Drivers and cyclists should share the road responsibly

“We have come up with some top tips to help cyclists and drivers avoid conflict on our roads,” explains Steve Hayward, chairman of South Africa’s largest cycling organisation, the Pedal Power Association (PPA).

Here are the top tips to help cyclists and drivers avoid conflict on our roads:

• Let’s share the road. Acknowledge each other on the road and thank courteous behaviour. Everyone has the right to public roads and, by law, a bicycle is a vehicle so it should be treated like one.
• Drivers and pedestrians have rights too. They have the right to expect cyclists to obey the rules of the road and to be courteous. Cyclists should stop at stop signs, obey traffic signals and respect pedestrians. Much like cyclists are vulnerable to vehicles, pedestrians are vulnerable to cyclists.
• Wear bright clothing. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear bright colours and have reflectors on your bicycle.
• Signal your intentions. Cyclists and drivers should clearly and timeously indicate their intentions. Especially when turning.
• Avoid ‘dooring’ cyclists. Don’t open any doors without checking if there aren’t any cyclists coming up behind you. Think about the width of your door when it’s open; you easily have a 1-1.5m mobile barrier swinging into the road each time you get in or out of the car.
• Be aware and be patient. Eighty-four per cent of cyclist casualties in recent years were caused by careless inattention mainly on the part of drivers.
• Pay attention and be on the lookout for cyclists at all times, especially when turning or reversing.
• Use your mirrors because cyclists may overtake slow-moving traffic on either side. They may sometimes need to change direction suddenly, so just be aware of this and observe any indications they give such as looking over their shoulder. Don’t tempt them into taking risks or endanger them.
• Allow plenty of space. When overtaking a cyclist you’re required to give them as much room as you would a car. They may need to swerve to avoid hazards.
• Always anticipate that there may be a pothole, an oily or wet patch, glass or some other obstruction in the cyclist’s path that you can’t see.
• Don’t drive too closely behind a cyclist because you may not be able to stop in time if they come off their bike or do something abruptly.
• Drive slowly in restricted or low visibility conditions. On rural roads or those with limited sight distance or low visibility remember that a cyclist could be around the next corner.
• You can’t see ahead on hills and in curves, so slow down when you’re not sure what’s on the other side. Make sure you can stop the car in half the distance you can see to be clear. At night the need to do so is even higher.