I received a lot of excellent feedback on my original Medium post 10 Lessons from a Run/Bike Commuter. This post is a redo — focusing on cycling and incorporating some of that feedback. I see so many cyclists and drivers doing stupid and avoidable things — they simply do not know a few lessons that would make everyone safer. I learned several of these through close calls — my hope is that by reading this you can avoid those same close calls.

1: Do not ride your bike against traffic.

Some people think that it is best to ride their bike against traffic “so they can see the cars”. Yes, you can see cars — but if you are riding against traffic it is much more likely that the cars will not see you. Riding against traffic is extremely dangerous, and I cringe every time I see this.

Right turning cars look left. They will not see a bike riding against traffic.

Drivers making a right turn are looking left. They look left to see oncoming traffic. If you approach them from the right, especially at speed, it is likely they will proceed without seeing you.

Left turning cars look forward and they won’t see a cyclist riding against traffic.

Similarly, vehicles that are turning left will be looking for traffic in front of them, not behind them.

2: Do not ride your bike on the sidewalk.

Drivers often drive through sidewalk thresholds without exercising caution.

Cars will blow through the sidewalk threshold. Cars rarely stop before that imaginary sidewalk line that runs through an intersection or parking lot exit. If a car fails to yield the sidewalk threshold it might hit you or you might T-bone them.

Buildings obstruct a cyclist’s view of other pedestrians.

In many places riding on the sidewalk is illegal. Even if it is legal, you risk hitting pedestrians. Buildings obstruct your view of oncoming pedestrians. Just as you demand respect on the road, pedestrians have the same right on a sidewalk.

3: Cars will cut you off.

Drivers often pass and make a quick right turn, cutting through a cyclists’ trajectory.

This is an unfortunate reality of cycling: drivers think you are riding slower than you actually are. This causes two dangerous scenarios:

Right turns: some drivers think they have enough space and time to pass you and make a right turn directly through your trajectory. Left turns: oncoming vehicles may make a left turn in front of you, forcing you to slow down.

Oncoming drivers may make a sudden left turn in front of you, thinking they have more time than they do.

Your best option is to ride defensively — anticipate the move and be on your brakes ready to use them.

4: Tinted windows are the worst.

Yes, tinted windows are great for keeping your car cool in the summer, but…

Tinted windows make it difficult for cyclists to predict driver intent.

Drivers: if you’ve ever waved a pedestrian or cyclist through an intersection and they stare blankly at you, not heeding your signal, it might be because your windows are tinted and they cannot see you. Make yourself visible by either rolling down your window or by leaning forward and signaling through your untinted windshield.

Cyclists: assume the driver does not see you and will enter your travel path at any time. Give yourself an out — possibly move left and take the lane to give yourself more time to react or just slow down and be prepared to slam on your brakes. Unfortunately this is always a dangerous and scary situation.

5: Actually, parallel-parked cars are the worst.

Suddenly-opening car doors are a serious hazard for bicycles

Parallel-parked cars cause two major safety problems for cyclists.

First, drivers often open their car doors without first looking over their left shoulder and checking their mirrors for oncoming bicycles. They open their door, fast moving cyclist hits that door, and lots of badness and pain results.

Cyclists: use caution when riding next to parked cars. If possible, ride out of reach of potentially opening doors. Look for brake lights, or a person occupying the driver’s seat — reliable indicators that the door may soon swing open.

Drivers: before opening your door, check your mirrors and look over your left shoulder. Even better, start practicing the Dutch Reach — use your far hand to open your car door, forcing you to turn so you can look over your shoulder.

Parallel-parked cars block the cyclist’s view of oncoming cars.

Parallel-parked cars also cause a visibility barrier to drivers and cyclists. As a cyclist it is tempting to approach an intersection, look for oncoming cars through the gaps and windows of parked cars, and proceed. I’ve found this method is too unreliable to guarantee the road is clear — this is when I’ve had my most stupid close calls.

Take the extra few seconds to position yourself so your field of view is completely unblocked by the parked cars. You will probably have to cautiously and slowly creep into the intersection. Proceed only when you have an unobstructed view.

6: Beware the car bar.

A-pillars can cause a blind spot for drivers.

Called the A-pillar, the vertical support that frames a car’s dashboard, it can create a blind spot for drivers. I’ve found that this is most problematic when I approach an intersection at nearly the same time and speed as the vehicle. The pillar becomes a moving barrier that blocks the driver’s view as you both approach the intersection.

Drivers: be sure to look around the A-pillar. This means moving your head to look around it as you approach an intersection.

Cyclists: as you approach an intersection look at the driver’s eyes. If the A-pillar blocks even a portion of your line-of-sight there is a good chance it’s blocking the driver’s view. See Lesson #7 — wave to the driver to confirm their intent.

7: Making eye contact is good but not reliable.

Running and biking, I’ve had drivers look directly at me, make eye contact, and not see me. It has led to several close calls.

Always assume the driver does not see you. Always give yourself an out.

I have found the best way to affirm visual contact and confirm driver intent is to simply wave. Not only is it a friendly gesture, but a return wave (or the unfortunate other type of hand gestures) signals to you that the driver sees you.

8: Learn your local bicycle laws. Follow your local bicycle laws.

Drivers and cyclists should know their local bicycle laws. Do not just assume you know them because a friend told you or because you read a post on Facebook. Seek out a credible source, like your state’s Driver’s Manual, and read it. Bike laws change regularly — be sure you keep your knowledge current.

Yes, in some places it is legal for bicycles to roll stop signs and stop-and-proceed through red lights.

If you are a cyclist you represent the biking community every time you ride. Follow the rules and be an ambassador for the sport. If you see another cyclist doing something dangerous or illegal, call them out — it’s possible they just don’t know better.

9: Be empathetic.

This should be Life Lesson #1, but it only makes #9 on this list. In every interaction, put yourself in both the driver and rider seat. The road looks very different when you riding a 20 pound bicycle vs when you are stuck driving behind a slow cyclist.

10: Always make new lessons.

Learn from your mistakes. Learn from other’s mistakes. Use every close encounter as a learning experience. Instead of just getting mad and blaming someone else, ask yourself what you could have done to anticipate or prevent the incident from occurring in the future. Adjust your behavior accordingly.

Takeaway

Just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean that it is safe, and just because something is safe doesn’t make it legal. In car vs bike or car vs pedestrian collisions there are only losers, it doesn’t matter who was in the legal right. Bike defensively. Stay safe out there.