Cycling Safety Tips: How to Ride Safely Through Intersections
You should know how to cycle safely through intersections because the intersections are where most accidents happen. One of the top cycling safety tips involving intersections is staying two to three feet away from the curbs. This is important so you can see drivers and they can see you also.
Cycling Safety Tips
Right-of-way
The right-of-way determines who would go through an intersection first. Prior to proceeding into an intersection, you should give way to vehicles and pedestrians who are already in the intersection or are approaching it so closely that it would be dangerous for you to proceed.
Without Traffic Controls
When you approach an intersection with no stop signs, yield signs, or any traffic control signals, you should give the right-of way to the vehicle coming closely from the right.
Two Rules in Safely Moving Through Traffic Signal Intersections
1. Watch for any vehicles turning across your path and get prepared to avoid them.
2. Watch for changes in traffic signals and be prepared to stop if you have not reached the intersection yet.
Right Turns
To execute a right-hand turn, ride at the right-most lane since you should turn from the right-hand curbside to the right-hand curbside. Look over your shoulder to check for any overtaking traffic an then signal your turn. You should also scan the intersection for pedestrians having the right-of-way. Wait and proceed when your path is clear. Also, before you make the turn, stop in stop signs and red signals.
Remember that cars may move into the bicycle lane or to the right section of your lane before executing a right turn. Pass on the left side or just stay behind. Never ride pass a right-turning vehicle on the right side.
Left Turns
Pedestrian turn
Walk your bicycle across pedestrian crosswalk.
Vehicular Turn
This is the most ideal way of making a left turn (except when the road it too congested that it's difficult to get into proper position prior to the turn). Vehicular turns could be quite simple on quiet residential streets. However, more biking skill on multi-lane roads is needed.
Multi-lane left turns
In this case, there are two possibilities: taking multiple left turn lanes and moving to a dedicated left turn lane. Both require you to move over lane by lane in order to get to the right turning position. These maneuvers could be relatively complex and would require specific cycling skills.
You should be able to shoulder check without swerving and move quickly and decisively when it's safe to do so. You should also be able to clearly signal your intentions to drivers and correctly judge gaps in traffic. You can hone these skills by practicing on less busy streets. As you save some confidence and skills, it would be a lot easier for you to make left turns on busier streets.
Completing a left turn
Always complete your left turn into the equivalent of the lane from where you turned. When you've completed your turn, move over lane by lane to the right. Keep a good distance from the curb.
Follow these cycling safety tips when riding through an intersection for you to have a safer ride.
Cycling Safety Tips
Right-of-way
The right-of-way determines who would go through an intersection first. Prior to proceeding into an intersection, you should give way to vehicles and pedestrians who are already in the intersection or are approaching it so closely that it would be dangerous for you to proceed.
Without Traffic Controls
When you approach an intersection with no stop signs, yield signs, or any traffic control signals, you should give the right-of way to the vehicle coming closely from the right.
Two Rules in Safely Moving Through Traffic Signal Intersections
1. Watch for any vehicles turning across your path and get prepared to avoid them.
2. Watch for changes in traffic signals and be prepared to stop if you have not reached the intersection yet.
Right Turns
To execute a right-hand turn, ride at the right-most lane since you should turn from the right-hand curbside to the right-hand curbside. Look over your shoulder to check for any overtaking traffic an then signal your turn. You should also scan the intersection for pedestrians having the right-of-way. Wait and proceed when your path is clear. Also, before you make the turn, stop in stop signs and red signals.
Remember that cars may move into the bicycle lane or to the right section of your lane before executing a right turn. Pass on the left side or just stay behind. Never ride pass a right-turning vehicle on the right side.
Left Turns
Pedestrian turn
Walk your bicycle across pedestrian crosswalk.
Vehicular Turn
This is the most ideal way of making a left turn (except when the road it too congested that it's difficult to get into proper position prior to the turn). Vehicular turns could be quite simple on quiet residential streets. However, more biking skill on multi-lane roads is needed.
Multi-lane left turns
In this case, there are two possibilities: taking multiple left turn lanes and moving to a dedicated left turn lane. Both require you to move over lane by lane in order to get to the right turning position. These maneuvers could be relatively complex and would require specific cycling skills.
You should be able to shoulder check without swerving and move quickly and decisively when it's safe to do so. You should also be able to clearly signal your intentions to drivers and correctly judge gaps in traffic. You can hone these skills by practicing on less busy streets. As you save some confidence and skills, it would be a lot easier for you to make left turns on busier streets.
Completing a left turn
Always complete your left turn into the equivalent of the lane from where you turned. When you've completed your turn, move over lane by lane to the right. Keep a good distance from the curb.
Follow these cycling safety tips when riding through an intersection for you to have a safer ride.
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