When you're driving, your only job is to pay attention to what's in front of your car.

You Have One Job

That’s all. It’s not hard.

While driving is often mundane, even boring, anything unusual can happen at any time. An errant motorist can cut across your path. A child can dart into the road. A bicyclist, or motorcyclist, could swerve to avoid something you can’t see.

It is the responsibility of every driver to be present — in anticipation of the unusual — ALL the time. It only takes one person to avoid a crash.

There But For The Grace Of God

Driving home to St. Louis last November from an ABEA board retreat in Louisville, I got a speeding ticket.

“Starting tomorrow, your driver’s license is revoked for 60 days.”

I earned it, fair and square.

Why am I telling you this?

I believe in taking responsibility for my actions.

If I got caught speeding again, I believe I deserve to lose my right to drive my deadly weapon for a specified period of time.

OK, so why I am telling you this?

I am dog-on-a-bone-DONE with people not taking responsibility for their actions on our public roadways.

I’m ready to ban the word “accident” from our vocabulary when we talk about crashes that maim and kill people.

I want it to be UNTHINKABLE to hit what’s in front of you with your vehicle.

Safe transport on our public roads is a precious liberty. Let’s update our traffic laws to ensure this liberty for all.

I resolve to make our public right-of-way safe for each of us.

I start by taking responsibility for how I show up on the roadway, in my car, on my bike, or on foot. Will you join me?

In my perfect world

Have you heard of Vision Zero? It’s a worthy initiative that many of our city and state governments have embraced. I want to be a part of it.

I don’t have to be perfect, but I do have to take 100 percent responsibility for my actions. Safe transport on our public right-of-way is a precious liberty. Let’s update our traffic laws to ensure this liberty for all.

For example: If I were dumb enough to receive a second speeding ticket, I support the law enforcement officer cheerfully informing me:

“Starting tomorrow, your driver’s license is revoked for 60 days.”

“You may use today as a grace period to drive your vehicle home or to another secure place.

“But because this is your second moving violation, you MAY NOT drive any motor vehicle for the next 60 days, starting tomorrow.

“If you’re caught doing so, penalties are steep.

“You’ll lose your driver’s license for the next five years.”

We have choices

The officer could suggest options for getting around without a car  including an excellent program where people discover how to easily use their bikes for transportation.

Because bicycle transportation is normal.

Traffic Justice starts with me

How can we stop negligent driving? We can start with ourselves.

Speeding is an infraction that most people do every time they drive. We get away with it, so it becomes normal. Most people — even those who consider themselves safe drivers — feel entitled to drive above the speed limit. Evading detection is the primary concern, not safety, sight lines and reaction times. Another infraction that is increasingly common is inattention — this ranges from the mundane fiddling with a radio or GPS, to the outrageous behavior like texting or checking Facebook. Again, most people get away with it, so they continue to do it.

That affects our collective attitude toward justice when those we consider peers don’t get away with irresponsible behavior. There but for the grace of God…

It makes us unwilling to insist that driving is a privilege to be earned and maintained only through responsible behavior. That needs to change, or there will be no Vision Zero.

There are no accidents.

People who routinely practice grotesquely negligent behavior on our roads almost always give warnings before they do something truly tragic. There is often a trail of traffic violations.

In the 21st Century we understand cause and effect on our public roadways.

This whole “There But For the Grace of God Go I” thinking has got to stop. Will you join me in taking responsibility for your behavior?

In the 21st Century we understand cause and effect on our public roadways.

If you won’t, you don’t deserve the privilege of having a driver’s license.

We’ll change our traffic culture by changing ourselves first.

I take responsibility for my behavior.

You do, too, right? Yay, and thank you!

Now let’s change the culture.

Safe passage is a basic right.

I’m dog-on-a-bone-ready to ensure safe passage for each of us, however we convey ourselves.

What do we do next? Please share your ideas in the comments. If you would like to write a post on the topic of traffic justice, please let us know.

Missouri license plate that reads "One road for all"

One Road For All

My Helmet Mirror Manifesto

A mirror?

For me?

On my helmet?

Ya gotta be kidding.

Back in the day

When I was a hot-shot, I wanted to be the next Greg LeMond (I know, I’m dating myself). I stripped every nonessential gram from my Italian racing steed, so I could go that much faster. I actually looked into how I could inflate my razor-thin tires with helium, so I could shave off another fraction-of-a-fraction-of-an-ounce.

A mirror on my helmet? Pfff. I was too cool to even wear a helmet, let alone put a dorky mirror on it. None of the professional cyclists I idolized even wore helmets, let alone helmet mirrors. And I was practically one of them.

