to explain to the driver what s/he did without feeling that they are a bad person; rather, they just made a mistake. I think that anger leads to potential bad decisions further down the road – and it makes the world a slightly less pleasant place. Sorry to be so hippyish but it works for me.