Cycling Sharing the Road
When cyclists share the same road as motorists, safety should be their first concern. There are many more cars on the road than there are cyclists, and it is up to you as the cyclist to know, as well as to avoid, all of the possible situations that can cause an accident. When an accident between a cyclist and motorist does occur, usually it's the inexperienced cyclist who unknowingly made a bad move. This is not to say that the motorist isn't at fault as well. They may have run a stop sign or a red light, or may have just been going too fast and not paying attention. But you as a cyclist should know all of the possible adverse traffic situations that can lead to an accident, and you should be experienced and knowledgeable enough to avoid all of them. There are a lot of ways that you as a cyclist can get hit by a car. Cars around you are constantly turning left, right, making u-turns, stopping, going, and it is up to you to place yourself among the traffic for the least possible chance of being hit.
Here's a typical situation that can lead to an accident. Let's say you, as the cyclist, just pulled up to a red light and you place yourself along the right side of the car that is already at the light. You might think this is a good position to be in because you are to the right of traffic and out of everyone's way. When you do this, you might be placing yourself in the driver's blind spot and they won't be able to see you. Or, if you aren't in their blind spot, they may not be paying attention and still don't see you. So what happens? All of a sudden the driver makes a sharp right turn and plows right into you as you start to take off. This could have been avoided if you just would have placed yourself behind that same car instead of on the right side. This way, they can't hit you if they make a sudden right turn, and the cars that are behind you can see you better as you are in their line of vision. This sounds too simple, but if you're not familiar with this situation you could easily end up getting hit. Of course, there are also many other traffic situations that could place you in danger, and you should be familiar with all of them. The best thing to do is to either take a course in cycle safety, read a book about it, or do some research on the internet. Talking to other experienced cyclists would be invaluable.
Before you take your bike for a spin into traffic, the very first thing you must do is to make sure that motorists can see you. This means wearing the proper safety gear. So not only is a safety helmet necessary, but the proper clothing such as a reflective vest is a must. You will also need a front light on your bike as well as reflectors in your spokes and red blinking lights on the rear. Taking these safety measure will give motorists the best possible chance of seeing you, even in the daylight. Also, a rear view mirror on your handlebars will help you see the cars behind you without turning your head.
The laws for cyclists in each state may vary. It is up to you to become familiar with the laws in your own state as they were designed to protect both you and the motorists. If you're not sure about a specific law or just need some answers to your questions, always call your state, city, or county government. Always think about your safety first, and don't do anything that can place you in the position of getting hurt. If you do this, along with the proper knowledge of how to ride your bike in traffic, you will have a safe and rewarding experience. Happy cycling!