My cycling spidey sense was so sharp…

…I didn’t need a mirror on the helmet I didn’t wear. My ears told me the make, model, year, closing speed, and passing clearance of whatever was behind me. Oh, yeah, my ears knew the color of the vehicle behind me, too. Amazing!

What can I say? I was an over-confident teenage boy with an overabundance of derring-do — and a decided lack of humility. Yes, I could hear an approaching vehicle, and even be able to guess pretty accurately whether it was a sedan or a semi. But that’s nothing special if you have average hearing, which mine most assuredly is. Ask my wife.

Maybe hearing is good enough…

…if all you ever do is hug the edge of the road (and pray for your life as you hear a roaring engine barrel toward you). Your hearing might be all you ever need if you never leave the edge to make a turn, change lanes, or avoid a hazard. Or if you don’t mind getting your legs shaved by the land rocket that just buzzed you.

CyclingSavvy Instructor Brian Watson riding with his helmet mirrors.

Not so cool anymore.

If you’d like more space, read on.

First, understand this:

When you choose to ride on the edge, you’re irrelevant.

This is one of the most important things I learned when I encountered CyclingSavvy. The more relevant you are to motorists, the more you influence their choices. Where are you more relevant? Somewhere away from the edge.

Every time you glance over your shoulder, you take your focus away from where it’s most needed: In front of you.

The exact location away from the edge depends. That’s the next thing I learned from CyclingSavvy: How to think critically about the road and the traffic on it. How wide is the lane? Can I safely share it with a car? An F-150? A semi? How heavy is traffic? How fast? What conflicts am I vulnerable to? How can I reduce my risk? What’s my cycling behavior communicating to others?

It’s OK to ride far to the right, if many conditions are met.

Brian riding with a motorist behind him.

Can you see the car behind me? I can, too!

Often, though, it’s not OK. It’s more dangerous to be on the edge than in the lane of traffic. With savvy cycling know-how, I learned how to tell where I should drive — yes, drive — my bicycle.

This is CyclingSavvy’s other big takeaway: Cyclists who adopt driving behavior — rather than edge behavior — are more visible, less prone to conflict, and more relevant to others on the road. They also get where they’re going faster and more directly.

Oh, and they have more fun.

What does this have to do with bicycle helmet mirrors?

Think about it. Do you need mirrors on your car? On your motorcycle? Yes, of course. They’re required by law, and for good reason. Drivers need to be able to see all around them in order to change lanes and make turns.

Bicycle drivers are no different. Unlike car drivers, though, we have a built-in advantage. Because we’re not encased in a steel and glass box, we have much more ability to know what’s going on around us. My teenage self was spot on: you can hear what’s coming from behind you. Seeing what’s behind you is pretty simple, too. Just glance over your shoulder.

Here’s the thing, though. Every time you glance over your shoulder, you take your focus away from where it’s most needed: In front of you.

Me and my helmet mirrors. Yes, mirrors.

Rockin those mirrors, Brian!

I love — and I mean capital “L” LOVE  my helmet mirrors. Yeah, that’s plural. I have one on my left, and one on my right. I often need to change lanes to the right. A mirror on the right gives me a quick check of what’s behind me on my right.

(If my know-it-all doofus teenage wannabe racer self could see me now, his eyes would roll right out of his head.)

With mirrors, I keep my focus in front of me more of the time because I can just move my eyeballs instead of having to move my whole head  or in my case, my whole upper body, since I’m not quite as limber as I used to be.

Whether you use a mirror or not, ALWAYS look over your shoulder before making a lateral move.

By taking a quick look in my mirrors, I get a preview of what’s going on behind me. I can read the behavior of the drivers behind me and see in real time how they’re responding to me.

Note that I used the word previewBefore changing lanes or lane position, I always look over my shoulder as well.

I’ll say that again. It’s super important.

Whether you use a mirror or not, ALWAYS look over your shoulder. Turn your head or torso to see what’s behind you before you change lanes or lane position.

A mirror can be helpful, but it’s not a good substitute for a head turn.

Why should you look over your shoulder if you have a mirror?

“Shoulder Check” a crucial savvy cycling skill

Mighk looks over his shoulder while keeping his bike in a straight line.

CyclingSavvy co-founder Mighk Wilson demonstrates a perfect shoulder check

“A mirror can be helpful, but it’s not a good substitute for a head turn,” said CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey.

