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WAYS
TO DEAL WITH TOUGH SITUATIONS
Let's
face it -- some traffic situations go beyond the normal rules. When
the traffic system begins to break down because of overcrowding,
poor planning and disrespect for the law, you may have to "bushwhack"
your way through the mess.
You can emerge safe and maintain
the respect of other road users if you're careful. Here are some
of the common situations where you have to take the initiative.
WHEN
TRAFFIC LIGHTS DON'T TURN
Always stop and wait for red lights. You not
only ensure your safety, but also increase respect for cyclists
as law-abiding road users.
But some traffic lights don't turn
green until they receive a signal from a metal detector buried in
the pavement. A bicycle doesn't have enough metal to make many of
them work.
Recognize the detector by a square
or octagonal pattern of thin lines in the pavement, where slots
were cut for the detecting wires. The detector is most sensitive
if you ride along one of the wires.
If your bike doesn't trip the detector,
you have to wait for a car to do it, or else you have to go through
the red light. Going through the red isn't against the law, because
the light is defective.
Detectors are made that work for
bicycles, at little or no additional cost. Federal design guidelines
exist for these detectors. If you put enough pressure on your local
and state government, bicyclists can avoid the crashes and the city
can avoid the lawsuits which may follow.
GETTING
THROUGH TRAFFIC JAMS
Traffic jams don't have to stop you -- that's
one of the biggest advantages of bicycling in the city. But in the
tight quarters of a tie-up, take extra care. Stopped cars in a traffic
jam present the same hazards as parked cars: blindspots, doors and
unpredictable starts and turns.
If there is an open passing lane,
use it rather than thread between cars. If the street is completely
plugged, pick your way forward slowly and with your hands on the
brake levers. Remember, any car door could open!
If you're in a traffic jam, you can
be fairly sure that the cars will not move, since they have nowhere
to go. But if there's an open driveway or parking space into which
a car could turn, you have to assume that it will. Look to see whether
the car's front wheels are turned. Move away from the side of the
car as you pass, and try to get the driver's attention as you approach
the front of the car.
When cars are stopped, but not completely
bumper to bumper, be very wary of cars from other lanes cutting
across in the gaps. Stop and look before you move out into a gap.
Be especially careful if the vehicle you're passing, like many vans,
doesn't have a hood you can see over.
Don't pass a long truck or bus in
a traffic jam unless there's a full, open lane next to it. If you
ride close to the side of such a vehicle it may begin to merge toward
you, leaving you no way to escape.
As you approach an intersection,
change lanes to the same position as you would in normal traffic.
Before you cross in front of a car to change lanes, make eye contact
with the driver even if the car is stopped. When you reach an intersection,
wait behind the first car at the traffic light. Don't move up next
to that car; drivers don't always use their turn signals, so you
don't know for sure which way the car will turn when the light turns
green.
These traffic-jam tactics are reasonably
safe, but in some cities it may not be legal for a bicyclist to
pass on the right or ride between lanes of traffic. On the other
hand, it's usually legal for you, or any driver, to cautiously disobey
normal traffic rules when the road is "obstructed."
SIDEWALK
AND BIKEPATH RIDING
Many people consider sidewalks a safe place to
ride because cars don't travel on them. Unfortunately, sidewalks
aren't safe. Stay off them, except where you have no choice.
Trees, hedges, parked cars, buildings
and doorways create blindspots along a sidewalk, which is too narrow
to allow you to swerve out of the way if someone appears. A pedestrian
on the sidewalk can sidestep suddenly, or a small child can run
out from behind an adult. Never pass a pedestrian until you have
his attention.
And cars do use sidewalks -- at every
cross street and driveway. Since there are no clear rules for travel
on a sidewalk, your only choice is to ride very slowly and look
in all directions before crossing a driveway or street.
A bikepath should be used with caution.
Even if bicycles are supposed to have the right of way, the path
may be too narrow for safe maneuvering. Pedestrians are just as
unpredictable, and intersections are often hazardous. A bikepath
can get crowded with roller skaters, dog walkers and careless, inexperienced
bicyclists.
A bikepath can sometimes provide
a useful shortcut, and it can be pleasant and scenic. But don't
ride on it just because it's there. Most bikepaths are no place
for a fast ride or commuting trip.
AVOIDING
THE MOVING BLINDSPOT
On your bicycle, you can see over most cars.
You'll become used to this advantage. Don't let it fool you, though.
