Danger Zones: What to Look For and How to Avoid Getting Hit
Danger Zone: Street Intersection
Threat:
Right Hook
This is the number one cause of car/bike accidents. It occurs most often at an intersection when a cyclist riding at the side of the road is going straight through the intersection and a passing car to the left of the bike turns right, either hitting the cyclist or forcing the cyclist to run into the car. This can happen when a car turns right into a drive or parking lot in the middle of the block, as well. It can also happen when the biker is stopped at a red light and the car turns right just as the biker pulls out on the change to green.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Don't ride on the sidewalk A bike on the sidewalk is invisible to the motorist (not to mention dangerous to pedestrians).
2) Ride Farther to the Left in the Street Riding farther left into the street as you approach an intersection makes you more visible to the motorist, since you're now in his direct line of vision. It also makes it more difficult for him to get around you and turn in front of you. He may not like this, and on rare occasions honk or shout, but it's your right and it's better than getting hit.
3) Use Your Mirror to Check Traffic Coming Up From Behind It's a good idea to check your mirror constantly to have a good idea of the traffic around you. However, it's critical to check when entering danger zones like this - you may see the car's signal or sense it slowing down to turn.
4) Don't Pass on the Right When you come up behind a slow moving car, don't continue by on the right. It may be slowing to turn right and it certainly won't see you pull up aside of it. Stay behind the car in the bike lane (far enough back to be out of his blind spot) until the car speeds up again, or pull out directly behind the car. If you need to pass eventually, pass on the left.
5) Pull Out Directly Behind Cars Stopped at A Light Don't sneak up to the right alongside cars stopped at a light. They may not see you go by and be unaware of you when they turn right at the intersection. This will also give cars behind you a chance to see you. When the cars start moving again as the light turns green, move to the side again, taking the same precautions as above.
Threat: Left Cross
This occurs when a cyclist is going straight through an intersection and a car coming in the opposite direction fails to see him and turns left in front of him, either hitting the bike or forcing the bike to hit the car. This can also happen in the middle of the block as a car turns into a drive.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Don't ride on the sidewalk A bike on the sidewalk is invisible to the motorist (not to mention dangerous to pedestrians).
2) Get A Headlight If you're riding at night or at dusk, you need a blinking headlight to let drivers see you coming.
3) Wear Bright Colors A bright, single color shirt, or, better yet, a yellow or orange reflective vest will allow motorists to see you better.
4) Don't Pass on the Right Passing on the right as you approach an intersection will make you invisible to oncoming motorists.
5) Slow Down If you can't make eye contact with oncoming driver to verify that he sees you, slow down so you can stop if necessary.
Threat: Right Cross
Again, at an intersection. A car stopped at the right doesn't see the cyclist (riding at the side of the road) emerging into the intersection and pulls out. The driver's vision may be blocked by buildings or street furniture right up to the corner; or the driver of the car may be looking for crossing traffic at the center of the road, where another car would normally be coming, but not at the side. The car either hits the bike or forces the bike to hit the car.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Get A Headlight If you're riding at night or at dusk, you need a blinking headlight to let drivers see you coming.
2) Honk You need a loud horn, such as an air horn to be heard in traffic.
3) Slow Down If you can't make eye contact with oncoming driver to verify that he sees you, slow down so you can stop if necessary.
4) Ride Further Left Look at the two lines "A" and "B" in the picture. You're probably used to riding in "B", very close to the curb, because you're worried about being hit from behind. But when the driver is looking down the road for traffic, he's not looking in the space closest to the curb; he's looking in the middle of the lane, for other cars. The farther left you are (such as in "A"), the more likely the driver will see you.
Danger Zone: Line of Parked Cars
Threat: Door Jam
A "door jam" results when a cyclist is riding in the bike lane close to a row of parked cars on the right and cannot see a person in the driver's seat of one the parked cars. The driver does not see the bicycle and opens the door into the path of the cyclist.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Ride to the left. Ride far enough to the left that you won't run into any door that's opened unexpectedly. You may be wary about riding so far into the lane that cars can't pass you easily, but you're more likely to get doored by a parked car if you ride too close to it than you are to get hit from behind by a car which can clearly see you.
Threat: Rear End
Although this is the kind of accident cyclists fear most, it is one of the least common. Most often the cyclist is moving left to pass a parked car and a car approaching from the rear doesn't notice the bike's change in position, hitting him from the rear.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Always Check Behind You in Your Mirror Before Pulling Out to the Left Some motorists pass cyclists within inches, so moving slightly to the left unexpectedly could put you in the path of a car. Practice holding a straight line while looking over your shoulder until you can do it perfectly. Most new cyclists tend to drift left when they look behind them, which of course can be disastrous. If a car is close behind you, wait until it has passed before pulling around the parked car.
2) Don't Swerve In and Out among Parked Cars You might be tempted to ride in the parking lane where there are no parked cars, dipping back into the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you at risk for getting hit from behind. Instead, ride a steady, straight line at least one door's length to the left of the parked cars.
3) Get a Bright Rear Light Turn it to blinking mode and leave it on even during the day.
4) Wear Bright Colors or A Reflective Vest At night or dusk, wear reflective clothing. In the daylight, a bright colored shirt will do.
Danger Zone: Alley or Driveway
Threat: Side Blowout
This one is solely the fault of the cyclist. It happens when a biker emerges quickly from a drive or alley into the sidewalk or street. In the first case the biker hits a pedestrian; in the second, the biker is hit from the side by a passing car which could not react in time.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Stop, Look, Listen Stop at the sidewalk and/or street before proceeding. Duh.