During the parking lot skills session, CyclingSavvy instructors work extensively with their students on “Shoulder Check.” Being able to look over your shoulder while keeping a straight line does several things: It helps you check for traffic. It establishes your humanity and allows you to communicate with others. Also, you don’t want to “wobble” when you’re out and about (and we show you how not to). Riding straight is important for predictability and respect from others.

“A good head turn is a tool for getting drivers to notice that you want to do something,” Keri said.

“When you turn your head over your shoulder, more often than not, other drivers will help you out if they can.”

It’s a skill that doesn’t come naturally, even for bicycle safety experts.

“I didn’t develop a good shoulder check until I rode without a mirror for several months,” Keri said.

Why I became a helmet mirror fan

I came to CyclingSavvy already well established as a bicycle safety expert. Yet a huge “Ah-Ha!” moment for me was learning the strategy of “Control & Release.”

CyclingSavvy taught me that I have a right to use the road, and that cowering on the edge doesn’t do me or anybody any good. But in addition to that, I learned how to claim my rightful road space and cooperate with other drivers as I control my space.

This is the essence of Control & Release. With helmet mirrors, it’s a lot easier.

Here’s how: Let’s say I’m riding down Perry Avenue near my home. Like most roads around here, it’s a 2-lane road with 11-foot lanes, too narrow to share.

There’s no way I’m going to “get out of the way” and “share” a lane with that 10-ton behemoth, so I calmly give everyone The Hand.

I make myself relevant by riding in the middle of the lane, so it’s obvious to drivers who want to overtake me that they’ll need to change lanes to pass. This is the passive communication that our lane position always gives.

As I ride along, I glance at my mirror and see a car approaching me quickly. I glance again, and see that the driver has slowed down. She’s hanging back, patiently waiting for a safe opportunity to pass.

Motorist Eternity

After a few moments, I take another look in my mirror. Now I see a monster truck stacked up behind the nice patient lady. Monster Truck is not happy with the delay. It’s been about 30 seconds an eternity in “Motorist Years.”

I wave to Monster Truck and don’t get a return wave. That’s OK. I got what I wanted, which was my space.

“Motorist Eternity”  also known as Must Pass Bicyclist Syndrome happens when a motorist finds him- or herself “stuck” behind a bicyclist. Motorist Eternity can kick in as early as five seconds of being “stuck” behind the bicyclist.

(Funny how Motorist Eternity never kicks in at red lights. Motorist Eternity doesn’t appear to afflict drivers completely stopped in interstate traffic jams. No bicyclists there. Hmmmm.)

The nice lady’s patience is starting to wane.

But it’s the driver of the monster truck who I’m really thinking about. Sure enough, at Second 31, Monster Truck starts scooching over to pass both of us, even though there’s an oncoming car.

There’s no way I’m going to “get out of the way” and “share” a lane with that 10-ton behemoth, so I calmly give everyone The Hand.

I just hold my hand there and glance in my mirror again.

“The Hand” is the universal hand signal for “stay back,” left arm extended diagonally out, palm back. Sure enough, Monster Truck moves back into the lane. That driver is not happy, but gave me what I wanted, because I asked.

I knew to ask because I could read their behavior in real time by looking in my mirror. Passive communication with my lane position wasn’t enough. I needed active communication too.

The Hand,  the Come Along Wave, and Thank You Wave

Fortunately, there’s a usable shoulder coming up, so I retract The Hand, and give a right-turn hand signal as I maintain lane control. When the shoulder opens up, I look over my right shoulder, move to the right, stop pedaling, and give everyone the Come Along Wave, left hand making a circular motion in a “come along” kinda way.

As the nice lady starts to pass me, I now give her the Thank You Wave. She waves back!

I wave to Monster Truck, too, and don’t get a return wave. That’s OK. I got what I really wanted, which was my space.

Brian signaling a left turn on his bicycle while keeping tabs on traffic behind with his bicycle helmet mirrors

Signaling left and keeping tabs on the car behind me

After Monster Truck passes, I glance in my mirror again, see nobody behind me, do a shoulder check, give a left-turn hand signal, do another shoulder check (since my arm is already out anyway), and move left into the middle of the lane.

Those dorky helmet mirrors give me the awareness I need to be able to mix and mingle with traffic in a fluid, harmonious way.

In all of this, the mirror allowed me to see how drivers were responding to me without me taking my focus away from where I was going. My mirrors also gave me a first glimpse prior to my shoulder checks as I prepared to make lane position changes.

