The Best Ways To Avoid A Collision From Behind

A vehicle runs into you from behind. This is exactly what lots of bicyclists fear the most, yet it’s actually not very common, comprising just 3.8 % of crashes. It’s one of the hardest crashes to stay away from, because you’re not usually looking behind you. The danger is likely greater in the evening, and in rides outside the city where traffic is quicker and illumination is even worse. The 3 bicyclists killed when hit from behind in Austin in 96-97 were all riding in the evening, and at least two of them really did not have lights on their bikes. The most effective way to avoid getting Rear-Ended is to bike on very wide roadways or in bike routes, or on roadways where the traffic moves slowly, and to use lights when cycling in the evening.
The best ways to avoid a collision from behind:
1. Buy a rear light. You absolutely should use a flashing red rear light if you’re cycling at dusk. Bruce Mackey (formerly of Florida, now lead of bike safety in Nevada) says that 60 % of bike crashes in Florida are caused by bicyclists cycling at dusk without lights. In 1999, 39 % of deaths on bicycles across the country happened in between 6 p.m. and twelve o’clock at night. [USA Today, 10-22-01, attributed to the Insurance Institute for highway safety]
Cycling shops have red rear blinkies for $15 or less. These kind of markers generally take two AA batteries, which last for months (something like 200 hours). I cannot mention this item enough: If you cycle at dusk, buy a rear blinkie!
2. Put on a reflective vest or a safety triangle. First class reflective equipment makes you a whole lot more visible even in the day time, not simply at dusk. I had a buddy bike away from me while wearing one during the day, and when she was about a quarter mile away, I couldn’t see her or her bike in any way, yet the vest was clearly visible. During the night the difference is even greater. Cycling shops have vests and triangles for $10 to $15. When you hear a motorist nearby, straightening up into a vertical position will certainly make your reflective equipment much more visible.
3. Choose wide roads. Bike on roads whose outside lane is so wide that it could easily fit a car and a bike side-by-side. That way an automobile might pass by you and stay clear of striking you, even if they really did not see you!
4. Choose slow roads. The slower an automobile is going, the more time the motorist gets to see you. I navigate the city by going through communities. Find out how you can do this.
5. Bike on back roads on weekend breaks. Due to the fact that all the drunks are out driving about, the danger of cycling on Friday or Saturday night is a lot higher compared to cycling on other nights. Make sure to take neighborhood roads instead of arterials if you do bike on a weekend night.
6. Buy a bicycle mirror. Get a mirror and utilize it. Hop off your bike and get on the sidewalk if it looks like an automobile does not see you. Mirrors are cheap. Trust me, when you have actually cycled with a mirror for some time, you’ll question how you lived without it. My paranoia dropped 80 % after I bought a mirror. If you’re not convinced, after you have actually used your mirror for a month, take it off your helmet and cycle around and discover how you keep glancing over to where your mirror was, and discover how unsafe you really feel without it.
7. Do not hug the curb. This is counter-intuitive, but give yourself a little room in between you and the curb. That offers you some room to move into in case you see a big motor vehicle in your mirror coming close behind without moving over far enough to miss you. Likewise, when you hug the curb tightly you’re much more likely to experience a right cross from drivers that cannot see you.
Post sponsored by http://www.Geared2U.com and used with consent from http://www.BicycleSafe.com by Michael Bluejay.