© 2010 - 2012 Bob Beach Thanks to Michael Bluejay, Bicyclesafe.com for much of this content
Danger Zone: Street Intersection
Threat:
Right Hook This is the number one cause of car/bike accidents. It occurs most often at an intersection when a cyclist riding at the side of the road is going straight through the intersection and a passing car to the left of the bike turns right, either hitting the cyclist or forcing the cyclist to run into the car. This can happen when a car turns right into a drive or parking lot in the middle of the block, as well. It can also happen when the biker is stopped at a red light and the car turns right just as the biker pulls out on the change to green.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Don't ride on the sidewalk A bike on the sidewalk is invisible to the motorist (not to mention dangerous to pedestrians).
2) Ride Farther to the Left in the Street Riding farther left into the street as you approach an intersection makes you more visible to the motorist, since you're now in his direct line of vision. It also makes it more difficult for him to get around you and turn in front of you. He may not like this, and on rare occasions honk or shout, but it's your right and it's better than getting hit.
3) Use Your Mirror to Check Traffic Coming Up From Behind It's a good idea to check your mirror constantly to have a good idea of the traffic around you. However, it's critical to check when entering danger zones like this - you may see the car's signal or sense it slowing down to turn.
4) Don't Pass on the Right When you come up behind a slow moving car, don't continue by on the right. It may be slowing to turn right and it certainly won't see you pull up aside of it. Stay behind the car in the bike lane (far enough back to be out of his blind spot) until the car speeds up again, or pull out directly behind the car. If you need to pass eventually, pass on the left.
5) Pull Out Directly Behind Cars Stopped at A Light Don't sneak up to the right alongside cars stopped at a light. They may not see you go by and be unaware of you when they turn right at the intersection. This will also give cars behind you a chance to see you. When the cars start moving again as the light turns green, move to the side again, taking the same precautions as above. Threat: Left Cross This occurs when a cyclist is going straight through an intersection and a car coming in the opposite direction fails to see him and turns left in front of him, either hitting the bike or forcing the bike to hit the car. This can also happen in the middle of the block as a car turns into a drive.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Don't ride on the sidewalk A bike on the sidewalk is invisible to the motorist (not to mention dangerous to pedestrians).
2) Get A Headlight If you're riding at night or at dusk, you need a blinking headlight to let drivers see you coming.
3) Wear Bright Colors A bright, single color shirt, or, better yet, a yellow or orange reflective vest will allow motorists to see you better.
4) Don't Pass on the Right Passing on the right as you approach an intersection will make you invisible to oncoming motorists.
5) Slow Down If you can't make eye contact with oncoming driver to verify that he sees you, slow down so you can stop if necessary.
Threat: Right Cross Again, at an intersection. A car stopped at the right doesn't see the cyclist (riding at the side of the road) emerging into the intersection and pulls out. The driver's vision may be blocked by buildings or street furniture right up to the corner; or the driver of the car may be looking for crossing traffic at the center of the road, where another car would normally be coming, but not at the side. The car either hits the bike or forces the bike to hit the car.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Get A Headlight If you're riding at night or at dusk, you need a blinking headlight to let drivers see you coming.
2) Honk You need a loud horn, such as an air horn to be heard in traffic.
3) Slow Down If you can't make eye contact with oncoming driver to verify that he sees you, slow down so you can stop if necessary.
4) Ride Further Left Look at the two lines "A" and "B" in the picture. You're probably used to riding in "B", very close to the curb, because you're worried about being hit from behind. But when the driver is looking down the road for traffic, he's not looking in the space closest to the curb; he's looking in the middle of the lane, for other cars. The farther left you are (such as in "A"), the more likely the driver will see you.
Danger Zone: Line of Parked Cars
Threat: Door Jam
A "door jam" results when a cyclist is riding in the bike lane close to a row of parked cars on the right and cannot see a person in the driver's seat of one the parked cars. The driver does not see the bicycle and opens the door into the path of the cyclist.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Ride to the left. Ride far enough to the left that you won't run into any door that's opened unexpectedly. You may be wary about riding so far into the lane that cars can't pass you easily, but you're more likely to get doored by a parked car if you ride too close to it than you are to get hit from behind by a car which can clearly see you.
Threat: Rear End Although this is the kind of accident cyclists fear most, it is one of the least common. Most often the cyclist is moving left to pass a parked car and a car approaching from the rear doesn't notice the bike's change in position, hitting him from the rear.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Always Check Behind You in Your Mirror Before Pulling Out to the Left Some motorists pass cyclists within inches, so moving slightly to the left unexpectedly could put you in the path of a car. Practice holding a straight line while looking over your shoulder until you can do it perfectly. Most new cyclists tend to drift left when they look behind them, which of course can be disastrous. If a car is close behind you, wait until it has passed before pulling around the parked car.
2) Don't Swerve In and Out among Parked Cars You might be tempted to ride in the parking lane where there are no parked cars, dipping back into the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you at risk for getting hit from behind. Instead, ride a steady, straight line at least one door's length to the left of the parked cars.
3) Get a Bright Rear Light Turn it to blinking mode and leave it on even during the day.
4) Wear Bright Colors or A Reflective Vest At night or dusk, wear reflective clothing. In the daylight, a bright colored shirt will do.
Danger Zone: Alley or DrivewayThreat: Side Blowout
This one is solely the fault of the cyclist. It happens when a biker emerges quickly from a drive or alley into the sidewalk or street. In the first case the biker hits a pedestrian; in the second, the biker is hit from the side by a passing car which could not react in time.
How to Avoid An Accident
1) Stop, Look, Listen Stop at the sidewalk and/or street before proceeding. Duh.
© 2010 - 2012 Bob Beach Thanks to Michael Bluejay, Bicyclesafe.com for much of this content
