In today’s road safety article we wanted to take a look at cyclists.
Cycling has become an increasingly popular mode of transport and we’re seeing the development of cycle lanes and separate routes but they are still legally required to use the road if no suitable byway or cycle route is available for them. With this in mind, we’ve gathered our top five tips for staying safe on the road as a cyclist and how you as a driver should act around them.
Top Five Tips to Keep You Safe as a Cyclist
1. Wear a helmet. This should conform to current safety standards, be the correct size for your head and is securely fastened to protect your head.
2. Wear bright reflective clothing to help make you more visible to other road users.
3. Learn the hand signals that you will need to use for indication so that you can let traffic around you know when you are turning or changing lanes.
4. Look behind you regularly so that you are aware of the traffic near you and aren’t surprised by a sudden overtake or something similar.
5. Make sure your bike has the correct reflectors and lights on it and you have the lights turned on when it is getting dark or visibility is impaired by poor weather.
Top Five Tips for Driving Safely Around Cyclists
1. Give them plenty of space when overtaking, you should now be giving 1.5 metres at least when passing them.
2. Go slowly when overtaking, if you speed past the drag from your vehicle can knock them off balance.
3. Know the signals that cyclists will use to indicate so that you understand when they are signalling a change or lane or turning if you are following a cyclist.
4. Respect cycle lanes and boxes at junctions and lights. You should not be driving in them, even if stationary at a roundabout, as this will make you a hazard to any cyclist using the lane.
5. Don’t get annoyed if they aren’t hugging the kerb. Cyclists are taught to position themselves closer to the centre of the lane so that they are more visible, less likely to lose stability due to rough road surface at the edge and make manoeuvres such as a right turn easier for them.
Enjoyed this article? Read more of our latest blogs below:
- Road Safety for Pedestrians
- Road Safety for Cars
- Road Safety Work 2022
- Racing to Mainstream EV Motoring
Want to know more about car leasing?
For all our latest news and blogs click HERE.
Looking for the next best car leasing deal? Check out our Top Leasing Deals.
Or do you need to know more about leasing? Check out our Guide Pages.
Leave a Comment