How to Avoid Getting Hit by a Car While Cycling

Outdoor riding season has come again.  As the season changes from Winter to Spring, more cyclists and multisport athletes will be taking to the roads to get their training rides in.  And with that, the risk of being hit by a car increases. 

While the only foolproof way to eliminate the risk of being hit by a car while cycling is to never ride outside or on roads, there are several things you can do to help reduce the risk that you will be hit by a car while riding.

Read this Article: 

https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/how-to-avoid-getting-hit-by-a-car-while-cycling 

Sources:

Büth, Carlson Moses, et al. “Effectiveness of Bicycle Helmets and Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses.” Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, 26 May 2023, p. 8540, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37237115/, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35728-x.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Opening
• 0:16 How to Avoid Getting Hit by a Car While Cycling
• 1:17 The Best Cycling Safety Tips
• 3:21 Reduce Distractions
• 7:34 Be Visible
• 9:50 Signal & Be Predictable
• 13:16 Obey the Basic Rules of the Road
• 15:40 Ride Outside & Practice Handling Skills
• 18:43 Does Riding in a Group Keep You More Safe While Cycling?
• 20:50 Good Cycling Safety Tips
• 21:11 Why Wearing a Helmet While Cycling is So Important
• 22:26 Wear a ROAD iD While Cycling
• 23:14 Use Tracking & Incident Detection Features While Cycling
• 24:05 Use Radar Detection
• 24:54 The Bottom Line
• 25:26 Closing

Transcript

(0:04 - 0:24)
Hello, and welcome to the Full Circle Podcast, your source for insights into the science and art of endurance sports training and racing. I'm your host, Coach Laura Henry. I've been hit by a car while I was riding a bicycle, and it is not an experience that I would recommend to anyone.

(0:25 - 0:42)
When I was 14, my friend Jill was struck by a car while she was riding her bicycle. She ultimately died as a result of the injuries she sustained in that crash. This is an experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone, both for themselves and for their loved ones who get left behind.

(0:43 - 1:08)
To say that Jill's death and the circumstances that caused it have impacted my life and the lives of all of us who are friends with her is a profound understatement. If you ride a bicycle on the road, the possibility of getting hit by a car exists, and unfortunately, 70% of cycling deaths involve a motor vehicle. This is the truth, brutal as it might be, and there isn't any way around it.

(1:08 - 1:37)
That being said, there are certainly things that you can do that will reduce the likelihood of being hit by a car while you're riding your bicycle. Cyclists are often quick to blame automobile drivers for negative car-bicycle interactions. While there certainly are some jerks out there driving around who seem very determined to cause chaos and to strike cyclists, most drivers are not intentionally seeking to hit cyclists.

(1:38 - 2:03)
Most of them have a better sense of self-preservation than that. Most people do not want to damage their vehicles, to be late for their kid's soccer game, or, most importantly, cause harm to another human being. Additionally, this is not a one-sided equation, and the responsibility to navigate roads safely rests with both automobile drivers and cyclists.

(2:03 - 2:46)
If we as cyclists want automobile drivers to respect our right to be on the road, which we do have in all 50 states in the United States of America, then we need to impose those same standards and expectations of responsibility on ourselves that we impose on the drivers of automobiles. It's irresponsible and hypocritical of us to say that we expect drivers to obey the rules of the road, to respect us, and to yield to us if we are not observing the rules of the road, yielding to motor vehicles when they have the right-of-way, and being responsible ourselves. We need to be good stewards of our sport, and we need to not give drivers reasons to dislike sharing roads with cyclists.

(2:47 - 3:21)
Beyond the ethical reasons for being a responsible cyclist and following the rules of the road, the laws in your state likely actually require you to. For instance, in New York State, which is where I live, the Vehicle and Traffic Law defines bicycles as vehicles and riders as vehicle operators. In other words, under New York State law, the rider of a bicycle is the same as a driver of an automobile and must adhere to all rules set forth in the Vehicle and Traffic Law when they are operating that bicycle on a roadway in New York State.

(3:22 - 3:57)
Distractions on the road abound, and I'm not just referencing using cell phones while driving. Cyclists honestly have an equal level of distraction now from digital devices, especially because our fitness devices, such as Garmin or Wahoo bike computers, can link to our cell phones and can notify us mid-workout each and every time we are getting a message, a phone call, social media-like, or an email. You cannot control what drivers are doing or not doing in their cars, but you can control what you are doing and what you are not doing.

