Your daily commute likely brings you in close proximity to cars. One of the best ways to prevent a bike accident is to be a defensive biker and share the road effectively.
Part of sharing the road is making sure that drivers see you. Bicycling magazine says that you should not keep your bicycle next to the curb. If there is no bike lane, you should ride in the lane. This allows you to have some distance from the edge of the road and also ensures that drivers will see you.
Send signals to drivers
Your location in the lane can help drivers understand what you want to do. When you are going straight, keep your bike in the middle of the lane. Shift to the left side of the lane so that drivers can see that you are going to turn left or merge into their lane.
Additionally, you should try to make eye contact with drivers. If you want to merge, for example, make sure that the driver sees you and is going to let you into the lane. If you assume that a driver will slow down so that you can merge, you may accidentally get into a crash.
Scan the road
As you ride, you should look ahead and identify potential problems. Watch the way that cars are driving and try to predict what they might do. If you see hazards, decide how you will move around them. These steps can help you avoid situations that might result in a collision.
By knowing how to share the road, you can decrease your chances of getting into a collision with a car.
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