In today’s road safety article we wanted to take a look at cyclists.
Cycling's become an increasingly popular mode of transport. Though we’re seeing the development of cycle lanes and separate routes, cyclists 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 5 tips for staying safe on the road as a cyclist and how you, as a driver, should act around them.
Top 5 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 be 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'll need to use for indication so that you can let traffic around you know when you're turning or changing lanes.
4. Look behind you regularly so you're aware of the traffic near you and aren’t surprised by a sudden overtake or something similar.
5. Make sure your bike features the correct reflectors and lights that are turned on when it's getting dark or visibility's impaired by poor weather.
Top 5 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're signalling a change of lane or turning.
4. Respect cycle lanes and boxes at junctions and lights. You shouldn't be driving in them, even if stationary at a roundabout, as this'll 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're more visible, less likely to lose stability due to rough road surface at the edge and to make manoeuvres such as right turns easier for them.