It’s certainly possible to do Control & Release without using mirrors. It’s just that without a mirror, you’ll spend an awful lotta time looking over your shoulder…over and over…each time you want to see what’s happening back there. No fun!

Act like a driver to be treated like one.

The more relevant you make yourself, the more you are respected. Using “driver behavior” makes it easier to see what’s happening around you, so you’re able to respond more quickly to dynamic situations.

Why every ride is a joyride.

My mirrors are key to my safety and success on my bike. It’s why every ride is a joyride. Because, yes, those dorky mirrors on my helmet give me the awareness I need to be able to mix and mingle with traffic in a harmonious, responsive way.

My bike is no longer a stripped-down thoroughbred. I always wear a helmet now. My younger self would be embarrassed to be seen with me.

But if I had the chance to take my younger, sportier self out for a ride, I think even he’d be impressed with that middle-aged guy with the dorky mirrors, riding with grace and confidence, hardly ever getting buzzed, fluidly cooperating with traffic, glancing back occasionally in his mirrors to see if that young racer know-it-all is keeping up.

Brian’s Holiday Gift to ABEA

Now through December 31, when you donate $40 (or more!) to the American Bicycling Education Association, Brian will say “Thank You” with an EVT Helmet Mirror.
cycling using bicycle helmet mirror on wide open road

CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey uses an EVT helmet mirror when she shoots video

That’s right! For the same price you’d pay online for one of these fantastic mirrors, you’ll be helping ABEA spread savvy cycling to more people. 

“Wearing my EVT Helmet Mirrors are like having eyes in the back of my head,” said Brian, who loves these mirrors so much that he became a dealer. He also suggested this promotion to benefit ABEA.
While ABEA makes no specific product endorsements, many instructors join Brian in making good use of EVT helmet mirrors. ABEA also appreciates Brian’s incredible generosity!

Your Donation to ABEA is Tax-Deductible

Make a $40 donation for each mirror you want. Your tax deductible amount is $18 per mirror. The rest covers the cost, shipping and handling of the mirror from Bremerton, WA (USA).
Match Brian’s generosity with your own and help “pay it forward” for ABEA. Thank you, Brian!
And thank you!
bicycling on big roads

What Savvy Cycling On Big Roads Really Looks Like

Editor’s Note: We announced earlier this month that we’d start celebrating “Friendly Fridays.” We want to focus on the everyday goodness of savvy cycling. We immediately received several responses, including this one from Tom Armstrong of Sierra Vista, Arizona. He wants all his neighbors to know what bicycling — as a savvy cyclist — really looks like on big roads in Arizona.

This is my first video.

I had a mid-morning meeting with the Sierra Vista Metropolitan Planning Organization, and needed to get across town for another meeting. There’s only one direct way. I really had no choice but to bicycle on big roads.

I wish you could see me demonstrating my intentions to switch lanes, turn, or stop.

Like many bicyclists who produce videos, I have front and rear cameras on my bike. I wish you could see me demonstrating my intentions to switch lanes, turn, or stop. Communication with other road users is huge! If I had to pick only one essential savvy cycling skill, communication would be it.

If I had to pick only one essential savvy cycling skill, communication would be it.

I don’t recall watching a video where you can see the cyclist communicating with fellow road users. Would it be helpful to create a video with a third camera demonstrating the communication needed to get cooperation from your fellow road users?

Everyone tells me that I’m going to get killed.

Or they say I don’t ride the way I instruct. I’m certified by the League of American Bicyclists as a League Cycling Instructor, and look forward to becoming a CyclingSavvy Instructor this winter in Orlando.

I hope this video dispels their disbelief.

This ride was during lunch time, yet there are sections with a lot of traffic. Savvy cycling works on big and “scary” roads!

New Website, Gift Certificates and Scholarships

Our new website brings all of our resources together with enhanced capabilities and a better user experience:

the public facing site, for which we are still building our cornerstone content and inbound marketing strategies
the ability to register for in-person classes right on the calend...

savvy cycling new york city

Savvy Cycling in the Big Apple

If I can can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.

My thoughts exactly as I returned from a four-day vacation in New York City, during which I showed the world that savvy cycling can conquer even the Big Apple.

My eyes were drawn to the cyclists. Lots of them. More than I see in other cities.

At the start, I had no intention of spending ANY time on a bike.

Sure, I’d gained lots of skills and confidence since finding CyclingSavvy. I’ve biked in several big cities.

But New York?

Manhattan?

All those four- and six-lane avenues and cross streets?  The traffic?

Fugettaboutit!!

