Following last week’s post about turning and intersection safety, this week we’re focusing on another important bike commuting skill: lane positioning. Anyone who rides in traffic should take care to consistently and safely position themselves in traffic. Adhering to the following guidelines will help increase your predictability and safety on the road during Bike Month and beyond.
1. Ride as far to the right as is reasonable (not necessarily as far to the right as is possible). This means that you should leave at least three feet of space between you and the right edge of the lane. The right edge may be a curb, a soft shoulder, parked cars or moving vehicles. This buffer makes cyclists more visible to traffic coming from both directions, protects cyclists from getting ‘doored’ by parked cars, allows cyclists to ride in a straight, predictable line, and provides space to maneuver around most roadside hazards–rocks, potholes, storm drains, and debris–in their path.
2. Ride in a straight line and avoid weaving in and out between parked cars. Holding a straight line will make you more visible and more predictable to other road users, thereby decreasing the chance of conflict and making the road safer for all.
3. When stopping at an intersection, act like a car and stay in your lane. If you are behind a line of cars, do not sneak up to the front around the right side of the cars in your lane. This dangerous maneuver makes cyclists less visible and less predictable to motorists, particularly those making right turns.
I would add, take the entire lane so as not to be passed when there is not enough lane width for a car to pass safely, especially if you are riding on a two lane- per direction road. Also, take the entire lane when going through intersections where vehicles making turns may not see you on the fog line. I was hit and nearly killed riding on the white strip through an intersection by a driver making a left turn. Headlights should always on bright while riding with cars too (but please, once you are on the BG or other trails, turn the headlight off unless it truly too dark to see, and then please dim/cover your light when someone is coming)
Use your hand signals well in advance of taking the entire lane, motorists will appreciate the advance warning and should be able to reduce speed before approaching from behind. After taking the lane, then return quickly back to the reasonable distance on the right side of lane as soon as possible to avoid slowing traffic from behind or by possibly causing some rearending car mishaps.
If you sneak past all the cars at an intersection, keep in mind that many of them recently, and carefully, passed you on the street. If they have to pass you again, they will likely not be as careful… to you or any other cyclist.
Additionally, imagine that I just passed you on my bike, and arrive at an intersection behind all the traffic. When you arrive on your bike and pass everyone on the right, and the light turns green, when I have to pass you again after waiting for all the cars to do the same, I’m going to be very angry with you.