Knowing how to ride in traffic safely is an important skill to know if you want to use your bike for transportation or get places more quickly. It may seem scary at first, but the key to developing confidence is knowing where to ride and how to handle different traffic situations.
Ride where you feel the most safe and are the most visible to motorists.
The rightmost lane typically has the slowest moving traffic. If you are riding on a multi lane road, stick to the right lane. Motorists also follow this rule and expect traffic in the right lane to be slower. Riding in the right lane also gives drivers the space to pass you if needed. Bicycles are allowed to ride in any lane, so remember to ride where you feel the most safe and are the most visible to motorists.
The door zone is the area on either side of the street where vehicle doors open into traffic. Typically the right two thirds of a bike lane. Keep out of the door zone by riding in the left third of the bike lane or riding in the middle of the road
Follow all posted signs and markings – especially stop signs and traffic lights
If there isn’t enough room to share a lane with another vehicle with at least 3 feet of space between you, then take the lane. Take the lane means riding in the middle. It makes you more visible to motorists and prevents them from trying to squeeze around you.
Lane positioning
Most roads lanes are not large enough for a car and a bicycle to ride side by side with three feet of space in between them (14 ft) Where you ride in the road communicates to motorists what you intend to do.
When riding in a narrow single lane or one way roads. You’ll want to take the lane. This will keep you out of the door zone and make you visible to motorists.
When riding in multi lane roads, select the rightmost lane that serves your destination. If there is enough space to share a lane with a car, make sure that you have at least 3 feet of space on either side of you. If you need to pass vehicles, pass them on their left.
Scanning & Signaling
Scanning is the act of looking around you to identify any potential obstacles or hazards. Scanning also indicates to others that you may be looking to move.
Put your chin to your shoulder to get a quick look at what is behind you.
When it is safe to move, use hand signals to tell others what you intend to do.
Left – turning left
Right – turning right
Down – slowing down
Some people also recognize this (pointing up with bent elbow) as turning right. This stems from a time before turn signals when motorists had to stick their left arm out of the driver side window to tell others that they were turning right. You’re free to use this, but it may not be universally recognized as turning right. Pointing right usually gets the point across.
Changing Lanes
After you have scanned to make sure it is safe to move and signaled to notify others where you intend to go, the next step is to change lanes.
If you need to change multiple lanes you may have to move over one lane at a time. Give yourself extra time to do this so that you don’t miss your turn.
Intersections
Intersections can be tricky. There are lots of different configurations depending on the number of lanes, whether you’re riding on a one way road or a single lane road.
The rule of thumb is to ride in the rightmost lane serving your destination. That means, don’t use a right turn lane if you’re going straight.
If you feel uncomfortable or confused, you can always get off of your bike and navigate the intersection as a pedestrian!
Visibility
Visibility is compromised when riding in the dark, and during rain, fog, snow and wind.
Use bike lights and high-visibility clothing to be seen by others
Be sure to keep your lights charged or bring spare batteries with you.
Other hazards to be conscious of:
Metal surfaces are slippery when wet. Try to avoid metal plates in the road after a rainstorm. They also may not lay flush with the road and could potentially trip up your tires.
Cracks, pavement joints, and streetcar tracks can run parallel to where you are riding. Be sure to cross cracks and rails perpendicularly to avoid getting your tires stuck.
Five layers of riding safely in traffic:
Bike control – knowing basic bike handling skills and how to ride in control is the first step to riding safely.
Obey the law – a rider who does not obey the law puts themselves and others at risk.
Positioning – Where you position yourself in the lane communicates your intentions to others and prevents them from trying to pass you in an unsafe manner.
Avoidance – maintain awareness of what is going on around you. Don’t wear headphones – it will hinder your ability to listen. Wear sunglasses to keep the sun out of your eyes. Scanning frequently, even if you aren’t turning helps to give you a sense of what is going on around you.
Passive safety – Even if you do everything correctly, you cannot control everything going on around you. Wear a helmet! It will protect you when you need it the most.