Hi peeps! This morning I was reminded once again how sick I am of all the share the road discourse centering around cyclists behaviors. Motorists seem to have a lot of advice for cyclists about how we can keep from getting killed -- but where is all the advice for motorists? Dont experienced bike commuters have some legitimately helpful advice for motorists who may not realize their behaviors are endangering us? In this spirit, Im trying to compile a list, as constructively as I can, of advice for motorists who dont want to kill, maim, or terrify cyclists. Please contribute based on your experiences! 1) Obey the speed limit. The faster you go, the less time you have to see and react to others on the road, and the more damaging impacts can be. Also, going faster than the flow of traffic can make it very hard for a cyclist (for instance, trying to make a left turn through your lane) to predict and avoid you. 2) Watch for cyclists, especially as you approach intersections. Intersections are far and away the scariest spots for us. Check for cyclists before crossing a bike lane (before or inside the intersection) to make a turn. Avoid cutting off the bike lane to inch your car closer to a crosswalk while waiting for pedestrians. 3) Stop fully when you have a stop sign at a trail crossings, whether you see a cyclist coming or not. Also, for safetys sake, please stop at any trail crossing when you see a bike, even if you dont have a stop sign. Know where the trail crossings are on your commute -- sometimes they arent well marked. 4) Pay attention to the location of bike lanes on the street you are driving on. Please do not use bike lanes as turn lanes when they are not indicated as such. Please do not use bike lanes as parking lanes, driving lanes, or passing lanes. 5) Do not drive distracted. Save your phone calls and texting for when you get home. And please, please, please, NEVER drive impaired. Remember that you are manning machinery that could really hurt someone, and cyclists and pedestrians dont have airbags. 6) Respect cyclists rights on the road. If we need to, we have the right to take the whole lane. We dont do this to slow you down; we do it for our own safety and most of us try to get back out of the way as soon as its safe to do so. Please dont try to pass us dangerously when we do this. 7) Bikes are slower than cars. Please yield to us in intersections if we are already there, e.g. attempting a left hand turn as you approach the intersection. Its not a race. 8) Cyclists have the right to be on the road too, no matter how much they annoy or inconvenience you. Even if you are having a bad day, please resist the temptation to yell at us or intimidate us with dangerous driving. (Yes, people really do this.) 9) When in doubt, remember that another persons life and safety are more important than you getting to your destination two minutes earlier. Take the opportunity to treat someone like you value their life -- it will give you both warm fuzzies, I promise.
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 14:40:02 +0000
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