(3:58 - 4:37)
Reduce your distractions. While you will never be able to 100% eliminate distractions, after all, cars driving by, navigating potholes, pedestrians walking their dogs, and more are all distractions, you can take steps to eliminate the possibility of certain distractions, and you can take steps to ensure that your focus is where it should be, navigating the road safely. My opinion on this is not a popular one, perhaps because people see the truth in it and they don't like hearing it, but here are my thoughts on getting text messages, phone calls, and other digital notifications in the middle of your workout.

(4:37 - 5:11)
Unless you are being paid by your employer to be on call and you are required to be available to answer calls or messages, there isn't any reason why you should have these notifications turned on. The truth of the matter is that the probability of an actual emergency happening while you're out riding is exceedingly low. Furthermore, as much as we like to think that there's something we will be able to do about an emergency that may arise while we're out riding, the reality is that you will be unable to do very much, if anything, about any kind of emergency that happens while you're out on a ride.

(5:12 - 5:28)
You will, in fact, be out on the ride and not where the thing is happening. The safety net we feel of being accessible all the time is honestly a farce. It is something that makes us feel good, but doesn't actually have the positive or useful benefit that we perceive.

(5:28 - 5:49)
As recently as 30 years ago, it was impossible to get a hold of someone when they were out on a ride or away from their home. This phenomenon of us thinking that it's essential to be accessible at all times to anyone and everyone is incredibly new when you zoom out and you look at our history as a species. It's very important to keep this perspective.

(5:49 - 6:19)
You will be more than okay if you don't see what text messages, phone calls, Instagram likes, or emails that you've received for one to two hours. In fact, if you actually take me seriously, if you actually turn off your notifications and you actually ignore your phone while you're riding, you may eventually actually find that you enjoy your ride more and your mind feels calmer and better overall. Digital notifications are distracting and they can be deadly, period, full stop.

(6:19 - 6:41)
It's why almost all states have severe penalties for using digital devices while operating a motor vehicle. You should hold yourself to this same standard while you're riding your bicycle. You have far less protection when you are riding a bicycle versus driving in a car, thereby potentially making any distraction you incur while riding that much more significant and that much more potentially harmful.

(6:41 - 6:54)
Additionally, we generally underestimate the time our gaze is averted or distracted by notifications. Most people would probably say that the amount of time that they use to glance at a notification is nominal. It's not a lot.

(6:55 - 7:18)
However, the average amount of time we avert our gaze from what we're doing, driving or riding a bike, when looking at a notification is 4.6 seconds. Believe me, 4.6 seconds is long enough to change or ruin your life or someone else's for that matter. Don't do it and don't trust yourself to not look.

(7:19 - 7:39)
Notifications are designed to prompt our attention and to engage us, so you will look, even if you promise yourself that you won't. Turn them off and eliminate their ability to be there in the first place for maximum distraction reduction. Being visible is one of the best things you can do to alert drivers to your presence on the road.

(7:39 - 8:02)
Wearing bright colored jerseys and gear is one way to do this, and yellow and orange are generally the best colors to wear in terms of visibility. Yellow is one of the brightest colors perceived by the human eye, and it is detectable by humans in both daylight and in low light conditions. The high luminance, aka how bright it appears, of the colored yellow makes it detectable from greater distances than other colors.

(8:03 - 8:35)
Orange is slightly less bright than yellow, but it is still detected quickly by the human eye because of how vivid and bright it is. Both yellow and orange stand out against natural and artificial backgrounds, such as greenery, blue skies, buildings, and pavement, providing an effective contrast from the environment around you, thereby making you easier to see. Additionally, yellow and orange are both colors that naturally draw human attention, and they're processed quickly by our brains.

(8:35 - 8:58)
The sooner a driver sees you, the more time they have to respond appropriately to yield to you or to move around you. Another way to be more visible to drivers is to ride with lights on both the front and rear of your bike. Some states require the use of both headlights and taillights on bicycles, but even if it's not required by law in your state, this is an excellent habit to establish.

(8:59 - 9:29)
Lights make you more conspicuous and visible to anyone else on the road. Always, regardless of the lighting conditions or the time of day, some cyclists ride with a taillight, but very few ride with a headlight, especially during the day. I've compared what it was like riding with a headlight and what it is like riding without one during daylight hours, and I've noticed a significant decrease in the number of vehicles that pull out in front of me since I started riding with a headlight, which indicates that I was not as visible to cars before.

