Riding against traffic, however, decreases the driver’s reaction time, leaving only two choices: hit the cyclist, or drive into oncoming traffic. If you cycle with traffic and the car behind you does not have room to pass, the driver only needs to slow down to your speed until there it’s clear to pass. The best way to stay safe is to ride predictably.” Drivers can respond quickly and appropriately. In general, it’s safest to do what is expected, says Shepard: “Cyclists are typically required by law to travel in the same direction as traffic to reduce confusion for drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists. Ditto for pedestrians, who look for oncoming vehicles their expected lane. When vehicles pull out of driveways or turn at an intersection, especially when making a right-hand turn, they’re most often looking in the direction traffic is already coming rarely do they look both ways, and they’re certainly not expecting traffic in the bike lane to be coming the wrong way. “Going the wrong way, against traffic, is known as ‘salmoning’ in the bike community,” says Laura Shepard of Bike New York, who explains that bike lanes flow with traffic for the safety of the cyclist, for many reasons: You’re more likely to be seen. In a study of cyclists riding on the road, cyclists traveling against the direction of vehicular flow were found to be an average of 3.6 times more likely to be in an incident than those traveling with traffic. This usually leads to a well-intentioned question: “Why do I ride with my back to traffic?” On the surface, this is a perfectly reasonable query – after all, it could make sense that riding against the flow of traffic, instead of in the same direction, allows a cyclist to see oncoming traffic and get out of the way when needed.īut is this type of riding really safer for cyclists? In a word, no. It makes sense, then, that cyclists want to do whatever possible to minimize that risk, be it donning neon colors from head to toe for added visibility, seeking out less-trafficked side streets, and eschewing headphones so they can better hear their surroundings. After all, in a crash between a vehicle and a bike, it’s the cyclist who is most likely to be injured or killed. Many cyclists, especially those who are new to riding, feel some degree of anxiety about riding in the road. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |