Cycling in the DC area can be very rewarding, but it's important to know the basics of city riding.

Skip to Vehicular Cycling>>

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Vehicular Cycling

"Bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles"

Bicycles are part of traffic

• Check for oncoming traffic before entering any street or intersection
• Ride on the right, with the flow of traffic.
• Use the lane furthest to the right that heads in the direction that you are traveling.
  
• Ride in the right third of the right-most lane that goes in the direction you are going.
• Take the lane if there is insufficient road width for cyclists and cars to share, less than 12 feet (in DC most lanes are 11 feet wide).

Follow traffic laws

• Obey traffic control devices: stop signs, stop lights, lane markings
• Use hand signals to let pedestrians, other cyclists and motor vehicle drivers know your intention to stop or turn
  
• Anticipate hazards and adjust your position in traffic accordingly
  
• Ride in a straight line – not in and out of parked cars on the side of the street/road
  

Ride safely

• Ride far enough away from parked cars to avoid hitting a surprise open door. Don’t ride in the door zone!
  
• Ride far enough away from the curb or edge of the roadway to avoid hazards and debris
• Check, signal and move into the adjacent lane if there are hazards in a bike lane
• Take the lane before intersections and turns to assert your position on the roadway
• Take the lane if traveling the same speed as other traffic or if hazards narrow the usable width.
  

Bike Lanes/Paths

Courtesy

• Yield to slower users, especially children
• Obey posted speed limits for the safety of all users.
• Get off the path when you stop.
  

Announce when passing

• Clearly indicate your intention to pass other users
  
• Warn other trail users in advance so you do not startle them
  
• Use a bell, horn, or say “On your left” or “Passing on your left” when passing
  

Yield when entering and crossing

• Slow down before intersections and when entering a trail from the road
  

Keep Right

• Stay as close to the right as possible, except when passing.
  
• Give yourself enough room to maneuver around any hazards.
  

Pass on Left

• Scan ahead and behind before announcing your intention to pass
  
• Allow plenty of room, about two bike lengths, before moving back to the right
  
• Do not pass when visibility ahead is limited

Be Predictable

• Travel in a straight line, except to avoid hazards or to pass.
  
• Always indicate your intention to turn or pass
  

Be Visible

• Wear brightly colored clothing
  
• Make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there (but don’t always expect them to see you)
  
• Always ride in or near a travel lane
  
• Stay visible by riding where drivers are looking, i.e., do not pass on the right
  

At night – conspicuity

• Legally, cyclists must have a front white light and a red rear reflector and/or a rear red light
  
• A bright red [blinking] light is much more conspicuous than a passive reflector
  
• Make sure that your lights are visible to motorists, and not pointing up or down
  
• Clear obstructions from the back of the bike that might block the light
  

crash checklist

WHAT TO DO AFTER A TRAFFIC CRASH

 

If you’re hurt in a traffic crash, don’t ride away or shake off

what seems like a minor injury—you might find later that it’s

worse than you thought. Instead:

• Call the police (911 or 311 or #77). If needed, get medical help immediately.
• Get the following information from every vehicle: driver name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate number, make of car, insurance company name and policy number.
• Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
• Get the police report number from police on the scene.
• Write down how the crash happened while it’s fresh in your memory.
• Keep (or photograph) any damaged clothes or equipment.

Also, if you’re a victim:

• Don’t get mad at the scene. Keep a level head so you can ask questions and take notes
• If injured, don’t move unless you’re sure you won’t hurt yourself more.

Log a bicycle crash

BikeWise>>

We can collect data by logging crashes on this site.

Login Email: safetyed@waba.org

Password: bikecrash

Bicycle Crash Tutorial>>

A NHTSA presentation about bicycle crash reporting and enforcement.

Report Aggresive driving

Check out the Smooth Operator program>>

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the definition of aggressive driving is:
"When individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property."

