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tips for motorists
Passing cyclists
Motorists, including those who should know better like professional truck drivers, show a disturbing lack of respect for cyclists. Please be considerate when you pass a cyclist. With the exception of downtown couriers, most of them are doing everything they can to give you all the room possible. Sometimes it may look to you as if there's plenty of shoulder available, but you may not notice the broken glass, potholes or cracked pavement that cyclists are constantly on the lookout for and more capable of seeing because of their lower speed and viewing position. Don't try to squeeze by with mere inches to spare. Give the cyclist room to maneuver around hazards like potholes or recessed storm drain covers. Change lanes if traffic allows when you see a cyclist ahead.
Turning safely
Always signal your intention to turn. I watch for cars that look like they might turn, especially when they are making right turns ahead of me, but it can be almost impossible to know what you're planning if you don't signal. Your turn signals are on your car for a reason. In every province and state I know of, it is illegal to turn without using your signals.
Keep in mind that cyclists like myself can travel at very high speeds -- often exceeding 30 mph on a level surface. Don't time your turn based on the assumption that the cyclist is moving slowly.
On left turns, watch out for cyclists who may be coming towards you in the other lane. Perhaps they are blocked from view by another vehicle across the intersection in the turning lane. And perhaps you're blocked from their view -- especially if you drive a low sports car or convertible.
Cyclist body language
Most cyclists I know try hard to signal their intentions through various types of body language. For example, when I want to change lanes, I'll repeatedly look over my shoulder to check traffic conditions. Then I'll use my hand signal, then I'll look again. If I see a hazard ahead that will cause me to move from the shoulder into the lane, I'll look over my shoulder and gradually move left. I'll even keep my arm out there throughout the turn just in case a driver was glancing at something else when I first signalled. Keep in mind that on frequently-travelled roads, we know every hazard and major bump. And we want to avoid them. You may not know why we're moving away from the shoulder, but there's a reason. The same thing goes for cars parked on the side of the road. Hitting an opened door is very dangerous, so we like to pass parked cars with enough room to avoid suddenly-opened doors. Please be considerate of these needs.
Intersections
Cyclists have the same rights as automobiles. Which means that smart cyclists will use the appropriate lanes when they come to intersections. They have every right to use the center of the lane, and they often will for safety reasons. I will use the appropriate left turn, straight-through, or right turning lanes at intersections. Although it irritates some drivers, I'll use the center of the lane in those circumstances because it is much safer than trying to share a lane with cars. I was actually bumped by a bus once that tried to pass me through a left turn -- all because I stayed far enough to the right to make the driver attempt to pass. If I had stayed in the center of the lane, the bus would have remained behind me until the turn was complete. So if a cyclist is moving into the center of your lane, don't get ticked off. He just wants to save his unprotected skin.
Tips for motorists from a cyclist's point of view
Advice for cyclists on sharing the road with drivers.
the joy of workout