And yet…

In the cab from Penn Station to our hotel on the Upper West Side, my eyes were drawn to the cyclists. Lots of them. More than I see in other cities.

I took note of how they rode and saw much of the same behavior I see everywhere.  Running red lights, weaving in and out of lanes, going the wrong way, not yielding to pedestrians.

Cycling here was just like anywhere else. Maybe I’d give it a shot after all. And show ‘em how to do it right!

Bike Driving On Broadway

savvy cycling new york cityBy Saturday I’d made up my mind to take the plunge. New York has a well-developed bike share system called CitiBike. The phone app makes it easy to purchase one-day passes, find the nearest docking stations and unlock bikes. The price was $12 for a 24-hour pass in which all 30-minute rides are included. If any ride goes over 30 minutes, you’re charged $4 for each additional 15 minutes. No problem, just ride station to station and you avoid the overages.

I started out that morning with a bike from a station just outside my hotel — how ’bout those apples? — and headed straight down Broadway to Midtown.

I controlled a regular travel lane the whole way. This was no problem because traffic was light — although being NYC, there was still traffic. I ran errands here and there, and just had a blast barreling down the avenues and cross streets.

CyclingSavvy etiquette at its finest.

At one point while using the middle lane on Broadway, a transit bus in the lane to my right had its left blinker on. I slowed to a crawl, made eye contact with the driver through the bus’s rearview mirror, and motioned the driver to move into the lane ahead of me. CyclingSavvy etiquette at its finest, if I do say so myself.

I was vaguely aware that NYC has a mandatory bike lane law, but I stayed in the travel lanes anyway. No law obligates me to endanger myself for another road user’s convenience.

That first morning, using regular travel lanes was no problem. Although there are lots of bike lanes in NYC, there are still a lot of big roads without them.

“Yer gonna get yourself killed!”

At one point while heading downtown, a cyclist who stayed in the bike lane passed me. Like every other NYC cyclist I saw, she rode through red lights and generally didn’t look around or signal. Despite that, I kept up with her until I turned onto 42nd street. So much for the advantage of the bike lane.

Some bike lanes are just painted lines on one side of the road, and typically have the dooring problems we know and loathe.

My one mistake involved a “protected” bike lane.

In New York there are also separated bike lanes that go between the curbs and lines of parked cars.

These are worse, because they hide cyclists from drivers. The one mistake I made involved one of these lanes.

I had just undocked a bike and was a little careless in getting out onto the road so I could make the next left. I had to cross the separated bike lane and just as I started onto the road, I saw a car coming.

As I entered the road and made my left turn, I didn’t think it was that close. But as the driver passed me on the cross street, he yelled, “Yer gonna get myself killed!”

I thought this was just the usual plaintive cries of the urban cyclist-hating driver.

savvy cycling new york city

Crossing this bike lane to get to the left turn lane should have been easy, but the parking island that is deliberately designed to form the “protected” bike lane blocks my view of the approaching traffic, thereby making my entrance harder.

 

But at the next stop light, he explained to me very nicely and calmly that he hadn’t seen me pop onto the street until he was a little too close.

I realized he was right and apologized. Crossing that bike lane to get to the left-turn lane should have been easy. But the parking island that’s been deliberately designed to form a “protected” bike lane blocks my view of approaching traffic, thereby making my entrance harder.

Heated exchanges but never in danger

During my return to my hotel, traffic was much more congested.  NYC’s big avenues have as many as six lanes going in the same direction, all of them being used.

savvy cycling new york city

Northbound on Amsterdam Avenue

Naturally there are lots of cabs. It was during this ride back that I drew the ire of several of them. One yelled at me to go back where I came from. One called me some name that had the word “head” in it.

Another turned off his engine at a red light so I could hear him telling me to get in the bike lane, whereupon I told him that I wasn’t going over there.

I had zero problems with drivers when there was no bike lane on the road.

Despite these somewhat heated exchanges in close quarters, at no time did I ever feel my life was in danger. Nobody ever made a move to run me off my bike. I was completely in control of my environment and it showed.

It’s a sorry state of affairs that savvy cyclists face the greatest incivility on roads with bike infrastructure.

We understand why it’s safer and easier to use regular travel lanes, but most motorists don’t. I had zero problems with drivers when there was no bike lane on the road.

My behavior and tactics on the bike didn’t change one iota. I always held the lane, looked behind, signaled turns, stopped at stop lights, stopped for pedestrians.

This was no problem for other drivers on the road with me until the moment a bike lane appeared. Then it was OMG!-GET-IN-THE-BIKE-LANE-YOU’RE-GONNA-GET-KILLED-GET-OUTTA-MY-WAY!!!