Police will need to know the following information when you are reporting an aggressive driver:

• Description of Vehicle (color, make, model, license plate state, and license plate number).
• Description of driver (sex, race, age, hair color, height, weight).
• Location of incident.
• Date and time of incident.
• What happened?
• Would you be willing to serve as a witness? If yes, you must give your name, address and phone number.

How To Avoid Aggressive Drivers

• Get out of their way and steer clear of them on the road.
• Stay relaxed. Remember that reaching your destination safely and calmly is your goal.
• Don't challenge them. Avoid eye contact. Ignore rude gestures and refuse to return them.
• Give them the benefit of the doubt. Not all aggressive driving behavior is intentional.
• Don't block the passing lane, especially if you are driving slower than most of the traffic. Move over to the right lane.
• Dial #77 on a cell phone to report aggressive drivers or call your local police when you can.

Report a Problem

Notice something amiss in the bicycling environment ? Report It!   Have you seen storm drain grates parallel to a bicycle tire direction of travel, a pot hole in a bike path, or other bicycle-related problem in DC?

Report it using the DC City Services Request website.

Stolen Bike Registries

Free: stolenbikeregistry.com

Fee ($10 non-members):   nationalbikeregistry.com

Buy a NBR registration at the WABA Store ($7 members)

MPD Stolen Property Listing

http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/lib/mpdc/StolenProperties.mht

Lost and Found

DC craigslist (community, lost & found; or for sale, bikes)

Request a copy of WABA's new Guide:

Safe Bicycling in the Washington Area.

Browse The Guide>>

 

Learn to Ride

While practicing this specific method, do not hold onto the rider or their bicycle. Holding on hinders the rider’s balance and prolongs the entire learning process. 

• Make sure that the bike rider wears a properly fitting helmet; shoelaces and pant legs are tucked in or rolled up.
• Check that the bike seat is low enough that the rider can touch her/his feet flat on the ground.
• Have the rider practice slowly pushing the bike with both feet while sitting on the bike. Removing both pedals may help during this stage. Teach the concept of counter steering: while seated on bike lean to one side and show that by turning handle bars in the same direction of the lean that the bike will come back to center (don’t put your foot down, steer into the lean).

*Tip: Remind the rider to keep his or her chin up, pointing in the direction he or she wants to go (not looking down) and to keep elbows straight—“No noodle arms!” 

Wait until the bike rider is comfortable doing this procedure before moving onto the next step.

• Have the rider put one pedal forward in the “Power Pedal Position” *, step down on the pedal and coast forward while the other foot is out to the side. Then switch feet. Normally, with natural progression the rider will begin the linking pedal strokes. It may help to attach one pedal at a time, starting with the right pedal and then adding both.

* “Power Pedal Position” - if the front chain ring was the face of a clock, the pedal would be in the 2 o’clock position – the “Power Pedal Position”

When rider begins to feel comfortable balancing have her/him try pedaling a few strokes while steering straight ahead. Remind him or her to look up and ahead and “no noodle arms”.

If a small incline is available, have the rider start at the top of the incline helps the rider gain momentum. This momentum makes lifting both feet off the ground a bit easier.

Practice correct mount and dismount procedures. Raise the seat height so that the rider is on tip-toe when seated.

• Rider should start standing over top tube with right foot on the right pedal in the power pedal position (left foot on ground)
• In one motion push down on right pedal to propel the bicycle forward and raise the body up off the ground with the left foot
• Sit on the saddle
• To dismount, while squeezing the brakes to slow the bike, slide forward off the saddle and stand on the right pedal at bottom of pedal stroke
• When the bike is almost stopped, keep squeezing the brake lever and put the left foot on the ground.

 

 

How to avoid common crashes

Right Hook on Red

You stop to the right of a car that's already waiting at a red light or stop sign. They can't see you. When the light turns green, you move forward, and then they turn right, right into you.

Stop BEHIND a car. Don't stop in the blind spot, to the right of a car, even if there is a bike lane. Positioning your bike further left makes you more visible to traffic on all sides.

