How to Avoid Getting Hit by a Car While Cycling - Coach Tip Tuesday

I’ve been hit by a car while riding a bicycle.  It’s not an experience I’d recommend to anyone.

When I was 14, my friend Jill was struck by a car while riding her bicycle.  She ultimately died as a result of the injuries she sustained in that crash.  This is an experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone - both for themselves and for their loved ones.  To say that Jill’s death has impacted my life - and the lives of all of us who were friends with her - since then is a profound understatement.

If you ride a bicycle on the road, the possibility of getting hit by a car exists.  This is the truth, brutal as it might be.  There isn’t any way around it.  That being said, there are certainly things that you can do that will reduce the likelihood of being hit by a car while riding a bicycle.

The Best Cycling Safety Tips

Cyclists are often quick to blame automobile drivers for negative car-bicycle interactions.  However, this is not a one-sided equation, and the responsibility to navigate roads safely rests with both automobile drivers and cyclists.  If we as cyclists want automobile drivers to respect our right to be on the road (which we have in all 50 states in the United States of America), then we need to impose the same standards and expectations of responsibility on ourselves as we impose on the drivers of automobiles.  It’s irresponsible and hypocritical of us to say we expect drivers to obey the rules of the road, to respect us, and to yield to us if we are not observing the rules of the road and being responsible ourselves.

Beyond the ethical reasons for being a responsible cyclist and following the rules of the road, the laws in your state likely actually require you to.  For instance, in New York State (where I live), the Vehicle and Traffic Law defines bicycles as vehicles and riders as vehicle operators.  In other words: Under New York State Law, the rider of a bicycle is the same as a driver of an automobile, and must adhere to all rules set forth in the Vehicle and Traffic Law when they are operating that bicycle on a roadway in New York State.

Reduce Distractions

Distractions on the road abound…and I’m not just referencing using cell phones while driving.  Cyclists honestly have an equal level of distraction now from digital devices, especially because our fitness devices (such as Garmin or Wahoo bike computers) link to our cell phones and can notify us mid-workout each and every time we are getting a message or a phone call.  You cannot control what drivers are doing or not doing in cars, but you can control what you are doing.

Reduce your distractions.  While you will never be able to 100% eliminate distractions (after all, cars driving by, navigating pot holes, pedestrians walking their dogs, etc. are all distractions), you can take steps to eliminate the possibility of certain distractions.  

My opinion on this is not a popular one (perhaps because people see the truth in it and don’t like it?), but here are my thoughts on getting text, phone call, and other digital notifications in the middle of your workout:

Unless you are being paid by your employer to be on-call and are required to be available to answer calls or messages, there isn’t any reason why you should have these notifications on.  Not only is the probability of an actual emergency happening while you’re out riding exceedingly low, as much as we like to think that there’s something we can do about an “emergency” that may arise while we’re riding, the reality is that you will be unable to do very much - if anything - about any kind of emergency that happens while you are out on a ride.  You will, in fact, be out on the ride, and not where the thing is happening.

As recently as 30 years ago, it was impossible to get ahold of someone when they were out on a ride or away from their home.  This phenomenon of us thinking that it’s essential to be accessible at all times is incredibly new when you zoom out and look at our history as a species.  It’s important to keep this perspective.  You will be more than okay if you don’t see what text messages, phone calls, Instagram likes, or emails you’ve received for 1-2 hours.  In fact, if you actually take me seriously and turn off your notifications and ignore your phone when you’re riding, you may eventually actually find that you enjoy your ride more and your mind feels calmer and better.

Digital notifications are distracting and can be deadly.  Period.  Full stop.  It’s why almost all states have severe penalties for using digital devices while operating a motor vehicle.  You should hold yourself to this same standard while riding; you have far less protection when you are riding, thereby potentially making any distraction you incur while riding that much more significant.  We generally underestimate the time our gaze is averted/distracted by notifications; most people would probably say the amount of time they use to glance at a notification is nominal.  However, the average amount of time we avert our gaze from what we’re doing (driving or riding a bike) when looking at a notification is 4.6 seconds.  Believe me, 4.6 seconds is long enough to change or ruin your life.  Don’t do it.  And don’t trust yourself not to look; notifications are designed to engage us, so you will look, even if you promise yourself you won’t.  Turn off their ability to be there in the first place for maximum distraction reduction.

Be Visible

Being visible is one of the best things you can do to alert drivers to your presence on the road.  Wearing bright-colored jerseys and gear is one way to do this.  Yellow and orange are generally the best colors to wear in terms of visibility.  Yellow is one of the brightest colors perceived by the human eye, and it is detectable by humans in both daylight and low-light conditions.  The high luminance (aka how bright it appears) of the color yellow makes it detectable from greater distances than other colors.

