While bicyclists have just as much right to use the city streets as motorists, the fact remains that bikes are relatively uncommon on the roads compared to cars. Drivers might not always think to check for oncoming bicycles, which can make certain areas much more dangerous than others.
Keeping good safety habits is a constant must so as to avoid sustaining an injury while riding your bicycle. While attentiveness is the responsibility of everyone on the road, you can do your part to protect yourself by knowing which places might present a higher risk of cars hitting a bicyclist.
Urban neighborhoods
Residential areas, even in the middle of bustling urban neighborhoods, can present difficult driving conditions for motorists. These are places where parked vehicles obstruct a driver’s view and pedestrians are liable to cross the street at any point and at any time. If a bicycle comes speeding by, a driver might not notice until it is too late.
Parking lots
Despite being a place where drivers should be especially cautious of pedestrians, parking lots can be surprisingly unsafe. The National Safety Council reports that 66% of drivers make phone calls, operate a GPS, or interact with some other distraction while moving through parking lots.
Intersections
When a motorist stops at a traffic intersection, the primary focus is on other vehicles while the secondary focus is probably on pedestrians waiting at the crosswalk. If a bicycle rapidly approaches in an attempt to make it through the crossing in time, drivers might not notice or have enough opportunity to react accordingly.
It is important to remember that bicyclists are much more vulnerable than drivers when it comes to sustaining an injury in a crash. Individuals on both sides can make the roads safer by constantly being wary.
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