Cyclists should be proactive about safety

By: John Bennett

Published: Friday, January 25, 2008

News of a cyclist seriously injured Jan. 10 by a hit-and-run driver at the corner of Lincoln and Wayne streets in Savannah has SCAD community members who commute to work and class on bicycles talking about how to stay safe.

While helmet use has been at the center of bicycle safety campaigns in the United States for decades, as passive safety devices helmets should be just one component of a cyclist’s comprehensive injury-prevention strategy. After all, it would be foolish to suggest that it is OK for motorists to drive on the wrong side of the road, drive at night without turning on their lights, or weave in and out of traffic — as long as they are wearing seatbelts.

The same holds true for cyclists.

David Crites, executive director of the bicycle advocacy group Georgia Bikes!, advised cyclists to use caution when approaching intersections. “Slow down, look and listen. Never try to [race] through an intersection with a traffic signal changing to red. You’re not as fast as you think,” he said. “And don’t be too eager to be the first into an intersection after a signal changes to green. Red-light runners abound.”

Crites also recommended that cyclists try to make eye contact with motorists at intersections.

Fear of being hit by cars often motivates cyclists to adopt behavior that actually puts them more at risk. For example, riding on sidewalks is not only illegal in parts of downtown Savannah, it is also dangerous. According to the Georgia Bicycle Law Enforce­ment Pocket Guide, a publication distributed to law enforcement agencies and cyclists, “Riding as far as possible from traffic (e.g., by riding on a sidewalk) increases risk by removing the cyclists from areas where motorists expect to see and encounter vehicular traffic.”

Other cyclists stay on the street but hug the curb to stay away from cars, and in doing so, weave in and out between parked cars. Crites advised that this too can be hazardous, because by “vacating their right to the road [cyclists] are actually making it harder on themselves by adding so many more movement variables to their travel,” he said.

What’s more, by riding too far to the right, cyclists are “risking additional crashes with pedestrians accidentally stepping off the curb, with parking cars, and with car doors being opened,” Crites said.

The bicycle law enforcement guide provides scenarios in which a cyclist should move further toward the center of the lane. These include when the cyclist is moving at the same speed as other traffic, passing another vehicle, turning left, avoiding debris in the roadway and riding in a lane too narrow for a another vehicle to safely pass the cyclist. “Moving left,” the guide advises, “helps cue an overtaking driver who might otherwise misjudge passing space.”

Crites said lane position is especially important when approaching intersections. Moving toward the center of the lane can make cyclists more visible to motorists, he explained.

Under state law, bicycles are considered vehicles and their operators drivers. As such, bicyclists are required to follow the same traffic regulations as drivers of cars, including the use of lights after dark and traveling with — not against  — traffic. The Bicycle Law Enforcement guide cites statistics from a national study that found that in bicycle vs. car crashes in which the cyclist was at fault, “riding against traffic on the roadway” was the most common contributing factor. The guide reports, “A cyclist who rides facing oncoming traffic increases his risk of being hit by two to four times. Drivers entering and exiting the roadway at side streets and driveways do not expect bicycle traffic to approach from the wrong direction.”

It is important to note that the Lincoln Street bicycle lane is designed and marked for northbound bicycle traffic only. Southbound cyclists should use Habersham Street.

While cyclists can take steps to reduce their risk, this does not absolve motorists of their responsibility to avoid distractions such as operating electronic devices and eating while driving, according to Crites. Motorists should also “wait a second or two longer to let cyclists pass through intersections before making turns,” he said. Often motorists do not realize how fast cyclists are actually traveling, Crites explained.

One critical and often deadly mistake is made by both motorists and bicyclists, according to Crites: operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Read more information and download a copy of the “Georgia Bicycle Law Enforcement Pocket Guide” online.


Bennett is director of student media.