How to be a better driver in 4 easy steps?
1- Give cyclists plenty of room
2- Check for cyclists in your mirrors prior to turning or opening doors
3- Give way to cyclists
4- Bikes can't stop as fast as a car.
How to be a better and safer cyclist in three easy steps?
1- Just follow the road rules
2- Never EVER ride in the "door zone"
3- Always ride to be highly predictable for drivers of motor vehicles.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Two more "ways to be a better cyclist" by Tobin
Tobin's reply has great points to add to our list... and great links worth reading and watching Thanks Tobin... I really appreciate everyone's input...
I'm pleased to see that you're wanting to improve awareness of road safety issues for cyclists. Just a quick note to add a suggestion or two to your "ways to be a better cyclist":
2) Never EVER ride in the "door zone"
3) Always ride to be highly predictable for drivers of motor vehicles.
I take my guidance from the principles in John Forester's _Effective Cycling_. I recognize that not everyone agrees with Forester's arguments, but since I first started cycling competitively in 1981, those principles have served me well. Some links below, if you're not familiar with his approach.
There is no easy step: It requires to "use your brain"
Joseph's reply was brilliant,
I often find myself riding and breaking the rules too, but, yet the goal is to avoid accidents, which is a great point Joseph makes here below...
Although your goals are laudable, I can't help but feel the goal of
getting drivers to be more aware is the tail wagging the dog.
Cyclists have to make room, be more visible. In short, they have to be
proactive about their own safety: expecting drivers to look out for them
is a recipe for disaster.
Driver awareness (or lack thereof) of cyclists (and most other things)
are learned behaviours that turn into habits. If the interaction of
drivers and cyclists are rare owing to the sparsity of cyclists, human
nature will eventually take over and drivers will no longer consider
the existence of cyclists.
Vancouver is better in this regard as cycle commuters are more prevalent,
but we have not achieved a level of awareness as other places where
cycling is the main mode of travel.
This is one of the reasons I don't like residential bike paths: they
shunt cyclists off of to less visible "tourist" routes.
Blindly doing this will get you killed. All the mishaps I've been in
had me on the correct side of the law. In retrospect, if not following
the rules would increase my safety, I would do it.
I am not advocating rule breaking: most of them make sense and ought to
be followed. But the goal here is avoiding accidents, and that requires
- a recognition of danger
This comes with experience or a naturally wary nature.
Entering intersections, riding in confined spaces,
riding in poor visibility or marginal traction siutations
should all be warning signals. It is a required element to
exercise ...
- anticipatory skills
If you try to react, it's too late. Eventually, you
will not have enough time. It's better to anticipate
adverse events, and ride accordingly and defensively.
It is perhaps an irony that I sometimes ride aggressively
in traffic, which on the surface, seems contradictory.
But riding aggressively requires me to be aware: I am
actively thinking about possible outcomes and how
to deal with it. I ride aggressively to take (rather
than be given) my proper place, not for the adrenaline rush.
On the flip side, cyclists need to help other road users to be aware of you.
- being predictable.
This, I deem, to be the main advantage of following the rules.
It allows other road users to anticipate what you are going
to do. Not following established rules confuses other road
users, causing them to react in bizarre ways, sometimes to
a cyclist's detriment.
This is also why I like vehicular commuter routes: drivers
are more predictable, unlike residential neighbourhoods where
stop signs are more frequently jumped than respected. This
is weighed against congestion or higher speeds or other factors.
- being visible.
Other road users can't "do the right thing" if you're invisible.
Lights, bells, yells, reflective strips, bright clothing,
lane placement all contribute to helping drivers be aware
of you.
How to be a better and safer cyclist in one easy step? There is no
easy step. It requires an awareness that is not easily explained.
And even then, there are no guarantees. If you want to package it up
into a trite rule, "use your brain". But this is analogous to explaining
how to win an Olympic medal as "run faster than everyone".
Joseph Tam
I often find myself riding and breaking the rules too, but, yet the goal is to avoid accidents, which is a great point Joseph makes here below...
Although your goals are laudable, I can't help but feel the goal of
getting drivers to be more aware is the tail wagging the dog.
Cyclists have to make room, be more visible. In short, they have to be
proactive about their own safety: expecting drivers to look out for them
is a recipe for disaster.