Strange how that logic works.

“Hey! You’re breaking the law.”

I had one funny exchange with a driver while heading up 10th Avenue. As he passed me he yelled, “Hey! You’re breaking the law. You’re not supposed to go over 25 MPH.”

He started laughing and so did I. “No way am I going that fast,” I responded. “But I can. Just watch me!”

We both laughed and waved and went on our way. Adding this to my earlier experience, I thought that maybe New York drivers aren’t as bad as I’d been led to believe.

Why I felt justified not using bike lanes.

New York cyclists, now they’re a different story. During my whole time there, both on and off the bike, I saw all manner of scofflaw behavior, from running red lights to brazenly riding up the bike lane the wrong way.

Here’s why I felt justified not using bike lanes. As I mentioned earlier, no law obligates you to endanger yourself.

NYC bike lane law has a loophole that says you must use a bike lane if it’s available, but not if you feel it’s unsafe for any reason.

Thereya go.

My position is that the bike lanes are NEVER safe, because you never know when you’re going to run into wrong-way cyclists. In separated bike lanes, my maneuvering margin was greatly reduced. Not to mention the possibility of coming into conflict with turning traffic at every intersection, both with regular bike lanes and “protected” ones.

Why savvy cyclists prefer riding on the road

We get along much better with drivers, because we’re all following the same rules and we’re all watching out for one another.

At one point when I was near my hotel, I was stopped at a red light in a middle lane with a tour bus behind me (and not giving me any hassle). A mail carrier crossed the street in front of me and said, “You should be in the bike lane. You’re gonna get hurt.”

I told him I wasn’t worried and that the problem with the bike lane is that they’re full of bikers. I didn’t have time to add: Bikers who don’t follow the law.

But right on cue, a cyclist in the bike lane sauntered right through a red light. Point made.

I’m not advocating that you go to NYC and snub your nose at New York’s mandatory bike lane law. I’m certain a large portion of my success was due to the fact that I never crossed paths with New York’s Finest.

If I had, I would have defended my point of view, well aware my efforts would likely have fallen on deaf ears.

Nevertheless, I left New York solid in the knowledge that my CyclingSavvy skills can truly be used anywhere. And I do mean ANYWHERE!!

A slow ride across a high-speed interchange

A week after taking the November 12-13 CyclingSavvy Weekend course, John Alexander sent me an email asking what was the best way to ride over the Lake Mary Blvd/I-4 interchange. Most people (including experienced road cyclists) regard that interchange as impossible for a cyclist.

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Left Turns on Big Roads

The thought of making a left turn from a multi-lane road is one of the things that makes people think bicycle driving requires speed and athletic prowess. It seems like […]

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door zone riders

Where Bike Lane Design Collides with Savvy Cycling

 

If you’re an urban bicyclist, you probably know what “dooring” means. When bike lanes are entirely within reach of the doors of legally parked cars, it’s harder for bicyclists to ride safely.

Even the cyclist who knows it’s not safe to ride in the door zone may feel that riding in the lane adjacent to an unusable bike lane is like riding with a flashing “Harass Me” sign.

bike lane dooring

Door-zone bike lane

Why do cities continue to make it hard to ride safely?

I address this issue in a new article in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention. Door zone bike lanes (DZBLs) continue to be installed because design guidelines still allow them.

For decades, it has been conventional wisdom that crashes involving bicyclists and opening car doors are rare. This belief is based on motor vehicle crash reports, but these reports generally exclude this crash type by definition.

The crash hiding in plain sight

National and state databases only include crashes involving motor vehicles in transport. Since a parked car is not in transport, and a bicycle is not a motor vehicle, crashes where a bicyclist hits a parked car door are excluded.

A few dooring crashes make it into national and state crash databases anyway, which has led some studies to erroneously conclude that dooring accounts for less than 0.2 percent of bicycle crashes.

Dooring accounts for 12 to 27 percent of urban car-bike collisions, making it one of the most common crash types.

I found 10 sources in cities in North America, plus one from Australia, that include dooring incidents, unlike official crash data. These police, hospital, insurance or EMS reports indicate that dooring accounts for 12 to 27 percent of urban car-bike collisions, making it one of the most common crash types.

Substandard standards

I reviewed four studies of bicyclist riding position with bike lanes and parking lanes of varying widths. With the minimum dimensions allowed (5-foot bike lane and 7-foot parking lane), almost all bicyclists were observed riding within reach of parked cars.

