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Always make hand signals well in advance of any turn, not just when you think they are needed. |
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Practice stopping as quickly as you can to get a feel for how much distance is needed at different speeds and under different conditions. You will need considerably greater stopping distances during wet conditions. |
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Learn to lift your butt off the seat of the bike when emergency breaking to keep your rear wheel from skidding. Your front breaks account for 80 percent of your breaking power so doing this will help you stop much faster.
In wet weather, squeeze your breaks frequently to dry them off to make sure you can stop quickly. keeping your rims clean of dirt and grease will also help you to stop in wet weather. |
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Stay aware. Even if you use a mirror you still need to shoulder check before changing lanes or making a turn. Learn to check over your shoulder for approaching cars without swerving by keeping your opposite arm slightly fixed as you look over your shoulder. |
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The fewer distractions the better. Try to avoid using your IPOD or cell phone, even when its hands free. It is more important to hear what’s around you when you are biking than when you are driving. If you MUST listen to music or the radio while riding, only use one ear.
Cycling is a full sensory experience. Information from sight, sound, the feel of the road and of your bike, even smells all give us valuable information that helps keep us safe. Be alert and pay attention. |
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Be selective about your streets. It is safer to ride on streets that have wide outer lanes or have designated bicycle lanes. Sometimes and alternative route is not available and you must ride in heavy traffic, but often there will be a calmer, friendlier street available within a few blocks. Many neighbourhood bikeways have traffic calming measures and cyclist activated lights at intersections. |
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Always try to ride in a steady, straight line in the traffic lane. This helps avoid crashes with both cars and other cyclists who might be approaching from the rear.
Avoid swerving in and out of parking lanes. It is tempting to ride in and out of parking lanes when there are no parked cars; however this puts you at risk for getting hit from behind. |
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Take the lane when necessary. Bicycles are allowed on all streets. Where there is not enough room for a car to safely pass, you have the right to take the entire lane, riding in the centre. Of course, politeness would say to let a car pass when possible and safe, but don't put yourself at risk for an impatient motorist. |
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Go with the flow. Ride with the traffic, not against it. Riding against the traffic may seem like a good idea because you can see cars passing you but in addition to it being illegal, it also makes it extremely difficult to make a right turn and cars pulling into the street aren’t expecting traffic to be coming from the wrong way. |
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How not to get hit by Cars?
OK. There's a lot to say on this topic, and clearly, a tip that says to avoid being hit isn't all that helpful.
However, a great website called BikeSafe.com has a wealth of useful, well-written, and illustrated material on this very topic, it is helpful.
Check it out, whether you're a cyclist or a driver, or both. It could just save you and/or someone else. |
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Ride in an appropriate gear. Gear down when approaching stop signs and uncontrolled intersections so you have the power to move quickly if needed. Don't ride in a gear so high it leads to muscle strain or joint injuries. “Spinning”—staying in low gears— will make it easier to ride for a longer period of time without injury.
When riding up hills, gear down before you have to. Gears can jam if there's too much strain on them before you shift, and your bike is more difficult to control if you have to pedal too hard going up hills. |
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Watch for sand, gravel, leaves, oil, ice, potholes, road kill and other potentially threatening objects. Ride in control. On bumpy sections put more weight on the pedals than the seat, and grip the seat with your thighs for better control.
Keep your weight to the back of the bike, especially when going downhill so as to avoid headers.
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Don’t ride too fast or lean on the bike while turning on wet, slippery surfaces or going over railroad tracks. |
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Avoid drunk drivers. Use back streets on weekend evenings when the risk of encountering a drunk driver increases substantially. |
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You can never be too obvious. It is always crucial to signal before moving left. Just put your left arm straight out. Be sure to check your mirror behind you before signaling to avoid injuring your arm by a car passing too closely.
Right turns can be signalled either by pointing the right arm straight out, or with the traditional left arm bent at the elbow and pointing up.
And don't forget the left arm bent and pointing downwards to signal an intent to stop.
Signals are meant to signal intention, which means we do it before beginning an action. This can be tricky for cyclists as we also need to control our bikes, sometimes with two hands as we approach an intersections and need to slow down, especially in wet weather. Be aware that although you may have signaled once, you don't have a continuous signal like a motor vehicle and drivers may have missed it. |
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Don’t pass on the right in moving traffic if you are in the same lane or on a narrow street such as a neighbourhood bikeway lined with parked cars. If the car in front of you is going substantially slower than you, wait for it to speed up. If this doesn’t happen, pass on the left when it is safe to do so. |
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Leave yourself enough room on the right. Ride in part of the lane it is safe to ride in. Technically, cyclists are supposed to keep as far to the right “as possible.” That doesn't mean you ride right up against the curb, in the gutter, or so close to a parked car you get “doored”. Try to leave about a meter between you and parked cars, a curb, or unpaved shoulder. That may not always be possible, but it gives you a bit of cushion for the unexpected. |
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Don’t ride on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, and pedestrians can be as vulnerable toward bicycles, as bicycles are to cars. And, it's not safer for either. There are more cycling accidents riding on sidewalks than on roads, and it makes crossing roads, driveways, and alleyways even more dangerous because drivers are not looking for cyclists to be approaching from the sidewalk. |
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Safety Tips 