Another option is to stop at either point A in the diagram above (where the first driver can see you), or at point B, behind the first car so it can't turn into you, and far enough ahead of the second car so that the second driver can see you clearly.

Right Hook on Green

(car overtaking bike)

A car passes you and then tries to make a right turn directly in front of you, or right into you.

Ride further to the left. Riding nearer to the center of the lanewhen approaching intersections will help indicate your intention to go straight.

Don't ride on the sidewalk.

Glance in your mirror

before approaching an intersection.

Right Hook on Green

(bike overtaking car)

You're passing a slow-moving car (or even another bike) on the right, when it unexpectedly makes a right turn right into you, trying to get to a parking lot, driveway or side street.

Don't pass on the right. If a car or bike ahead of you is going only 10 mph, then you slow down, too, behind it. It will eventually start moving faster. If it doesn't, pass on the left when it's safe to do so.

Left Hook

A car coming towards you makes a left turn right in front of you, or right into you.

Ride further to the left. Riding nearer to the center of the lanewhen approaching intersections will help indicate your intention to go straight.

Don't pass on the right.

Slow down.

Don't ride on the sidewalk.

Get a headlight.

Wear something bright, even during the day.

Dooring

A driver opens his door right in front of you. You run right into it if you can't stop in time.

Ride to the left. Ride far enough to the left so that you won't run into any door that's opened unexpectedly.

Right Cross

A car is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right. Notice that there are actually two possible kinds of collisions here: Either you're in front of the car and the car hits you, or the car pulls out in front of you and you slam into it.

Slow down. So that you can make eye contact.

Ride further left. You're probably used to riding in the "A" line in the picture, very close to the curb, because you're worried about being hit from behind. But take a look at the car. When that driver is looking down the road for traffic, he's not looking in the bike lane or the area closest to the curb; he's looking in the middle of the lane, for other cars. The farther left you are (such as in "B"), the more likely the driver will see you.

Get a headlight. This helps you to be more visible, especially at night.

10 Essential Bike Skills

"Every person bicycling on a roadway has all the rights and duties of a driver of a vehicle"

 

1.  Stopping

Quick Stop. Emergency stop by shifting your weight back, straightening your arms, and using both brakes. If the rear skids, ease up on both brakes. Know the limits of your front wheel to avoid a dangerous front skid.

2.  Right of way yielding, look before entering (left, right, left)

 

3.  Ride on the right

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Scanning to the rear

5.  Signaling turns, slowing/stopping, straight through

 

6.  Turning safely

Watch for the "Left Cross." Left turning motorists tend to look down the center of the lane for other motor vehicles, and are less likely to notice bicyclists who are close to the curb and smaller. Avoid this danger by being vigilant, and more visible by positioning yourself closer to, or even straight down, the middle of the lane. Keep from being visually screened by other motor vehicles.

Fend off the "Right Hook." Motorists sometimes overtake bicyclists only to wind up cutting them off when making a right turn. Guard against this type of danger by being further from the curb, forcing the driver to make a more sweeping turn. Expect the "right hook" to happen, and be able to "Instaturn" if necessary.

 

7.  Lane position for left turns

 

Turning left. There are two ways to turn left: "vehicular" style and "2 Step" style. It should rarely be a necessity, but use a "2 Step" turn if traffic is too heavy for you to turn left like other vehicles. Go through the intersection, align yourself facing left, and proceed when clear or on the green if at a signal.

 

8.  Recognizing and avoiding hazards

Quick Dodge. Watch out for road surface hazards: potholes, large rocks, gravel, bad drainage grates or other slots in the direction of travel, wet metal surfaces, and assorted debris. Avoid sudden unforeseen hazards such as potholes by turning left then right back quickly around the object. The rear wheel should also miss the threat. You may also "bunny hop" a hazard. If you must ride over something, rise off the saddle and use your legs like shock absorbers.

 

9.  Passing parked cars

 

10.  Planning safe bike routes