Avoiding Crashes - Cars, Traffic & Infrastructure

I was pretty sure I'd get really hurt on the road when I started biking. A co-worker said to me, "If you ride most days, you need to be prepared to get hit or crash, it will most likely happen." Maybe that's a little harsh, but looking around my office - I see a few people that have been hit by opening cars doors, gotten caught in streetcar tracks or bridge grids, & been plane out clipped by a motorized vehicle. On that lovely thought, I want to give you my quick advice on staying safe while biking around Seattle.

1. Avoid Streetcar tracks, as well as old rail tracks in South Lake Union & along Westlake Avenue. I ride the left hand side of Westlake because I have seen one too many bikers get a tire caught in the 2" track, biffing pretty hard. There are also some old tracks near Fairview & Valley that should be passed over with caution (I'd recommend getting on the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop here).


2. Stay off bridges, use the sidewalks especially at Montlake. Those grids will catch you, drop you & hurt you with the slightest of movements.
   


3. Use the sidewalk when traffic is heavy or you feel safer there. Seattle law allows us to ride on sidewalks & I often take advantage of this; people will sometimes disagree, but stand firm it is your right. Additional comments here would be to make sure you ride at an appropriate speed & respect the pedestrians you pass.


4. Ride on bike heavy streets to avoid your surprise element to other cars. It seems to me that riding alongside other bikers on sharrow or bike lane streets gives you a little more visibility.


5. Stay 3 feet out from parked cars to avoid getting clipped by a car door. Streets marked with bike lanes & sharrows indicate the proper distance, but you should also be mindful on unmarked & neighborhood streets. No one wants to end up like the girl from Wayne's World.


6. Own the road, this forces cars to slow down & think before passing you. Remember that you have a right to be in the lane, don't apologize or hug the curb to accommodate a car passing unless it is 100% safe.


7. Have the proper gear to increase visibility. Now, the whole point of me starting this blog was to prove that we don't need to gear up to ride, but sometimes things are necessary. Don't wear head to toe grey/black/navy during a rainy day or at night - try to have some sort of color on your person, bag or bike. I also recommend (& Seattle law requires) a white headlight & red tail light (blinking is best) at night.

Image from Car Free Days.

Seattle Bike Codes - An Intro to Your Rights & Responsibilities

Knowing your rights & responsibilities can be a big barrier when thinking about starting to bike. I sort of hopped in, not knowing. When people glared at me while riding the sidewalk on busy streets, I felt bad (little did I know that I have every right to be there). For those of you new to cycling or cycling in Seattle, here is a quick run down of the code.

For Cyclists:

1. When biking on the road, you have all of the same rules & responsibilities as the driver of a car.
2. You must avoid colliding with any pedestrian or other biker & should use a bell when necessary.
3. Biking slower than the average speed of traffic requires you to ride closest to the right side of the right lane. This excludes safely passing another rider or executing a turn.
4. In a one way, two (or more)-laned road, cyclists may ride closest to the left side of the left lane.
5. You have the right to ride on a shoulder of the road or other bike lanes specified.
6. You may ride two abreast, no more.
7. You have to use hand signals (left, right, or stop)
8. You may not hang on to a moving vehicle.
9. You can not haul any package or bundle that prevents you from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars (no going no-handed).
10. When dark you must have a white light on the front & a red reflector on your back. You may also use a red light on your rear in addition.
11. Those brakes have got to work!
12. You can't carry a passenger unless your 18+ & that small child is attached to their person.
13. When along a crosswalk, you have all the rights & rules as a pedestrian. You shouldn't cut into a crosswalk if cars are present or passing through.
14. You can ride on the sidewalk! You should ride in a manner & of a speed that is proper to the conditions (pedestrian traffic, grade, condition of surface).
15. When on the sidewalk or public path you must yield the right-of-way to an pedestrian & signal (bell or "on your left" it) when overtaking (passing) any pedestrian.
16. Wear a helmet (it's a $100+ ticket now)
    

Drivers Must:

1. Not enter, leave or open the door of a motor vehicle adjacent to moving traffic unless safe to do so. Drivers are responsible to make sure that there are no bikers traveling past.
2. Drive at a speed, avoiding collision with cyclists or pedestrians.
3. Not drive in a bicycle lane, unless executing a turn. In which case they must yield to you, the biker.

Further resources through Bike Smart Seattle and review codes at SDOT.

My philosophy with biking in Seattle is this - stay safe, don't apologize for biking, pay attention, and run red lights if you've looked both ways, checked for pedestrians, etc. Two other things that have really helped me to stay safe are:

1. Riding out from parallel cars & taking my place in the lane (this prevents doors from opening on you and forces cars passing you to slow down & move quite a bit out)
2. Riding on sidewalks when traffic is heavy or fast
   

This just may be my favorite article on the subject, Bicycles Don't Matter. No Really. They Don't. by Dan Bertolet at Hugeasscity. Read other biking related articles here.

Image via sparkling allison.