Orange is slightly less bright than yellow, but is still detected quickly by the human eye because of how vivid and bright it is.  Both yellow and orange stand out against natural and artificial backgrounds (such as greenery, blue skies, buildings, and pavement), providing an effective contrast from the environment around you, thereby making you easier to see.  Additionally, yellow and orange are both colors that naturally draw human attention and are processed quickly by the brain.  The sooner a driver sees you, the more time they have to respond appropriately.

Another way to be more visible to drivers is to ride with lights on both the front and rear of your bike.  Some states require the use of both headlights and taillights on bicycles, but even if it’s not required by law in your state, this is an excellent habit to establish.  Lights make you more conspicuous and visible to everyone else on the road - always.  Some cyclists ride with a taillight, but very few ride with a headlight, especially during the day.  I’ve compared what it is like riding without a headlight and what it is like riding with one; I’ve noticed a significant decrease in the number of vehicles that pull out in front of me since I started riding with a headlight, indicating that I wasn’t as visible before.  Additionally, putting your lights (both taillights and headlights) on a strobing or flashing setting is particularly effective since human visual perception is more attuned to movement and changes in color or light.  (Using a strobing or flashing setting has the secondary benefit of extending how long your battery for your lights lasts as well.)

Signal & Be Predictable

Being predictable is one of the most fundamental safety tips any driver or cyclist can put into action.  One of the most significant things you can do to be predictable is to signal every time you are going to make a directional change (such as a left or right-hand turn).  When signaling, it’s important to use a method of signaling that will be easily understood by the vast majority of people on the road.  One of the most basic tenets of communication is that both the sender and receiver understand what is being communicated; if either one doesn’t understand, then the point is literally completely moot.

For this reason, I strongly advocate for sticking your left arm out parallel to the ground when you are going to make a left-hand turn or lane change, and I recommend that you stick your right arm out parallel to the ground when you are going to make a right-hand turn or lane change.  The old school using only the left arm for signaling is outdated and irrelevant now.  Drivers - aka non-cyclists - have absolutely no idea what a cyclist means when they stick out their left arm and bend their elbow at a 90º angle.  (This used to mean that the cyclist was about to make a right-hand turn.)  If you use this signal to attempt to communicate a right-hand turn, it’s like trying to speak Latin to someone who hasn’t ever heard a word of it in their life…aka completely silly and ineffective.  Not only will your message be lost, but your safety is now at risk because the driver will not understand what you are about to do.

Riding in a straight line is another way to be predictable.  Maybe it sounds funny, but believe me when I say that more than a few cyclists do not ride in a straight line and weave all over the shoulder or road.  In fact, when I ask athletes to ride in a straight line (especially at a slow speed) at training camps or skill clinics, it’s usually one of the harder drills for them to successfully complete.

Obey the Basic Rules of the Road

As I’ve emphasized, if we want drivers to respect us as cyclists, we need to respect all of the other vehicles and people that are using the roadway alongside us.  This means that we need to obey all of the rules of the road when we are out riding.  While these do vary from state to state, there are some common best practices that are applicable in all states.

Come to a complete stop at all stop signs.  This will allow you to accurately assess whether there is an obstacle or threat (aka an oncoming car) coming into the interaction or your direction of travel.  When you are approaching an intersection or you are stopped at an intersection, seek to make eye contact with any drivers that are also at the same intersection or who are approaching it.

Ride as far to the right as possible.  While you do have the right to be on the roadway in all states, most states also require that cyclists ride as far to the right as is safe and reasonable.  This may mean that you’re riding on the edge of the shoulder near the edge of the actual asphalt.  If there isn’t a shoulder, this may mean that you’re riding on the white line or near the edge of the asphalt.

Never ride more than two abreast, and ride single file when you are being overtaken by a motor vehicle.  This may actually be the law in your state; for instance, in New York State, cyclists cannot ride more than two abreast (even if there is sufficient space for more cyclists) on any roadway or pathway (including non-motorized and shared-use pathways) and they must ride single file if a vehicle is overtaking them.

Ride Outside & Practice Handling Skills

The smart aleck response to the question “How do you avoid getting hit by a car while cycling?” Is “Never ride outside!”  While many athletes have actually adopted this strategy (to ride indoors more than they used to in order to reduce the chances that they will have a negative vehicle-bicycle interaction), I’ve observed that the increase in indoor ride time is actually hurting cyclists when they do get outside to ride.

Specificity matters, always.  There isn’t any way around it.  The only way to get good at something is to practice doing said thing.  In the case of outdoor riding, the only way to get good at handling your bicycle outside is to ride outside.

