Creating Safer Roads for Cyclists and Drivers

Creating Safer Roads for Cyclists and Drivers

Two universal themes throughout the teachings in Drivers Ed are to be alert at all times and to drive defensively for our own safety. However, as we spend more time behind the wheel our confidence grows and we may be more inclined to pull out our phones or have conversations with our passengers, in doing so creating preventable distractions. I have the unique perspective of using roadways both as a driver and a cyclist. For this reason, my focus will be on the ways in which drivers can help create a safer environment for individuals on bikes.

Road safety is a huge part of my daily life, especially when I am cycling. While I prefer to use designated bike lanes or pedestrian byways, I often must spend half of my commute on roadways shared with cars. Distracted drivers are the most dangerous, and potentially fatal, hazard I come in contact with during my commutes, but this need not be the case. The ways in which drivers can improve safety for cyclists include the Dutch reach method when opening car doors, and becoming aware of common cycling practices, such as the Idaho stop.

I have had a number of close calls when it comes to avoiding car doors opening as I’m riding by, luckily none have resulted in injury. The Dutch reach is a method that helps eliminate those close calls. It enables a visual check out the window to ensure it is safe to open the door prior to opening. To accomplish this, the door is opened with the hand furthest from the handle, for example, a driver in the United States would open the driver side door with their right hand. Reaching across the body automatically puts the driver or passenger in position to check over their shoulder for approaching traffic from oncoming cyclists or vehicles. This is an easy way to ensure safety, and is a technique that should be taught in Drivers Ed when new drivers are building good driving habits so it becomes second nature, like putting on a seatbelt.

Another way in which we can keep cyclists safe is to expand the “Idaho stop law” to more states across the country. This law, originating in Idaho, allows those on bicycles to treat a stop sign as a yield, so long as a vehicle with right-of-way privilege is not approaching, and a red light as a stop sign. In recent years, other states have adopted the Idaho stop into their own laws, which is encouraging to people like me who ride daily.

As would be expected, there are arguments both for and against the Idaho stop. Those who oppose argue having a separate set of rules for cyclists causes confusion on the road; laws for bicycles and vehicles should be uniform in order to make traffic flow predictable and safe. As a cyclist, it is one of my favorite laws because it makes riding my bike easier, by not killing momentum, and safer, by keeping me in front and in the vision of approaching drivers. Similarly to the Dutch reach, this law could be something that can be taught to new drivers during Drivers Ed.

Keeping everyone safe is a shared responsibility by all who use roadways. As a driver, I drive defensively and try to keep distractions from my phone to a minimum. As a cyclist, I do what I can in my power to stay safe by wearing my helmet, signaling when I make a turn, and having bright head and tail lights. Knowing drivers are also doing what they can to keep me and other cyclists safe is my one wish for the future. Doing so can literally mean life or death for those of us on bikes.