How To Share The Road With Cyclists
by Joan Bradley
In a car-bicycle accident, the cyclist is likely to come off much worse than the motorist. As a motorist, this provides you with an extra incentive to be careful while sharing the road with cyclists. Here are some safety tips to use while sharing a road with cyclists:
Avoid the Bike Lane at All Costs
If you are using a road with bike lanes, stay out of it at all costs. Don't swerve on it, park on it or encroach on it even for a second; you run the risk of hitting a cyclist. In addition, by obstructing the cyclists' way, you force them to use traffic lanes, which increases the risk of a crash even further. It's even more dangerous if you do it suddenly.
Understand that Cyclists May Not Hear You
You may be able to hear road noise from the comfort of your car's cabin because you are protected by the body of the car. However, a typical cyclist may not hear your car coming from behind. This is mainly because they have a lot of wind noise in their ears (and some cyclists listen to music while riding, too). Therefore, don't assume that the cyclist in front will hear you; alert them using your horn.
Watch Out Before Opening Your Door
Opening your car's door without warning can easily trip a cyclist and cause a nasty accident. Therefore, when you are parked in a place where cyclists may pass, for example, when you have just pulled off the road, confirm that there is no cyclist on your side of the road before opening the door.
Give Cyclists Room While Overtaking
Just because a bike is small doesn't mean that it doesn't require much room during overtaking. In fact, it's precisely because of this reason you should give the cyclist ample room, say three feet, when overtaking them. If you don't do that, the wind draft created by your car may suck in the cyclist and slam them on you. It's for the same reason that you should slow down a bit while overtaking a cyclist.
If you have been involved in an accident with a cyclist, don't assume that you are automatically to blame even if the cyclist is seriously hurt and you only have a few scratches. Admitting liability only complicates matters for your attorney when it later turns out that the cyclist is responsible for your damages. Visit a site like http://www.bjhmaldenlaw.com to learn more.
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About Me
You walk into your favorite grocery store and right away, you slip and fall only to sprain your ankle. You can't perform your job because it requires standing on your feet all day, which means that you can't make any money to support your family while your ankle heals. There was no warning that the floors were wet after being cleaned in the store – so what do you do? It's probably a good idea to think about filing a personal injury lawsuit. Of course, anyone with experience with a personal injury case will tell you just how important it is to work with an attorney throughout the process. I'd like to share insight I've learned through three personal injury cases that I myself have had to go through in the past. I think the information on this website can help people like you, who need some personal injury guidance.