Ever rolled up on a cyclist in your vehicle and tried to pass but were too nervous to do so? Or every mistrusted a cyclist and became annoyed if not angry? Ever nearly hit a cyclist while having parked along a busy street just by simply opening your door?
There are countless ways we as motorists come in contact with cyclists on a daily basis. Some are able to cheerfully coexist with them, some are indifferent to them, and others get triggered--big time. One columnist Tom Stafford for the BBC theorizes that motorists rage at cyclists because of a built-in evolutionary orientation to rules and social order: if we see people going against the social order we feel slighted. This evolutionary reaction takes place in drivers when they see cyclists following different rules of the road and accordingly getting ahead.
But this default to some kind of unverified evolutionary structure of human interaction seems like a bit of a cop-out: "Well I'm perfectly justified to harass a cyclist--it's in my genes!" That is, while this theory may make an intelligent article to read, it does nothing to foster cooperation and safety between those who legitimately share the road.
Nevertheless, here are some safety tips for motorists when driving alongside cyclists:
1. Simply put, respect the legitimate rights of all who share the road. It is a cyclist's right to be on the road just as much as it is yours. By thinking this way, you might extend more patience and grace to those who are riding alongside, ahead, and behind you.
2. In bad weather, give cyclists more trailing time between them and you, as you would with another motor vehicle.
3. When passing, try to give at least 3 feet of space between your motor vehicle and the cyclist, as you would passing a slow moving motor vehicle.
4. Don't pass a cyclist if you're turning right at the next street up ahead and then cut back in for the turn--it will cut him/her off. Cyclists can move unassumingly fast, and need plenty of time to make necessary adjustments.
5. When turning left at an intersection, yield to on-coming cyclists as you would to on-coming motor vehicles.
6. Before you open your car door, look behind for cyclists who may be coming up quickly along side your vehicle.
7. Don't honk your horn at a cyclist while approaching behind them--it'll really startle them and potentially cause a slip of the handle bars and loss of control of the bike. Understand that there is a vulnerable human being ahead of you with 99 percent less protection than you have in your vehicle.
8. Reduce speed when approaching cyclists, especially if the road is narrow.
9. Do not pass a cyclist when on-coming traffic is present. Just wait and take your time.
10. Keep special watch for children on their bikes, especially when backing out of your driveway with your SUV or van. They can be so small and can roll past so swiftly, it's hard to see them. Look, look, look, then look again before pulling out.
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