text Adaptation How to Not get hit by cars , Michael Bluejay,
This page shows you how can atropellarte and how to avoid it. A typical complaint about normal bicycle safety guides usually recommend is that little thing than you wear a helmet and follow traffic regulations. But notice the following: wear a helmet not serve at all to prevent a car run over you. Of course, the helmet may help if you run over and take a good idea, but your first goal should be to avoid being run over first. Many cyclists trample despite wearing a helmet. Ironically, if they had gone without a helmet but had followed the advice given below may not have been an accident. Do not confuse wearing a helmet to be safe. Better safe. The best thing is to not be road kill.
The board "follows the rules of the road" alone is not practical because it is so clear: most people are aware that it is stupid to skip a red light when crossing traffic.
The other problem with the message "follow the traffic rules" is that people may think that's all you need to do. But following the rules is not enough to run safely, much less. For example: the typical user's guide will tell you always signaled your turns. Although it is a good idea, why not tell you if you're in a position where a car has to know that you are about to cross to avoid colliding with you, you're an excellent candidate to run over you? Even if signals.
(Of course, skipping a stop when there is no cross traffic is not necessarily dangerous, but we can not recommend that you do because it contravenes the rules of the road, not because it is dangerous. You must understand the difference. Of course, respect traffic rules, but understands why they do.)
Now we will learn how to avoid being run over.
Ten ways to avoid abuses
shock Type # 1:
THE RIGHT CROSS
This is one type of impact or shock most common possible . A car exiting a side street of parking or access to the right. Note that in reality there are two types of shock possible: either you're in front of the car and it hits you, whether you leave the car in front and you throw yourself against it.
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
1. Get a headlight. If you drive at night, you should use a front light, without hesitation. Required by the rules of the road, anyway. Even to travel by day, a bright white light flashes can make you more visible to drivers who might otherwise hit you on the right.
2. rings the bell. Get a bell or horn and use them whenever you see a car approaching (or waiting) ahead of you and to your right. If you have a speaker, shouting "hey." You may feel awkward honking or yelling but it is better to feel uncomfortable to be hit.
3. Slow. If you can not make eye contact with the driver (especially at night), slowed down enough to be sure to stop if necessary. Of course it is annoying, but it is better to crash.
4. Put left. Notice the two blue lines A and B of the drawing. You're probably used to driving on the A, very close to the curb because you are worried being hit from behind. But check out the car. When the driver watches the road to check the traffic, not look to the bike path or the area closest to the curb, looking for other car in the middle of the lane. The further left you are (as shown in B) the more likely is that the driver sees you. This has advantages: if the motorist does not see you and start out, you can move even further to the left, or you can accelerate and out of the way before impact, or roll onto the hood while the car slows down. In short, it gives you more options. Because if you get stuck and come right car, your only "choice" is to go directly against the driver's door.
Of course there is a downside. Circular attached to the right makes you invisible to motorists in front of you at intersections, but driving on the left you vulnerable to the cars behind you. Your actual lane position may vary depending on how wide it is the street, how many cars there are, of how fast and how close you spend and how far you're the next junction. In high-speed roads with few junctions, circulates more glued to the right and slow roads with many intersections flowing to the left.
shock Type # 2: DOOR
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
Circle to the left. Circulates enough left to avoid colliding with any door is opened unexpectedly. Distrust may move as far left lane that cars can not pass you easily, but if it circulates attached to the right is MUCH more likely to bump into a door a parked car to be hit from behind by a car that can see clearly.
shock Type # 3: Red Light
Paras to the right of a car is waiting at a red light or a stop. Can not see you. When the light turns green you go along, and then the car turns right directly against you. Even small cars can atropellarte well, but this situation is especially dangerous when you're standing next to a bus or truck. The turning radius is much more closed in the rear wheels in front and, even frenzy, can crush you. HOW
avoid this collision:
Another possibility is to stop or at point A of the diagram above (where the first driver can see you) or at point B, behind the first car tour so if you do not touch, and far enough ahead of the second car so you can see better. Not a good idea to avoid stopping to the right of first car if you're going to make the mistake of stopping to the right of second. Any of them can make you dust.
If you choose the point A fast start to cross the street as the light turns green. Do not look to see if a motorist going straight or turning. If you're at point A and the car wants to turn, you're on your way. Why choose this place if you hurry to cross the street when you do it? When the light turns green and starts without crossing quickly. (But, of course, make sure there are cars that have jumped the traffic lights you cross the street.)
