Tips to help you make sense of the Pittsburgh intersection

Intersections are the most dangerous area for cyclists on the road because of the heightened potential for conflict between drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians; in 2013, 34% of bike-car crashes nationwide occurred within intersections. This is the primary reason why protected intersections are the next big frontier for street redesign in the US. While promising, the intersections you will cross on your bike today were built decades ago with motor vehicles in mind. While no amount of strategizing will keep you totally safe, predictable positioning will keep you out of conflict zones and make your intended path as clear as possible to others.

1. Beware of the right hook and the left cross

A large part of the battle rests on avoiding conflicts with turning vehicles, including the dreaded right hook and left cross. A good rule of thumb is to ride in the rightmost lane traveling in the direction you are going. If you are going straight, ideally this will be a non-turning lane, but — given the seemingly infinite variety of lane configurations at Pittsburgh intersections — this isn’t often possible. If you do find yourself in a lane where some traffic will be turning, move smartly to protect yourself (i.e. ride on the left side of a right turn lane).

2. Filtering? Merge into the lane of cars before an intersection if you’re continuing straight.

If you are filtering to the front of a lane of slow-moving traffic and intend to proceed straight through the intersection, consider merging behind the first or second vehicle before entering the intersection. Not only will this increase your visibility in the line of traffic, but it will decrease your chance of being right hooked by driver.

The danger presented by turning vehicles is compounded by the fact that many drivers regularly fail to signal.



3. Take extra care when you drive.

Finally, drivers can do their part as well by taking extra care when they are approaching intersections. If you are changing lanes or preparing to make a right turn in your car, make it a habit to signal early and look for trailing cyclists in your rear view mirrors.

For some additional advice, check out this video on intersection safety from the League of American Bicyclists:

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