You can't see over a large van, truck or bus. Moving blindspots
lurk behind these tall vehicles.
Suppose that you're riding on a two-way,
four-lane street. You've merged to the inside lane, because you
want to turn left. You signal your left turn and continue to move
forward. You see only one other vehicle on the street: a van, coming
toward you in the opposite passing lane. It stops to let you turn
left. Can you make your turn safely?
No! Since you are moving forward,
a blindspot behind the van is "moving toward you." A car
could be passing the van in the outside lane, and you would never
see that car. If you were to cross in front of the van, you could
be met with a terrible surprise.
ARE
YOU INVISIBLE?
People will often tell you to "ride as if
you were invisible." That advice only makes sense where you're
actually hidden by a blindspot. To ride all the time as if you were
invisible, you would have to pull off the road whenever a car approaches
them from behind. You would also have to stop and wait until traffic
clears before crossing any intersection.
Instead, ride to make sure you're
visible. Wear bright-colored clothes by day, and use lights and
reflectors at night. Also, test to make sure that drivers have seen
you. This is the safest way to ride.
How do you test that a driver has
seen you? Here's an example. Suppose that you are on a main street,
riding toward an intersection. A car is approaching from the right
in the cross street, where there's a stop sign. How do you handle
it?
MAKING
EYE CONTACT
As you approach the intersection, look into the
car window and make eye contact with the driver to ascertain that
the driver has seen you. Watch for the car to slow down more than
it would if you weren't there.
If you look into the driver's window
and the driver isn't looking at you, then be very cautious. Even
if the car is stopped at the stop sign, a driver who doesn't know
you're there has no reason to stay stopped. Slow down, and call
out to get the driver's attention. Proceed only when you're sure
that the driver is waiting for you.
DEALING
WITH RUDE DRIVERS
Some drivers try to cut across in front of you.
They inch out from a driveway or stop sign and treat you as if you
have no right to the road.
These drivers seem more dangerous
than they actually are. Most drivers who play these tricks are only
trying to bluff you. They inch forward with one foot on the gas
pedal and the other on the brake pedal, waiting to see whether you'll
stop.
Giving in to this bullying will slow
you down and leave your self-esteem in shambles. Stand up for your
rights. Don't let rude drivers spoil your trip. Outbluff them. Here's
how.
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| In either case (above), to call the
bluff on a driver inching out from a stop sign, check behind
you for traffic, then keep pedaling as you move farther into
your lane. |
With a little
experience, and after reading the chapter on emergency braking in
this booklet, you'll have a good idea of your bike's stopping distance
in any situation.
You outbluff a driver by making it
clear that you don't intend to stop. Continue to move forward --
and keep pedaling, since your turning pedals are a clear signal
to the driver. Meanwhile, figure out when you'll have to hit the
brakes, in case the driver pulls out in front of you anyway.
In 999 cases out of 1000, the driver
will stop and wait for you before you have to brake. Move right
on past the car. In the odd case that the driver doesn't stop, you'll
be prepared to brake in time.
The real danger at intersections
is from drivers who run stop signs or red lights without even slowing
down, or who stop and then start again without looking. But these
drivers are rare; crashes tend to deplete their numbers.
REDUCING
FRICTION BETWEEN BICYCLISTS AND MOTORISTS
The main way bicyclists annoy motorists is by
doing unpredictable maneuvers this booklet warns against.
Fearful instruction -- "always
keep away from traffic" -- is passed down to children by parents
who don't know much about bicycling -- the blind leading the blind.
From about 1930 to 1965, few adults rode bicycles in the United
States, and that was long enough for incorrect ideas about bicycling
to become deeply rooted.
Certainly, children shouldn't be
allowed to ride bicycles in heavy traffic, any more than they should
be allowed to drive cars. But that doesn't mean that adult bicyclists
should have to ride like children.
There will always be people in cars
who yell, "Get off the road." Don't let them bother you.
Position yourself to encourage drivers to maneuver around you correctly.
If most bicyclists in your community use incorrect maneuvers, drivers
will have some trouble understanding your correct maneuvers. You
need to make especially clear signals. With experience, drivers
will discover that they have an easier time with bicyclists who
use correct maneuvers.
The number of bicyclists is increasing,
and in the long run, more drivers will come to understand that it
makes sense to share the road. Bicycles use less road space than
cars; every person who chooses to ride a bicycle is reducing traffic
problems.
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