Predict an accident before it happens

The first rule of urban biking is to avoid trucks like the plague.

Unpleasant surprises on the road can really throw a wrench into your otherwise blissful ride. Having a car suddenly turn right in front of you, or having a pedestrian appear out of nowhere can cause crashes and injuries. However, while not all surprises can be avoided, I’ve found that there are a few warning signs that you can look out for to give you a better chance of staying clear of dangerous situations.

Watch for right-turning cars when approaching “car destinations.”

If you think about where cars want to go on their trip, those locations are places that they will be slowing, stopping, and turning. These could be as simple as an intersection where cars want to turn right, a driveway, a taxi stand, or hotels. One stretch of road on my commute is a fairly busy street downtown near parking garages and hotels. The cars going to parking need to turn across the bike lane to get to the entrance. Some drivers watch for bikers and will slow down and wait for you to pass; others won’t. On top of that, a lot of taxis and other cars dropping people off or picking people up around the hotels will pull over, often into the bike lane, as there are no other alternatives for them to stop. They may or may not be watching for bikers, and the doors on any side of the car could open.

Watch for pedestrians cutting between cars when riding alongside lines of stopped cars.

This happens a ton, and honestly, I often do the same thing while walking. Pedestrians have places to be as well, especially on weekday mornings, and if you’re in a hurry, you don’t always have the patience to go all the way down to the crosswalks. Crossing while the cars are stopped seems like a quick shortcut, but when you’re biking, having a person pop out in front of you, especially if they aren’t watching for bikes, can result in a crash. If you’re biking along stopped or very slowly moving cars, slow down a bit and keep an eye out across the lanes for people crossing. This is a situation where a bell will go a long way in making your presence known.

Watch for signs of erratic behavior, such as a car slowing down or drifting slightly to the right side.

When you’re on the road, there’s a normal flow of traffic, as the majority of cars are driving straight ahead down the road. Obviously not 100% of cars will go straight forever, and in every pack of cars some will be slowing down or turning at any given point. There are a few signs you can check for that will hint that a car will be stopping or turning, potentially into your lane of traffic. If a car just ahead of you starts slowing slightly or drifting into the right side of their lane, there’s a good chance it may turn right or try to pull into a parking space soon. When that happens simply slow down a bit to give yourself room to swerve to avoid if it stops or turns right in front of you.

These are just a few things to look out for when trying to guess what a car or pedestrian may do on the road. While anything can happen, hopefully being mindful of these hints can help you to prevent potential accidents from happening.