Last week, I showed up at a sushi restaurant to meet a group of folks before heading to the Madonna concert. I had just ridden my bike from Santa Monica to Hollywood in rush hour traffic on the evening of the post-election "No On Prop 8" rallies. It was a glorious ride and I was even part of leading the West Hollywood rally at one point until the police escort allowed me to pass him and get on my way to see the Madge-I live in concert.
After relaying my trip to fellow concert-goers, who had just spent two hours tracing pretty much the same exact route sequestered in a limo, one woman said, "Oh my God, I was just saying, 'Who the hell rides their bike in this traffic?'" She then described the anxiety she feels when she approaches a bicycle on a city street and how she doesn't know how to properly pass either. I knew I was talking with people who had never commuted on two wheels before (just as I never had prior to October). Without getting out there and experiencing what it's like to squeeze between a parked SUV and a moving school bus or to rear-end a Prius after he cuts you off to drive in the bike lane (are they not granted enough privileges already?), then it's understandable that a person may not be aware of proper distances and road etiquette when it comes to sharing the road with bikes.
So, this nice little snippet from an article in the NY Times gives a basic understanding of how to maneuver your gas-powered ride around the bi-peds of the city. After all, they may be slowing you down momentarily, but they're doing the city a favor by keeping fewer carbon emissions out of the air you breathe. Read and heed!
If You’re the Driver
- Keep in mind that a bicycle is a vehicle and that a person riding one has the same rights as a driver of any other vehicle. Bicycles are legally entitled to use most roads, though they must ride on the shoulder when the speed limit exceeds 50 miles per hour.
- Remember, too, that bicycles are hard to see and, unlike drivers, cyclists are unprotected by seat belts, air bags and steel cages.
- When approaching a cyclist, slow down. When passing, clear the bike by at least three feet (five feet if you are driving a truck). Check your rearview mirror and be sure you can see the cyclist clearly before moving back into the lane.
- Do not blow your horn behind cyclists. It can frighten riders and cause them to swerve.
- Don’t follow closely behind a bicycle, which may have to stop or maneuver suddenly to avoid a road hazard that could cause the cyclist to fall.
Be especially wary around young cyclists, including those on sidewalks, who may cross intersections or dart into the road from a driveway or midblock without looking. - Most serious crashes occur at intersections. When turning right, signal well ahead of time, turn from the middle of the intersection rather than across the bike path, and make sure no bike is on your right before you turn. Do not pass a cyclist if you will be turning right immediately after.
- In bad weather, give cyclists a wider berth, just as you would do for other drivers.
- When waiting to turn left or to proceed from a stop sign, yield to a bicycle that has the right of way. More than half of collisions occur when cyclists and drivers are on perpendicular paths, and three-fourths of these accidents result from a failure to yield the right of way.
- Before opening your car door, check your mirror to be sure no bike is approaching. A passenger on the driver’s side should open the door just enough to turn around to see if the path is clear.
- Like it or not, bicyclists have the right to “take the lane” under certain conditions:
1. When overtaking a vehicle moving in the same direction.
2. When getting ready to turn left.
3. When a lane is too narrow to share with a car or truck.
4. When there are unsafe conditions on the road like double-parked vehicles, animals, pedestrians and potholes.
To read the whole article, click here.
Here's to mutual respect on the road, resulting in a safe harmonious commute for all travellers.
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