 Sharing The Road
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Always Ride On The Right
One of the leading causes of cycling accidents is wrong-way riding. Here's why it's so dangerous and why you should always ride in the same direction as traffic:
1. Expectations
- Motorists expect to find other traffic on the right side of the road
- At intersections, motorists look where they expect traffic
- Motorists assume that you can see lights and signs that dictate traffic behavior
2. Laws
- In all 50 states, the laws require that you ride on the right, with the flow of traffic
- Disobeying traffic control devices in any direction is illegal
- Even on one-way streets where you can ride on either side, go with traffic
3. Turning
- Making a turn requires a wrong-way cyclist to cross twice as much traffic for turns
- Cyclists must be able to see traffic control devices at intersections
- Turning motorists aren't looking for traffic traveling in the wrong direction
4. Closing speed
- Riding 20mph into a car going 35mph is like hitting a wall at 55mph
- Motorists overtake wrong-way cyclists much faster
- The likelihood of surviving such a crash is low
5. Traffic control devices
- Traffic lights are impossible to read from the wrong side
- If you don't know where traffic is going, you increase your chance of getting hit
- Not obeying traffic controls destroys order on the roadway
Tip courtesy of the League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org).
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