Wear something bright, even during the day. It may seem silly, but bikes are small and easy to see through even during the day. Yellow or orange reflective vests really make a big difference. Reflective leg bands are also easy and inexpensive.
Don’t pass on the right. Don’t overtake slow-moving vehicles on the right. Doing so makes you invisible to left-turning motorists at intersections. Passing on the right means that the vehicle you’re passing could also make a right turn right into you, too.
Never, ever move left without looking behind you first. Some motorists like to pass cyclists within mere inches, so moving even a tiny bit to the left unexpectedly could put you in the path of a car. Practice holding a straight line while looking over your shoulder until you can do it perfectly.
You might be tempted to ride in the parking lane where there are no parked cars, dipping back into the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you at risk for getting nailed from behind. Instead, ride a steady, straight line in the traffic lane. Signal. Never move left without signaling. Just put your left arm straight out. Be sure to check your mirror or look behind you before signaling.
A car runs into you from behind. This is what many cyclists fear the most, but it’s actually not very common, comprising only 3.8% of collisions. However, it’s one of the hardest collisions to avoid, since you’re not usually looking behind you.
The best way to avoid getting Rear-Ended is to ride on very wide roads or in bike lanes, or on roads where the traffic moves slowly, and to use lights when biking at night.
Get a rear light. If you’re riding at night, you absolutely should use a flashing red rear light. 60% of bike collisions are caused by cyclists riding at night without lights. 39% of deaths on bicycles nationwide occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Don’t hug the curb. This is counter-intuitive but it gives yourself a little space between yourself and the curb. That gives you some room to move into in case you see a large vehicle in your mirror approaching without moving over far enough to avoid you. Also, when you hug the curb tightly you’re more likely to suffer a right cross from motorists who can’t see you.
It’s often helpful to ride in such a way that motorists won’t hit you even if they don’t see you. You’re not trying to be invisible, you’re trying to make it irrelevant whether cars see you or not.
If you ride in such a way that a car has to see you to take action to avoid hitting you then that means they will definitely hit you if they don’t see you. But if you stay out of their way, then you won’t get hit even if they didn’t notice you were there.
On very fast roads cars have less time to see you because they’re approaching so fast. Of course, you should avoid fast roads in the first place if at all possible, unless there’s plenty of room for a car and a bike side by side.
And if there IS such room, then on fast roadways, you can practice invisibility by riding to the extreme right.
If you’re far enough right that you’re not in the part of the lane the cars are in, then they’ll zoom by and won’t hit you, even if they never saw you. Here’s another example: It’s a good idea to signal a left turn, but it’s a better idea to make your left turn at a time or place where there aren’t cars behind you that could hit you while you’re stopped and waiting to make that turn. If they don’t see you, you’re in trouble.
Naturally we don’t advocate running red lights, but if you’re the kind of person, who does, then apply the invisibility principle when deciding on whether to run a particular light. Never make a car have to slow down to avoid hitting you.
Remember, the more you rely on cars to see you to avoid hitting you, the more chances they’ll have to actually do so. Remember, you’re not trying to BE invisible; you’re just riding with the assumption that cars can’t see you.
Of course, you certainly want them to see you, and you should help them with that.
That’s why you’ll wave to motorists whom you think might be about to pull out in front of you, and why you’ll be lit up like a Christmas tree at night. Remember that in many cases you’ll need to take the lane, in which case you’re counting on motorists to see you. Around 33,000 people die in car crashes in the U.S. each year. About 1 in 41 is a bicyclist.