However, when there was another three feet between the bike lane and parked cars, almost all bicyclists rode outside the door zone.

When there was another three feet between the bike lane and parked cars, almost all cyclists rode outside the door zone.

Only one of the North American bike lane design manuals I could find (the Ontario Traffic Manual) requires a buffer between bike lanes and on-street parking. Paradoxically, the guidelines for separated bike lanes — where the bike lane is on the curb side of on-street parking — all require one.

Why require a buffer from car doors when the bike lane is on one side, but not when it’s on the other?

Designing to avoid dooring

buffered bike lane

In 2014, the Transportation Research Board published the results of a three-year, $300,000 study of bike lane width. The authors recognized that “the design of the bike lane should encourage bicyclists to ride outside of this door zone area and should account for the width of the bicyclist.”

The report found that bicyclists need to center themselves 12 feet from the curb to be outside of the door zone.

dooring

Bike lane with door buffer in Cleveland (photo: Andrew Cross)

Change is slow, and stubborn

The Transportation Research Board’s report recognized best practices. Yet its authors still recommend installation of bike lanes that are less than 12 feet from the curb.

Even where there was enough room for a door buffer zone, the report recommended using half of the buffer zone on the travel lane side.

The authors are aware of the problem with their own recommendations. “Where bicycle lanes are designed according to the guidance [in this report], it should be recognized that bicyclists will still likely position themselves within the door zone of parked vehicles,” they wrote.

The researchers did not consider the possibility of recommending shared lane markings where there is insufficient room to install a bike lane outside the door zone, because their goal was to provide “design guidance for a bicycle lane given the decision that a bicycle lane will be installed.”

How bicyclists use shared lane markings

Some say that cyclists will ride in the door zone, even when not directed to by DZBLs. But is this really so?

shared lane markings

Shared lanes marking in Washington, DC

I looked at four studies that observed the position of bicyclists before and after shared lane markings were added in the center of a travel lane adjacent to on-street parking. The SLMs were centered about 14 feet from the curb; on average bicyclists were centered 11 feet from the curb.

In the most successful case, 85 percent of bicyclists were riding within the door zone before SLM installation, and only 45 percent after. In addition, there was a large drop in sidewalk bicycling. The posted speed limit was 25 MPH in this case, compared to 30-35 MPH in the others studied.

Shared lane markings can prevent dooring

Where there is on-street parking and insufficient room for a buffer from doors, SLMs can help keep cyclists out of the door zone. They could be more effective if supplemented by lower speed limits, eliminating statutes that require bicyclists to have an excuse to leave the right edge of the road, retraining police officers, and making the public aware of the right and need of bicyclists to keep a safe distance from parked cars.

Requiring a buffer for standard bike lanes will require design guides to acknowledge that bike lanes do not fit next to on-street parking without at least 3 feet more of width than is currently provided in the minimum guidance.

With less than 25 feet for a parking lane and travel lane, bicyclists should be encouraged to ride in the travel lane with shared lane markings and Bicyclists May Use Full Lane signs.

The future of door-zone bike lanes

Currently the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities is being revised. However, unless the committee reviewing the current draft intervenes, DZBL designs will be retained. Although there will be new material on buffered bike lanes, the primary concern is a buffer between the travel lane and the bike lane, not on the parking side.

Accounting for the door zone properly would mean that bike lanes could not be installed with less than 25 feet between the curb and the center line.

There’s a pervasive belief, unsupported by evidence, that bicyclists using travel lanes are likely to be hit by overtaking motorists. Following this belief, the new AASHTO guide not only maintains designs that essentially require bicyclists to use the door zone, but also promotes designs requiring bicyclists to stay to the right of right-turning traffic.

Another pervasive belief is that bike lanes make bicycling easier. In fact, cyclists need more education to safely use bike lanes in urban contexts. The dooring risk is merely one of a host of issues with DZBLs.

avoiding dooring

How savvy cyclists protect themselves

If possible, find another route. If you find yourself on a road with a door-zone bike lane, you could use it with CyclingSavvy’s “control and release” strategy.

Because of traffic lights, motorists tend to travel in platoons. This leaves even busy roads empty for various stretches of time. When the regular travel lane is empty, use it, moving over as necessary to the door-zone bike lane to “release” other traffic.

When you move into any door-zone bike lane, slow down. Go slow enough so that a door opening in your path will not surprise you. For safety’s sake, this won’t be much faster than walking speed.