(9:29 - 9:56)
Additionally, putting your lights, both taillights and headlights, on a strobing or flashing setting is particularly effective since human visual perception is more attuned to movement and changes in color or light. Using a strobing or flashing setting has the secondary benefit of extending how long your battery for your lights lasts as well. Being predictable is one of the most fundamental safety tips any driver or cyclist can put into action.

(9:56 - 10:21)
One of the most significant things you can do to be predictable is to signal every time you are going to make a directional change, such as a left-hand or a right-hand turn. When signaling, it's important to use a method of signaling that will be easily understood by the vast majority of people on the road. The most basic tenet of communication is that both the sender and the receiver understand what is being communicated.

(10:21 - 10:48)
If either one doesn't understand, then the point is literally completely moot. For this reason, I strongly advocate for sticking your left arm out parallel to the ground when you are going to make a left-hand turn or lane change, and I recommend that you stick out your right arm parallel to the ground when you are going to make a right-hand turn or lane change. The old-school method of using only the left arm for all signaling is outdated and irrelevant now.

(10:49 - 11:19)
Drivers, aka non-cyclists, have absolutely no idea what a cyclist means when they stick out their left arm and bend their elbow upward at a 90-degree angle. This used to mean that the cyclist was about to make a right-hand turn. But if you use this signal to attempt to communicate a right-hand turn, it's like trying to speak Latin to someone who hasn't ever heard a word of it in their life, aka it is completely silly and it is completely ineffective.

(11:20 - 11:49)
Not only will your message be lost, but your safety will now be at risk because the driver will not understand what you are about to do. Always be on the lookout for obstacles approaching you, especially from behind. When you are seeking to navigate around an obstacle in your path, which could be a slower rider, a car, a pothole, a stick, etc., always check behind you first before you make your move to come out into the road to go around the obstacle.

(11:50 - 12:16)
There very well may be a vehicle coming up behind you at a high rate of speed, or there could be an electric vehicle approaching you, which you would have a much harder time hearing. Always visually scan for obstacles in all directions when you are out riding before you make any changes to how you are riding, aka pulling out into traffic. Riding in a straight line is another way to be predictable.

(12:16 - 12:49)
Maybe it sounds funny, but believe me when I say that more than a few cyclists do not ride in a straight line and weave all over the shoulder or the road. In fact, when I ask athletes to ride in a straight line, especially at slow speed, at training camps or at skill clinics, it's usually one of the harder drills for them to successfully complete. If you are not riding in a steady, straight line, vehicles on the road will not understand where you are headed next, increasing the probability that they might hit you.

(12:49 - 13:15)
Do not weave in and out of parked cars. If there are cars parked along the side of the road, ride as far right as is reasonable and so that you won't be able to be hit by a door from any of those cars should it open. Opening a vehicle door into traffic is actually on the books in most states as being against the law, but the fact that opening a door into traffic is illegal will not help you out if you're struck by an opening door and if you sustain injuries as a result.

(13:16 - 13:39)
As I've emphasized, if we want drivers to respect us as cyclists, we need to respect all of the other vehicles and people that are using the roadway alongside us. This means that we need to obey all of the rules of the road when we are out riding. While these do vary from state to state, there are some common best practices that are applicable in all states.

(13:39 - 14:04)
Come to a complete stop at all stop signs and at all red lights. This will allow you to accurately assess whether there is an obstacle or a threat, aka an oncoming car, coming into the intersection or into your direction of travel. When you are approaching an intersection or you are stopped at an intersection, seek to make eye contact with any drivers that are also at the same intersection or who are approaching it.

(14:05 - 14:26)
If you make eye contact, you will have a much better chance of the driver understanding that you're there and or yielding to you. Ride as far to the right as possible. While you do have the right to be on the roadway in all states, most states also require that cyclists ride as far to the right as is safe and as is reasonable.

(14:26 - 14:42)
This may mean that you're riding on the edge of the shoulder near the edge of the actual asphalt. If there isn't a shoulder, this may mean that you're riding on the white line or near the edge of the asphalt. If the roadway you're on has multiple lanes, stay in your lane.

(14:42 - 14:54)
If there's a right-hand turn only lane and you're going straight, stay in the lane that is marked to go straight. If you're turning right, stay in the right turn only lane. If you're making a left-hand turn, stay in the lane marked for left-hand turns.

