What You Need to Know about Safety
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as operators
of vehicles.
Rules of Vehicular Cycling*
- Drive on the right side of the road, never on the left
and never on the sidewalk.
- When you reach a more important or larger road than the one you are
on, yield to crossing traffic. Here, yielding means looking to
each side and waiting until no traffic is coming.
- When you intend to change lanes or to move laterally on the roadway,
yield to traffic in the new lane or line of travel. Here, yielding
means looking forward and backward until you see that no
traffic is coming.
- When approaching an intersection, position yourself with respect to
your destination direction -- on the right near the curb if you want to
turn right, on the left near the centerline if you want to turn left,
and between those positions if you want to go straight.
- Between intersections position yourself according to your speed relative
to other traffic; slower traffic is nearer the curb and faster traffic
is near the centerline.
- Be visible: Wear bright, conspicuous clothes, use lights at night
and ride where other drivers are looking for traffic.
- Be predictable: Use hand signals before turning and changing lanes so that drivers and other cyclists will know what you are doing.
*The first five rules are quoted from the book Effective Cycling by John Forester, M.I.T. Press. The others are from Fred Oswald's on-line article, Commuter's Guide. (You will need Adobe Acrobat to read it.)
Helmets
Helmets offer vital protection in case of a collision, so wear a helmet whenever you ride. For more information about helmets or if you are still not convinced that it is important to wear one, read the articles from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute and the Snell Memorial Foundation. Remember however, that if you ride your bike recklessly and ignore safety principles, such as those shown above, a helmet may not be much help.
More information on Safe Cycling
- Cycling Advocacy Information, posted
at the Crankmail
web site.
- Bicycling Life
