As the weather improves you might be tempted to take your bicycle out of the garage and start riding to work. There are so many benefits to this that it would be good if more people thought the same. However, most of our towns are still dominated by cars.
As a cyclist, that means you can never be sure whether you will get to work intact. You don’t have any protection, unlike those inside the cars. And you can’t rely on all drivers to drive well, so you need to be proactive about your safety for the sake of self-preservation. Here are a few ways you can do that:
Make eye contact
You don’t need to gaze into the eyes of every driver on the road, but you should catch the eye of certain ones. For instance, someone you want to sneak ahead of in a traffic queue, or a driver whose path you must cross to turn.
Drop your left shoulder
You need to know what’s happening behind you, and quickly dropping your left shoulder allows you to turn your head more for a glance behind. It’s crucial before pulling back in or turning and it’s wise to do it regularly so you are aware of anyone who might try to pass you.
Consider adding some color to your outfit
If you want to wear all black and ride a bike that matches, that’s your right but it’s not going to help you be seen. Even a little color can help you get noticed by those who could knock you off.
It’s a driver’s responsibility to take care around you but many are not that careful, so being proactive helps your odds of arriving at work without incident. If you don’t, there is legal help available to hold a negligent driver responsible.
