Things That Scare Cyclists
Risks of the world’s best hobby
Riding a bike in an urban area offers a level of freedom that you can’t get with public transit or a car. I am a strong advocate for riding bikes, and I believe we should be doing everything we can to get more people pedaling to work.
In my three years of commuting by bike, I have reaped the benefits of not relying on public transit or automobiles. My commute has become more reliable, more affordable, and I benefit from the daily workout.
After traversing the urban landscape by bike daily, my comfort with the flow of city streets has increased. There are very few places I won’t ride. I generally feel safe because I’ve learned how to avoid the danger.
Unfortunately, I’m in the minority. 60% of adults define themselves as “interested but concerned” about cycling, and 33% put themselves into the “no way, no how” category. Only 7% rate themselves as “enthused and confident” with cycling.
This is a problem.
I get it. Biking in a city can be scary. 467,000 people were injured on bikes in 2016. Unfortunately, the best way to learn how to avoid danger on the road is through exposure to it.
In my 3 years of bike commuting I’ve had 4 near misses, where a split second separated me from a devastating accident. These near misses make me question my dedication to urban cycling because, if things went differently, I would not have come home that day.
What is keeping cyclists off the roads?
There has to be a reason why only 7% of adults are “enthused and confident” right? Let’s get into the scary stuff.
Dooring
Getting doored is every cyclist’s worst nightmare. When you’re cruising along at 15+ miles per hour, there’s no time to react when a car door opens in your path.
I’ve seen at least 10 doors fly open in — what would have been — my path, had I been in the middle of the bike lane. I learned early on that the middle of the bike lane is a war zone. I now ride on the left side of the lane, well outside the door’s reach.
When a dooring incident takes place, the cyclist is rarely responsible. Cities like Chicago have added steeper fines for those who injure a cyclist in a dooring incident, but these laws often go un-enforced.
Bike lane obstructions
In theory, bike lanes are great — a safe space on the road that is designated for bikes only, which allows a place for a cyclist to ride without fear of obstruction. In reality, there are always obstructions in the bike lane.
FedEx trucks, cop cars, construction trucks, and Ubers frequently block a cyclist’s path through the bike lane, forcing them to go around the obstruction and into traffic.
A study in New York City found that there are about 11.5 bike lane obstructions per mile. With most cyclists covering a mile in 3–5 minutes, an obstacle comes along every 30 seconds.
Blind spots
I genuinely believe that most drivers want to be accommodating to cyclists, but there are barriers. If a driver can’t see you, it doesn’t matter how considerate they are.
SUV’s have much larger blind spots than smaller cars. This problem will continue to get worse, as SUV sales are on the rise. 1/3 of all car sales in 2016 were SUVs, which is 6 times higher than in 2010.
The blind spot issue is even worse for trucks or busses. These large gaps in the visual field set up a perfect situation for a right hook.
Inattentive drivers
Bike lanes place cyclists within feet of moving traffic. A brief lapse in focus can send a car drifting into the bike lane. Just a light bump from a 2000 pound SUV is enough to knock a cyclist off their bike, leading to serious injury or death.
I see drivers on their phones daily. It does not surprise me that 400,000 people are injured by distracted drivers each year.
Hit-and-runs
All the scenarios above are terrible. But an accident is easier to swallow when the offending party is held accountable, and your medical bills are paid by their auto insurance.
Sadly, cars like to flee the scene after striking a pedestrian or cyclist. Up to 20% of incidents involving a pedestrian are hit-and-run cases.
Hit-and-run drivers leave their victims in the streets to fend for themselves medically and financially. The idea of getting hit by a car, only to take an expensive ambulance ride and pay an average of $18,000 for a hospital stay is truly heartbreaking. Unfortunately, this is a reality for cyclist and pedestrians across the country every year.
It’s not all bad! How to stay safe:
1. Have a mirror
I know, bike helmet mirrors look dorky — but they can literally save your life. I’ve tried a few mirrors, and the EVT Safe Zone is by far the best. I love this mirror, it allows me to check what’s going on behind me in a split second — providing me tremendous peace of mind while cycling.
2. Ride outside the “door zone”
When a car door is open, it leaves only the edge of the lane free from obstruction. Riding in the outer 10–15 inches of a bike lane is the safest place for a cyclist, despite traffic approaching from behind.
While it may feel unnerving to ride so close to traffic, a car approaching from behind is much more likely to see you than a driver opening their door. It may aggravate some drivers, but I’d rather be irritating than dead.
3. Avoid trucks at all costs
Trucks terrify me. Never line up along the side of a truck at a stop light or ride beside a truck. Trucks have huge blind spots and large tires that are often fatal. When you are beside a truck or bus, there’s a good chance they won’t see you. Trucks are the chief offenders in fatal right hook accidents.
Hope for the future
Cyclists are advocating for change
As more bike lanes are added to cities across the country, drivers will become more familiar with cyclists on the road.
Worldwide campaigns are spreading information about the Dutch reach: the act of using one’s right hand to open the driver side door, forcing you to look at the bike lane before flinging the door open.
Bike infrastructure is improving
Urban cycling has garnered more attention in the last ten years. The cycling boom has led city planners and politicians to make some key improvements to the roads.
The number of bike lanes is increasing in America’s cities. More dedicated space for cyclists is good for safety and traffic. Some areas a taking it a step further by adding more protected bike lanes.
Some cities are even testing new intersection designs specifically designed around bike safety. As more people ride bikes, this innovation will likely continue.
Cycling is becoming more popular.
More people on bikes is a good thing! Every bike on the road translates to fewer cars sitting in traffic. There’s strength in numbers — as cycling continues to grow, drivers will become more familiar and start to behave differently.
I also believe that being a cyclist changes driving habits. I’m a much safer driver now than I was before commuting by bike.
Individual risk of injury or death is low.
The United States has an estimated 47 million cyclists. Though many incidents go unreported, about 800 cyclists are killed each year, and 45,000–50,000 are injured.
This means the risk of death is 1 in 58,000, and the chance of injury is about 1 in 1000. Every mode of transport has its danger. You could get hit by a bus crossing the street, or end up in a car accident. If we avoided everything that has a .001 chance of death, human existence would be impossible.
I firmly believe the benefits of bike commuting far outweigh the risks
However, we need to do better a society to move more people from the “interested but concerned” category into the “enthused and confident” group.
More bikes on the roads will mean fewer cars, less traffic, and better bike infrastructure. It’s an uphill battle, but we literally climb mountains on bikes — so let’s make cycling more accessible for everybody.
