Sharing The Road With Cyclists

One of the first things to remember as a driver is to keep your eyes moving from side to side to help spot cyclists that may be about to enter your traffic flow. Doing this, along with looking well ahead up the road, will help you see any cyclists soon enough to give you time to adjust. As safe drivers, we must remember that most of the cyclists we come across while driving will be riding their bicycles at a speed much slower than our vehicle is doing. We have to recognize this fact early and adjust our speed early enough so we can avoid putting the cyclist at risk.

Cyclists are expected to ride roughly one to one and a half metres from the curb or while passing a parked vehicle. If there is no curb, they should be riding as close as possible to the right side. However, since cyclists can use any part of the lane if necessary for their safety, or those who may not follow the safety rules, drivers will still need to be alert for any sudden movement on their part.

Looking for cyclists

Start by looking for cyclists that may be coming toward the road from driveways, from between any parked vehicles, or coming across crosswalks when they should not be. A cyclist moving ahead of you may move around a sewer grate at any moment, so as a driver, we must give a cyclist as much room between them and our vehicle as possible whenever we’re passing them. When doing a lane change around a cyclist, be sure to change lanes early enough that any drivers following behind you have enough time to see the cyclist so they can also change lanes safely. A quick, sudden lane change may jeopardize the safety of a cyclist near you.

If you do have to move around a cyclist on a two-lane road, be sure you move across the centre line only when it’s safe to do so. You may need to reduce speed to create that space and your visibility is good for at least a km. Once you have passed the cyclist, move back into your lane when the cyclist is fully visible in your rear view mirror. This will ensure they are far enough behind before moving back.

Since cyclists are permitted to make a left turn from a left-turn lane, where one is available, it would also be a good idea to check your mirrors and left blind spot before entering a left-turning lane. If you happen to be waiting in the intersection to complete a left turn, have a check in your left blind spot for any cyclist, especially a child who may be riding their bicycle on the street. They may be unaware of what traffic regularly does and about the right-of-way rules. When driving through any intersection, it’s a good idea to scan for any cyclist waiting to cross. It’s also helpful to make eye contact with cyclists whenever possible.

Children on bicycles

Speaking of children on bicycles, they may lack the training and skills for safe cycling that an older cyclist may have. They may not be fully aware of the dangers or other rules of the road. It would also be a good idea to keep an eye out for children on larger over-sized bicycles, since they may not have the ability to control it like they would a smaller bicycle.

Turning

Completing right turns can also be a problem for both cyclists and drivers. When you’re approaching a turn and begin to slow down before turning, or even if you are stopped in traffic before turning and are approaching the intersection, it would be a good move to check your blind spot to the right before making the turn. The cyclist may have been riding their bicycle between your vehicle and the curb and could be next to you as you are about to turn. Always anticipating that the cyclist may be approaching next to you is always a good driving action. This would mean that you would have to constantly be checking your side mirror prior to making any right turn.

Bicycle lanes

Since our communities have added many bicycle lanes, it would be a good idea to check your mirrors and blind spots before entering them, especially when your vehicle is moving slowly enough for any cyclists to be there. You are allowed to enter the last portion of the bicycle lane before making that turn. Just like any lane change, you should be checking your mirrors and blind spot for other vehicles. Having good short-term memory is a very useful skill since you’ll have to remember if you’ve just passed a cyclist along the right side of the road before entering the bicycle lane.

It’s also common that cyclists can have a difficult time when they are riding through any residential area. If you typically park your vehicle on the street, a good safety step is to open the door with your right hand. It allows you to have a quick glance in your side mirror and blind spot before you open the door. This will help you to determine early if any cyclists are approaching along the side of your vehicle.

Passing

If you have to pass a cyclist closely, do not sound your horn unnecessarily. It may startle them and could cause them to lose control of their bicycle and fall. If you feel that you really need to warn them of your approach with your horn, use your horn but only a short tap. But do that quickly and lightly while you are still well from the cyclist.

Protect yourself and the cyclists you may come across on the road. Some have good cycling experience and riding etiquette and some are not as good. Never assume that adult cyclists will pay attention to you or the road signs. We all have to share the road with other road users, regardless of what they are driving – or riding.