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I'll address each of these as a bike commuter. The underlying things to remember are that a) while cyclists are expected to obey the same traffic laws as operat
by NoGravitas 11y ago
I'll address each of these as a bike commuter. The underlying things to remember are that a) while cyclists are expected to obey the same traffic laws as operators of other vehicles, sometimes there are safety reasons to violate them, and b) the light weight and low speed of bicycles means that while cyclists are vulnerable to harm from motorists, motorists are not vulnerable to harm from cyclists.
Red lights: cyclists should stop for all red lights, but should not necessarily be expected to wait for the light to turn green before proceeding[0]. This is partly because of sensor-activated lights that may never register the presence of a bicycle, and partly because it can be safer by separating the cyclist from traffic waiting at the red. You should also pay attention to how many motorists run red lights (usually for 1-2 seconds after they turn) and stop signs.
Crosswalks: cyclists should slow down for crosswalks. Remember, though, that "full speed" on a bicycle is nothing like full speed in a car. You should pay attention to how many motorists also speed through crosswalks.
Not signalling turning: cyclists should signal all turns unless they are in a situation where they need both hands on the handlebars. As a motorist, you may not be in a position to judge when that is.
Not using bike lane: in most jurisdictions, cyclists are encouraged but not required to use the bike lane. There are good reasons in some cases for not using the bike lane. A bike lane that is next to on-street parking may place cyclists in the door zone[1], making it more dangerous than taking the lane. Bike lanes may also accumulate road debris and be unsafe to ride in.
Hope this helps explain some of why cyclists ride the way they do.
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_zone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_zone
- toxik 11y agoThe last point, I think, is the most important -- pedestrians in bicycle lanes are to bicyclists what bicyclists on roads are to motorists. In fact I think a lot of the time, even worse. Old ladies are sometimes not even aware they're in the middle of a bike lane.
- lorenzhs 11y agoI've lost count of the number of times I've had to slam on the brakes because a pedestrian walked right into the bike lane without looking. But my closest encounter so far has been with a (particularly stupid) cat, which I missed by mere centimetres.
- Someone 11y ago"Red lights: cyclists should stop for all red lights" "Crosswalks: cyclists should slow down for crosswalks." "Not signalling turning: cyclists should signal all turns" "Not using bike lane" Hm, I rarely have a bike ride where I do not break all four of these at some time, and regularly break all four in one go. If you approach a crossing where you want to make a left turn (riding on the right side of the road), have a clear view of traffic, and the road is free, it IMO is perfectly natural to leave the bike lane for the middle of the road (one could call that a way of indicating direction), and then diagonally cross the crossing instead of following the bike lane, which would have make me a very sharp turn. Doesn't feel dangerous, either, but maybe that's because I live in a country (probably the country) where about as many people on bicycles as people in cars were killed in traffic in 2014.