That time I almost doored a cyclist: I had just parked next to Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge. I opened the door to step out and was immediately shocked from my daydream about pancakes by a cyclist whizzing around and by. If they hadn’t zig-zagged, they would have slammed right into my open car door and suffered potentially serious injury. We live further out in suburbia, and I don’t parallel park next to a bike lane often. It was a shock to open up my door and see a cyclist zooming around the car. Would I have hit them parallel parking if they’d been a few minutes earlier? I’m not used to looking for them, and that’s a problem.
A recent biking tragedy in Boston had me thinking about the experience, and wishing the road were safer for cyclists everywhere. What can I do to help?
I asked some cyclists for the advice they’d give drivers. Here’s what I learned:
- Watch out for double parked cars: One of my good friends shared this: “I had a cyclist hit my stopped car while trying to maneuver around a double parked delivery truck.” Also, don’t double park your car over a bike lane!
- Look before you open your door.
- Make sure you’re 3 feet away from cyclists when you pass them.
- Cyclists can’t always see you signaling them to go if there’s windshield glare.
- If there’s uneven terrain or obstacles, cyclists are allowed to pull further into car lanes to avoid them. You still need to give them three feet of room if you’re going to pass them.
- Cyclists may be going faster than you think, use caution and don’t cut them off.
- Honking can put them on edge and make things worse, rather than letting them know you’re there.
- Bike lanes are often only 6-12 inches wide. They’d like to give you more room. They can’t.
A scary story: I asked my running coach, Jake of TriJake Fitness (pictured below) about cycling safety. Here’s his story: “I was hit head on by a car 2 years ago, forcing a reconstruction of my left shoulder. I was lucky to make it out alive. I was riding in the bike path in Newton, and the car made a left hand turn from the opposite direction, striking me with the front right bumper. I believe my accident happened because the driver didn’t realize I was traveling at 32 MPH and thought he could beat me to make the turn.”
Jake’s advice: “I ride a lot outside, and I feel there is a lack of mutual respect between entitled cyclist and resentful motorist. In reality we are all traveling the same roads and should allow each their own space.” He recommends that cyclists take safety courses, saying that he feels safer since taking the course and changing his riding style (and always conforming to traffic laws).
We can all do better: I agree with Jake that taking a cycling safety class is a great idea for people riding bikes. I’ve seen plenty of cyclists breaking traffic rules, and putting themselves at risk. I acknowledge that this isn’t a one-sided problem.
But as a motorist I have a part to play in preventing accidents. I can be a little more patient. I can look for bikes and not just cars. I can put directions into my dashboard navigation and not into a phone I need to glance down at. I can avoid texting and talking on the phone when I’m driving. I can wait a few minutes to pass so there’s extra room and I can go into the other lane. I can NEVER race a cyclist turning at an intersection.
Trucks: One of the biggest dangers for cyclists is tractor-trailer trucks. A lot of biking fatalities are caused by tractor trailer trucks. Something scary; the truckers don’t always realize they’ve hit someone. We can help by stopping behind the white line at intersections so trucks can take wide turns more easily, and by supporting bills like this:
“The bicycle activist group MassBike is supporting a bill on Beacon Hill that would require trucks registered in the state to install truck guards, which they say will prevent bicyclists from being caught under the wheels.” Source.
Save a Life: None of us wants to injure or kill someone. Be safe out there.
Thank you to all the cyclists and motorists who helped with this post!
Especially helpful were @dkathunt, @ofsevit, @JWLevitt, my coach Jake of TriJake Fitness, and my friends Katie and Beth, all quoted here.
I had my own close call this morning while on my bike. It was my own fault in trying to cross a road with oncoming traffic in both directions. It was dark and it’s hard to see just how close the cars are in those conditions. Thankfully I made it across ok, but I keep thinking “What’s the harm in stopping? Just be safer!” I definitely think bike safety goes both ways!
Glad you made it across ok! I almost got hit by a car this week, and was thinking how ironic that was given I was working on the draft of this blog post about cycling safety. It’s not a good feeling. (Mine was a driver texting and stopping across the sidewalk instead of before it.)
Thanks for this post. My husband is a cyclist who rides a minimum of 150-200 miles/week. Needless to say, I worry about his safety…a lot! Anything that heightens awareness of cyclists-and runners/walkers-is greatly needed and appreciated.