Five Classic Cycling Dangers and How to Avoid Them

When you are cycling in traffic and have to contend with other road users, it's a jungle out there. Even worse, sometimes it feels like the laws of the jungle apply rather than the traffic laws and regulations. This might be okay when the two rucking drivers are protected inside reinforced vehicles. If you're a cyclist though, you can get hurt very easily by the slightest of collisions, and being on two wheels also makes you a less visible road user. Here are five classic situations where cyclists need to be on their guard.

The Emergency Stop

When you are cycling in traffic, give other vehicles loads of room to maneuver, and especially keep your eyes peeled for local danger spots. These might be near a school, where children can rush out into the road and cause the traffic in front of you to stop suddenly to avoid hitting them. Or there might be an ice cream truck parked at the roadside, and you can expect youngsters to appear out of nowhere and cause havoc. As a cyclist, keep your hands near your brakes when you spot potential dangers like these, and also try to anticipate by looking ahead, past the car in front of you. It is no excuse that they did an emergency stop and you crashed into them - you need to be aware and give yourself enough time to stop safely under such circumstances.

The Hesitant Driver

This example follows on from the Emergency Stop described above. Watch out for vehicles that are driving slowly in front of you, or if they are stopping and starting or continually changing lanes. The driver is probably lost or trying to find a particular side street or address. Do not allow yourself to lose your temper with them and attempt to overtake. You may end up doing so just as they find the street they were looking for, and since their concentration is elsewhere, they are likely to steer right into you.

The Hook

The Hook is a very common danger for cyclists who put some power into their riding. It is an example of a car driver miscalculating the speed of a cyclist when approaching a junction, where the driver wants to turn right but the cyclist wishes to go straight on. Typically the driver will accelerate past the cyclist and then cut back across to take a right turn (assuming you drive on the right - in the UK and other countries, this danger will be a "left-handed" one). The cyclist has only two options: to collide with the vehicle and risk injury, or to turn right with the vehicle and stop. The usual option is to turn right and stop, and since no collision occurred, the driver will always deny they did anything wrong. Guarding against the Hook is very difficult, since the car driver is making a split-second decision about whether he can get past you and turn right. So as the vulnerable party, you will need to use your awareness as you approach junctions. Look behind for vehicles indicating an intention to turn right. Finally, be prepared to take evasive action if necessary - keep your hands near your brakes, slow down and be watchful.

The Door Opener

The Door Opener truly is a classic. It is the result of busy lifestyles and drivers being in a hurry. It goes something like this: a car driver overtakes a cyclist safely but is in a hurry. He parks a little further down the street, grabs his briefcase and swings the car door open. The oncoming cyclist, possibly travelling at speed, would not have had any time to react, and usually ends up somersaulting over the handlebars of his bike and the car door, and subsequently needs hospital treatment. Again, although you can argue that the driver should have checked his mirror first, he is not the one who is going to get injured. So keep an eye out for this scenario next time you are out cycling. If a car passes you and parks, check behind you to make sure you can position yourself wide of the parked car; slow down if you can see the driver has turned towards the door. Be on red alert until you have passed him.

The Junction Pull-Out

This is the most dangerous hazard, one which kills many motorcyclists every year. It happens when a car driver is in a side street and wants to join the main traffic flow. He will see the school bus or the RV and focus on that to determine whether he can pull out safely. Thinking there is plenty of time, he goes, having not focused at all on the much smaller and narrower two-wheeled target. The cyclist will hit the side of the car at speed and generally suffer severe injuries, since unlike a car door which will absorb some of the energy of impact, the car itself is immoveable. The solution to this danger for the cyclist is to make sure you are seen. Wear very bright cycling shirts when out riding in traffic. Like most motorcyclists, you may want to consider switching your front headlight on even when riding during the day. Do anything to make sure you are not "focused out" by other road users.

To make sure you do not end up in the emergency room because of any of these cycling dangers, take these items with you every time you get on your bike: a very eye-catching cycling shirt, a hefty dose of paranoia and some normal common sense, and you should be alright.