(14:54 - 15:12)
Riding in the lane applicable to you contributes to being predictable so others sharing the road with you understand where you're going and what you're about to do. Never ride more than two abreast and ride single file when you are being overtaken by a motor vehicle. This may actually be a law in your state.

(15:12 - 15:40)
For instance, in New York State, cyclists cannot ride more than two abreast even if there is sufficient space for more cyclists on any roadway or any pathway, including non-motorized and shared use pathways, and they must ride single file if a vehicle is overtaking them. Cyclists are not the only people who have the right to use the road. If we expect motor vehicles to give us space, we need to be doing the same in return.

(15:41 - 16:06)
The smart aleck response to the question, how do you avoid getting hit by a car while cycling is never ride outside. While many athletes have actually adopted this strategy to ride indoors more than they used to in order to reduce the chances that they will have a negative vehicle-bicycle interaction, I've observed that the increase in indoor ride time is actually hurting cyclists when they do get outside to ride. Specificity matters.

(16:07 - 16:16)
Always. There isn't any way around it. The only way to get good at something is to practice doing said thing.

(16:16 - 16:44)
In the case of outdoor riding, the only way to get good at handling your bicycle outside is to ride outside. Yes, reducing the number of instances when you can be hit by a car by riding indoors undoubtedly reduces the overall probability that you will be hit. However, I've seen that athletes who spend a majority of their time riding indoors have a higher percentage of negative outdoor riding incidents than cyclists who ride outside more regularly.

(16:45 - 17:14)
In other words, the athletes who are riding indoors and who are not regularly practicing their handling skills are crashing more times and having more negative incidents relative to their total number of outdoor rides than cyclists who are frequently and consistently riding outdoors. More time spent riding outside breeds more comfort and more confidence. If you don't ride outside often, you will likely feel more scared or tense when you do ride outside.

(17:14 - 17:33)
If you're scared and or tense while riding outside, you will actually be increasing your chances of something negative happening. In order to be able to respond appropriately to obstacles and incidents, you need to be clear-headed and relaxed. Confidence earned from spending time riding outside is what yields these important qualities.

(17:33 - 18:06)
In addition to the specificity of logging outdoor riding time, intentionally and specifically practicing handling skills is very important. When was the last time you intentionally practiced bicycle handling skills? If you're like most of the age group athletes I've worked with over the years, you either never have or you cannot accurately tell me the last time that you did. Take 5 minutes before each ride to practice skills such as riding in a straight line, bunny hopping, emergency braking, and riding with one hand.

(18:07 - 18:34)
If you take 5 minutes before every ride to do this, you'll accumulate at least 30 minutes of practice time over the course of a month and probably more. We would think it's crazy if baseball players didn't go to batting practice, if football players didn't work on footwork, and if golfers didn't practice their putting. If you just ride your bicycle without ever practicing handling skills, you're effectively showing up to the game without ever going to practice.

(18:34 - 18:50)
Take what is actually a relatively small sliver of time to focus solely on practicing handling skills before each ride that you go on. A lot of athletes tell me that they prefer to ride in groups because they feel more safe on the roads when they are with other people. There is some truth in this.

(18:51 - 19:12)
A larger group of cyclists certainly accomplishes one of the goals that we've previously discussed, which is to be more visible when riding. A group of cyclists riding on the road is definitely easier for the human eye to detect and to respond to than a single lone rider is. That being said, riding in a group is not inherently safer than riding alone.

(19:12 - 19:55)
Whether or not riding in a group is safer depends heavily on the skills and dynamics of the group that is doing the riding. All too often, riders start to act like the group is a magical force field around them and that it deters cars, and they feel a certain amount of invincibility when they are riding in a group. However, if people in the group are engaging in poor and squirrely behaviors such as riding more than two abreast, not riding in a straight line, riding in the middle of the road, not moving over when being overtaken by a motor vehicle, blocking traffic by stopping in the car lane at an intersection, and not signaling, then riding in a group is actually far more unsafe than if you are riding alone.

(19:55 - 20:29)
Additionally, a group that is engaging in any or all of these behaviors is almost certainly going to irritate others using the roadway, thereby contributing to the ill feelings between drivers and cyclists. If a driver encounters a group misbehaving like this, that will inform their future interactions with other cyclists other than you. The next time they encounter a cyclist, whether that person is part of a group or riding out on their own, they will likely have a sour taste in their mouth and they won't be as courteous towards cyclists who they meet in the future.

