Being Too Careful While Cycling on the Road Can Be Dangerous
Nervous cyclists who stick closer to the side of the road in the hope of not being run over can actually make cycling more unsafe. You’d better be noisy and disturbing – even if it might seem a little annoying.
Daniel Dansky of Cycle Training UK , who teaches cyclists how to stay safe on the road, explained to Dan Whitworth on the BBC that nervous cyclists who try too hard to be careful can actually put themselves in greater danger. For example, keeping as far as possible on the side of the road may seem like a safe activity, but it allows drivers and pedestrians to ignore you. When you do this, drivers will not treat you like another traveler on the road, pedestrians are more likely to step out in front of you, and parked drivers may open their car door in your path. Dansky recommends making yourself bigger and more visible instead. Obey traffic rules, but choose full lane where appropriate, make yourself visible in the cycle lane when there is one, ring the bell as much as you like, and do your best to make sure you are seen and heard at all times. , no matter how annoying you are.
When You Can’t Get On The Bike Again | BBC via Science of Us