Center of the lane at an intersection waiting for the red light to proceed straight. Conspicuous and predictable.
Here’s the situation. You’re riding your bicycle on a road with a narrow lane (by law in some states this is a lane less than 14ft in width). Most city streets meet this “narrow road” criteria as well as many rural roads with no shoulders.
The key to safety is to maximize your visibility to motorists by being on a location on the road where they have the greatest chance of seeing you. Hugging the white line at the road edge can result in you “blending in” with the environment (trees, sidewalks, etc.) and can send the wrong signal to drivers that you feel its OK if they “squeeze by” you in the same lane.
You objective is for the driver to a) detect you from as far off as possible, b) recognize that you’re a cyclist and c) provide sufficient time for the driver to react to your presence. If you always keep in mind that your objective is to be seen by the motorist, the following guidelines are easy to remember.
- Choose your route carefully – some roads really are just not as friendly for even experienced cyclists (e.g., a rural road that isn’t very rural – has high volumes of traffic, etc.) so additional caution is wise
- Use those ears – You can usually hear every cars approaching long before you see them. By listening you shouldn’t be “surprised” by a car approaching on a rural road. On windy days you often can’t hear cars coming up behind you, so regular checks in your mirror and shoulder checks become crucial.
- On straight segments of roads, ride in the “primary” position – at LEAST 3-5 feet from the edge and usually the best position is in the center of the lane.
- When you’re approaching a curve to the right, move slightly to the left part of the lane so that you maximize the time that a driver perceives you as you make the turn (think about this, it makes sense). When you’re actually in the curve, move over to the right side of the road (since you’re already in the turn and it is physically impossible for the driver to see you).
- If you’ve just crested a hill, move to the right edge of the road (same situation, if there’s no chance a driver can see you, you need to react accordingly).
- Wear clothing that makes you conspicuous (bright colors that provide a clear contrast against the road’s gray environment), use headlight/tailights at night (and during the day – like daytime running lights on cars).
- Use a mirror. In today’s world where a distracted driver is a possibility, a mirror can give you signs that a driver is not reacting to your highly visible road positioning which may require you to take necessary actions (or even evasive actions in some cases).
- As a gesture of courtesy and to let a driver know that you’re aware of them (which is important to some drivers), consider moving slightly over to the right as the driver gets closer but only if it is safe to do so (e.g., a pot hole or segment of raised pavement on the right section of the lane you might be moving into).
I have taught these guidelines and apply them every time I bicycle commute or am out on the open road for a bicycle tour. Thousands of miles have indicated that the key to safety on the road is riding in a predictable manner and giving road users as much time as possible to see you and react to your presence accordingly.