(20:30 - 20:50)
Always remember that how you behave on the road as a cyclist impacts more than just you. It impacts the entire cycling community at large. The best way for us to foster a communal sentiment of respect among drivers and cyclists is to be respectful and to ride well, especially when we are in groups.

(20:50 - 21:25)
There are some behaviors, habits, and things that do specifically help reduce your risk of being hit by a car while you're out cycling. There are also some other behaviors, habits, and things that do not necessarily reduce that risk, but are really good ideas anyway because they either keep you a little bit safer or they can reduce the severity of any injuries you sustain. Wearing a helmet is the number one best habit you can engage in while riding a bicycle, and you should wear a helmet every single time you ride any kind of bicycle, with no exceptions ever.

(21:26 - 21:52)
My friend Jill, who I mentioned earlier, was not wearing a helmet when she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle. The fatal injuries that she sustained were the direct result of not wearing a helmet, meaning she very well might be alive today if she had been wearing one. Studies have shown that fatal injuries decrease by 73% when a cyclist is wearing a helmet.

(21:52 - 22:15)
A helmet is the least expensive insurance policy that you can purchase while riding a bicycle. All helmets sold in the United States of America are required to meet the same standard when it comes to impact protection. Variances in price have to do with aerodynamics, weight, ventilation, and extra features such as built-in lights or technologies to reduce rotational forces in a crash.

(22:16 - 22:30)
But you can get a fully safe and protective helmet for as little as $50 to $60. Your head and your life are worth $60. Carrying identification on you while you are riding is always a great idea.

(22:31 - 22:44)
Wearing something like a Road ID is an even better one because of how accessible it is for others to see and to utilize. Road ID is a company that makes wearable ID badges. Most people commonly wear them on bracelets or on tags that they put on their shoes.

(22:45 - 23:14)
The ID badge can say whatever you'd like it to, but most users put their name, age, emergency contact information, and relevant medical information on it. This way, in the event that you do crash and in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself, others will be able to quickly and easily identify you, and they'll be able to contact your loved ones. Now that Road ID has been on the market for more than 25 years, first responders are accustomed to looking for it when they arrive at the scene of a cycling crash.

(23:14 - 23:36)
Most fitness devices such as Garmin, Wahoo, and Qoros now come with tracking features. When paired with a smartphone, the fitness devices send a live link to anyone you specify so that they can track you while you're out riding and see where you are. Some of these companies also offer incident detection, which is a feature that can detect if you've been in a crash by detecting abrupt changes in your speed.

(23:37 - 24:04)
If it detects that you've been in a crash, it can then notify any emergency contacts that you specified in advance. Both of these features offer substantial peace of mind, and the great thing about them is that they both work in the background once they are set up, and thus, they do not generate any distracting notifications. So while they do require a smartphone to work, they are not an example of the smartphone being paired and used in a distracting manner while riding.

(24:05 - 24:41)
Several companies now have radar detection products on the market, and one popular example is Garmin Varia. These units pair with a fitness device or a cycling computer to alert you if vehicles are approaching you from behind and how fast they are approaching you relative to the speed that you're currently traveling at. While they never should be relied on 100% of the time, meaning that you should still visually check to see if there's a vehicle coming up behind you before you move out into a traffic lane, these radar units can help you be aware of your surroundings and thus help you navigate the road a bit more safely.

(24:41 - 25:01)
Also, they help you detect those hard-to-hear electric vehicles. As a bonus, many of these units come equipped with lights, thereby simultaneously accomplishing a couple of important safety objectives. Unfortunately, as long as motor vehicles and bicycles exist in the same world, there will be car-bicycle crashes.

(25:02 - 25:36)
However, there are some proactive steps you can take to help reduce the probability that you will become one of these negative statistics by reducing distractions, being visible, following the rules of the road, being predictable, and practicing your handling skills, you can ensure that you're doing your part to both represent cyclists well on the road and to keep yourself as safe as possible. That was another episode of the Full Circle Podcast. Subscribe to the Full Circle Podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

(25:37 - 25:52)
If you like what you listen to, please be sure to leave us a rating and review as this goes a long way in helping us reach others. The thoughts and opinions expressed on the Full Circle Podcast are those of the individual. As always, we love to hear from you and we value your feedback.

(25:52 - 26:12)
Please send us an email at podcast at fullcircleendurance.com or visit us at fullcircleendurance.com backslash podcast. To find training plans, see what other coaching services we offer, or to join our community, please visit fullcircleendurance.com. I'm Coach Laura Henry. Thanks for listening.