Yes, reducing the number of instances when you can be hit by a car by riding indoors undoubtedly reduces the overall probability that you will be hit.  However, I’ve seen that athletes who spend a majority of their time riding indoors have a higher percentage of negative outdoor riding incidents than cyclists who ride outside more regularly.  In other words: The athletes who are riding indoors and who are not regularly practicing their handling skills are crashing more times and having more negative incidents relative to their total number of outdoor rides than cyclists who are frequently and consistently riding outdoors.

More time riding outside breeds more comfort and confidence.  If you are scared and/or tense while riding outside, you will actually be increasing your chances of something negative happening.  In order to be able to respond appropriately to obstacles and incidents, you need to be clear-headed and relaxed.  Confidence earned from doing the thing (riding outside) is what yields these important qualities.

In addition to the specificity of logging outdoor riding time, intentionally and specifically practicing handling skills is important.  WHen was the last time you intentionally practiced bicycle handling skills?  If you’re like most of the age-group athletes I’ve worked with over the years, you either never have or you cannot accurately tell me the last time you did.  Take five minutes before each ride to practice skills such as Riding in a Straight Line, Bunny Hopping, Emergency Baking, and Riding with One Hand.

Does Riding in a Group Keep You More Safe While Riding a Bicycle?

A lot of athletes tell me that they prefer to ride in groups because they feel more safe on the roads when they are with other people.  There is some truth in this; a larger group of cyclists certainly accomplishes one of the goals that we previously discussed, which is to be more visible when riding.  A group of cyclists riding on the road is definitely easier for the human eye to detect and respond to than a single, lone rider.

That being said, riding in a group is not inherently safer than riding alone.  Whether or not riding in a group is safer depends heavily on the skills and dynamics of the group that is doing the riding.  If people in the group are engaging in poor and squirrely behaviors such as riding more than two abreast, not riding in a straight line, riding in the middle of the road, not moving over when being overtaken by a motor vehicle, and not signaling, then riding in a group is actually far more unsafe than if you were riding alone.  Additionally, a group that is engaging in any/all of these behaviors is almost certainly going to irritate others using the roadway, thereby contributing to the ill feelings between drivers and cyclists.

Good Cycling Safety Tips

There are some behaviors, habits, and things that do specifically help reduce your risk of being hit by a car while cycling.  There are also other behaviors, habits, and things that do not necessarily reduce that risk, but are really good ideas anyway.  

Why Wearing a Helmet While Cycling is So Important

Wearing a helmet is the number one best habit you can engage in while riding a bicycle, and you should wear a helmet every single time you ride any kind of bicycle.  No exceptions, ever.  My friend Jill, who I mentioned earlier, was not wearing a helmet when she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle.  The fatal injuries she sustained were the direct result of not wearing a helmet…meaning that she very well might be alive today if she had been wearing one.  

A helmet is the least expensive insurance policy you can purchase while riding a bicycle.  All helmets sold in the United States are required to meet the same standard when it comes to impact protection; variances in price have to do with aerodynamics, weight, ventilation, and extra features such as built-in lights or technologies to reduce rotational forces in a crash.  But you can get a fully safe and protective helmet for as little as $50-60.

Wear a ROAD iD While Cycling

Carrying identification on you while riding is always a great idea.  Wearing something like a ROAD iD is an even better one because of how accessible it is for others to see and utilize.  ROAD iD is a company that makes wearable ID badges; people most commonly wear them on bracelets or on tags that they put on their shoes.  The ID badge can say whatever you’d like it to, but most users put their name, age, emergency contact information, and relevant medical information on it.  This way, in the event that you do crash and are unable to speak for yourself, others will be able to quickly and easily identify you and contact your loved ones.  Now that ROAD iD has been on the market for 25+ years, first responders are accustomed to looking for it when they arrive at the scene of a cycling crash.

Use Tracking & Incident Detection Features While Cycling

Most fitness devices (such as Garmin, Wahoo, and Coros) now come with tracking features.  When paired with a smartphone, the fitness devices send a live link to anyone you specify so they can track you while you’re out riding and see where you are.  Some of these companies also offer Incident Detection, which is a feature that can detect if you’ve been in a crash by detecting abrupt changes in speed.  If it detects that you've been in a crash, it can then notify any emergency contacts you specify.  The great thing about both of these features is that they work in the background once they are set up and thus do not generate any distracting notifications.  So while they do require a smartphone to work, they are not a case of the smartphone being paired and used in a distracting manner while riding.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, as long as motor vehicles and bicycles exist in the same world, there will be car-bicycle crashes.  However, there are some proactive steps you can take to help reduce the probability that you will become one of these negative statistics.  By reducing distractions, being visible, following the rules of the road, being predictable, and practicing your handling skills, you can ensure that you’re doing your part to both represent cyclists well on the road and to keep yourself as safe as possible.