Be aware that while you’re in the bike lane, you’re not relevant to motorists. Beware of drivers who may turn right in front of you, or left across your path. A door-zone bike lane also shields you from motorists who may be driving onto the road at an intersection or from a driveway.

Never use a door-zone bike lane as a “freeway” to speed by motor traffic stopped and stuck on your left. In these situations, filter forward cautiously (no faster than pedestrian speed).

If door-zone bike lane designs proliferate, savvy cyclists will increasingly have to take longer routes in order to avoid the possibility of harassment (or citation, in cities and states with mandatory use laws for bike lanes). The door zone is a real hazard that must be accounted for in designing for safe bicycling.

savvy cyclist

Learning A New Street Dance

I am a proud savvy cyclist…and I have a confession.

I took CyclingSavvy twice, first in Philadelphia and then Charlotte.

You might ask: Didn’t I learn anything the first time?

bike skills drills

Using the top floor of a downtown Philly parking garage for Train Your Bike, the parking lot skills session. Even experienced cyclists – like Marc – learn new things. From left: instructor Karen Karabell, Marc Caruso, Camille Gervasio, Shannon Walsh and John A Petty II

Yes.

I learned an incredible amount about training my bike and how to ride comfortably and confidently with traffic. But some things don’t sink in until later or, in my case, the second time around.

In Philly, I learned from Karen Karabell that there’s nothing scary about empty pavement behind you. How do you get “scary” roads to yourself? You make the lights and the law work for you.

A great example is choosing where you enter a road from. Use traffic lights to your advantage by turning right on green. You have no obligation to turn right on red.

By turning right on green, motorists on the road you’re turning onto are stopped at a red light. When they finally get a green, they’ll be far enough back to use one of the adjacent travel lanes to pass you, in whichever lane you’re not in.

Strategy, Courtesy and Mindfulness

We practiced the right-on-green technique in Charlotte, too. Before I tell you what happened, you need to know that the on-road Tour is like nothing you’ve ever done before.

You’ll be riding on roads you can’t believe you’re using — and you’ll be doing it by yourself, unless you don’t want to. Then an instructor will ride with you. But by the time you get to that point in the workshop, almost everyone wants to try on their own.

savvy cyclist charlotte

Marc making a left turn in Charlotte

A Savvy Cyclist Can Go Anywhere

As a savvy cyclist, I’m not a road warrior. Just the opposite!

CyclingSavvy instructors teach strategy, courtesy and mindfulness. They figure you’re probably OK riding on your neighborhood cul de sac, or on a trail. What they want is to show you how to make connections, so that you can ride out of your neighborhood, or not have to put your bike on a car to go to the trail.

When Motorists Want to Turn Right on Red

In Charlotte, we watched each student set off to practice right-on-green. It was a busy road and motorists would appear behind them. John Allen instructed the students to move to the left side of the lane and wave the motorists to pass on their right.

savvy cyclist facilitating right on red [orlando]

Staying to the left side of a lane allows motorists to turn right on red while you wait for a green light.

The motorists passed and made the right on red. When the light turned green, the student doing the feature would turn right.

The result was obvious: No cars on the big “scary” road behind the student. By turning right on green, motorists on that road were held back by a red light.

After making the turn, we were instructed to go directly into the lane we wanted. Motorists turning right on green with us could choose another lane and pass us easily.

Epiphany In Charlotte

Instructor Pamela Murray shook my thinking about shoulder checks.

savvy cyclists charlotte

Marc leads other savvy cyclists on the Tour of Charlotte

I use a helmet mirror, so some shoulder checks seemed unnecessary in my mind. Before taking CyclingSavvy in Charlotte, I only did shoulder checks when making lateral movements.

When I merged or turned, I’d do a shoulder check, signal, and shoulder check again to make sure it’s safe. Otherwise, I just used my mirror and then communicated with hand signals like “slow,” or “pass” when it was safe to pass me.

What this does, though, is make it seem like the motorist is communicating with just an inanimate piece of metal.

A Fellow Human

When you turn your head over your shoulder, you’re showing your face to the person behind you and making yourself recognized as another human being, not just a bike.

As a result of seeing your face, they’ll be more apt to take direction from you. People like to help other people out.

I’m grateful for the incredible, knowledgeable CyclingSavvy instructors who’ve helped change my street game into a savvy cyclist dance.

savvy cyclists charlotte

Celebrating last November after a great day in Charlotte. Left to right: Carl Fenske (who became a CyclingSavvy Instructor in February 2018), Marc Caruso, Doug Guerena, Pamela Murray, Charlene Poole, John Allen, John Gaul and Shannon Walsh