Driver awareness (or lack thereof) of cyclists (and most other things)
are learned behaviours that turn into habits. If the interaction of
drivers and cyclists are rare owing to the sparsity of cyclists, human
nature will eventually take over and drivers will no longer consider
the existence of cyclists.
Vancouver is better in this regard as cycle commuters are more prevalent,
but we have not achieved a level of awareness as other places where
cycling is the main mode of travel.
This is one of the reasons I don't like residential bike paths: they
shunt cyclists off of to less visible "tourist" routes.
*How to be a better and safer cyclist in one easy step?*
1- Just follow the road rules
Blindly doing this will get you killed. All the mishaps I've been in
had me on the correct side of the law. In retrospect, if not following
the rules would increase my safety, I would do it.
I am not advocating rule breaking: most of them make sense and ought to
be followed. But the goal here is avoiding accidents, and that requires
- a recognition of danger
This comes with experience or a naturally wary nature.
Entering intersections, riding in confined spaces,
riding in poor visibility or marginal traction siutations
should all be warning signals. It is a required element to
exercise ...
- anticipatory skills
If you try to react, it's too late. Eventually, you
will not have enough time. It's better to anticipate
adverse events, and ride accordingly and defensively.
It is perhaps an irony that I sometimes ride aggressively
in traffic, which on the surface, seems contradictory.
But riding aggressively requires me to be aware: I am
actively thinking about possible outcomes and how
to deal with it. I ride aggressively to take (rather
than be given) my proper place, not for the adrenaline rush.
On the flip side, cyclists need to help other road users to be aware of you.
- being predictable.
This, I deem, to be the main advantage of following the rules.
It allows other road users to anticipate what you are going
to do. Not following established rules confuses other road
users, causing them to react in bizarre ways, sometimes to
a cyclist's detriment.
This is also why I like vehicular commuter routes: drivers
are more predictable, unlike residential neighbourhoods where
stop signs are more frequently jumped than respected. This
is weighed against congestion or higher speeds or other factors.
- being visible.
Other road users can't "do the right thing" if you're invisible.
Lights, bells, yells, reflective strips, bright clothing,
lane placement all contribute to helping drivers be aware
of you.
How to be a better and safer cyclist in one easy step? There is no
easy step. It requires an awareness that is not easily explained.
And even then, there are no guarantees. If you want to package it up
into a trite rule, "use your brain". But this is analogous to explaining
how to win an Olympic medal as "run faster than everyone".
Joseph Tam
Bikes can't stop as fast as a car - Step #4
Step #4 was added to the list, thanks to Stuart Lynne, that also recommended to get ICBC and BCAA support. Thank you to all of you... Feel free to leave your comments and or recommendations.
How to be a better driver in 4 easy steps?
1- Give cyclists plenty of room
2- Check for cyclists in your mirrors prior to turning or opening doors
3- Give way to cyclists
4. Bikes can't stop as fast as a car.
How to be a better and safer cyclist in one easy step?
1- Just follow the road rules
How to be a better driver in 4 easy steps?
1- Give cyclists plenty of room
2- Check for cyclists in your mirrors prior to turning or opening doors
3- Give way to cyclists
4. Bikes can't stop as fast as a car.
How to be a better and safer cyclist in one easy step?
1- Just follow the road rules
Atlanta Bicycle Campaign launched a Share the Road Education Program
http://atlantabike2.org/category/Topics/Share-Road
On August 26th, the City of Woodstock Police Department (WPD) and the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign launched a Share the Road Education Program in order to educate motorists and cyclists on how to legally and safely share the road.
The program was headed by the Bicycle Unit of the WPD who provided plain-clothes bike officers to ride on the street and give out warnings and information on how to share the road.
>> more at
http://atlantabike2.org/content/Woodstock-Police-Department-kicks-a-Share-Road-education-program-with-ABC
On August 26th, the City of Woodstock Police Department (WPD) and the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign launched a Share the Road Education Program in order to educate motorists and cyclists on how to legally and safely share the road.
The program was headed by the Bicycle Unit of the WPD who provided plain-clothes bike officers to ride on the street and give out warnings and information on how to share the road.
>> more at
http://atlantabike2.org/content/Woodstock-Police-Department-kicks-a-Share-Road-education-program-with-ABC
Great blog - I Bike T.O.
A great blog to look at is http://www.ibiketo.ca
Do we have something like that here in Vancouver? I could not find any on google, anyone?
Do we have something like that here in Vancouver? I could not find any on google, anyone?
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