While not advocating skipping red lights, keep in mind that if no cross traffic, come on it may be safer to wait legally just to the right of the car only to crash into you if you turn right. The moral is that you should not skip the rules, but you can easily have an accident even if you respect. Do not forget that, unfortunately, most of the rules are thinking made in motor vehicles.
Also, be very careful when you pass right by the cars stopped at a red light. You run the risk that an occupant of a car leaving the door hit you or did you decide to crush a car that unexpectedly turned into a parking space on the right side of the street.
shock Type # 4:
The RIGHT TURN
CÓMO EVITAR ESTE CHOQUE :
1. not ride on the sidewalk . When you leave the sidewalk to cross the street you're invisible to drivers. You risk a violation if you do.
2. Circle to the left or the center of the lane you occupy (in the Traffic Ordinance of the City of Barcelona is recommended to travel on that lane). Occupy the whole lane makes it difficult for cars to steal one way or echársete cut your overhead. Do not feel wrong to occupy the full lane: if motorists did not threaten your life by turning in front of you or against you or you would not have adelantándote too close to. If the lane you are not wide enough for cars to overtake you safely, you should fully occupy anyway. The issue of lane position is discussed further below.
3. Look in the mirror or turn your head before approaching an intersection . Sure looking good before reaching the intersection. When you're already going through the intersection, you will need to pay attention to what you have front of you.
shock Type # 5:
THE RIGHT TURN, part
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION:
1. not pass on the right . This collision is easily avoided. Just do not hasten to any vehicle on the right. If a car ahead of you is going 10 km / h, also reduces the speed behind him. The car eventually accelerate. If not, adelántalo to the left when safe.
When passing a cyclist on the left, announce "on your left" before starting to advance, so it does not take that side suddenly and shock you. (Of course it is much less likely to move suddenly bike without looking to the left, where a car could reach, that right to your destination.) If you drive too far left to overtake safely, announced "by the right "before passing on that side.
If there is a lot of cars stopped at a traffic light, you can try to advance cautiously, always prepared for the traffic to move other rather unexpectedly, otherwise you could suffer a shock type number 3: red light.
2. Look back before you turn right . This will avoid hitting cyclists who violate the advice number 1 explained above and try to come on the right. Look behind you before turning right to make sure you come on any bike. (Remember also that you may receive from the sidewalk behind you while you Riding on the road.) While the fault of the other cyclist to try to come on the right when you turn on the same side, and he will trample on you, the less painful blow, not at all.
shock Type 6:
CROSSING LEFT
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
1. not ride on the sidewalk . When you leave the sidewalk to cross the street, you are invisible to the cars that are turning.
2. Get a headlight. If you drive at night, you should use a front light, without hesitation. It is also mandatory.
3. you must carry reflective night, but not a bad idea to take the day as well. At night also can help take some reflective clothing.
4. Slow. If you can not make eye contact with the driver (especially at night), slow down as much as you can to stop if necessary. It's uncomfortable, sure, but avoid being run over.
shock Type number 7:
BEHIND THE HIT
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
1. Never, no way, you move to the left without checking your mirror or look at it backwards . Some motorists like to pass cyclists at a distance of centimeters, so unexpectedly move even a bit to the left you can put in the path of a car.
2. not ride on a parking area but there are no cars parked . You may be tempted to move through this area back to the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you in danger of being hit from behind. Instead it runs straight through the traffic lane.
3. may be helpful to use a mirror on the handlebar .
type shock No. 8:
BEHIND THE HIT (second part)
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
1. Get backlight. If you drive at night you should use a flashing taillight, without hesitation. According to Bruce Mackey (formerly of Florida and now head of bike safety in Nevada) 60% of crashes in Florida due to the lack of lights on bicycles at night. In 1999, 39% of deaths of cyclists in the U.S., occurred between 18 pm and midnight (USA Today, 22-X-01).
Bicycle shops sell flashing taillights for 15 euros or less. These lights typically use two AA batteries that last for months (200 hours or less). If circular night, get a rear light.
2. Choose wide streets. Circle of wide streets which lane is so wide that fit comfortably a car and a bike together. That can happen to a car fast and not hitting you, even if you've ever seen!
3. Choose streets with slow traffic. The slower car will have more time to see the driver. Are more desirable side streets. Investigates how to make your trips by such streets.
4. Use small streets during the weekends . The danger of circular on Friday and Saturday night is much greater than other nights because there are people who drive drunk. If you drive on a weekend night, be sure to go down side streets rather than main streets.
type shock No. 9:
STROKE THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING
HOW TO AVOID THIS COLLISION
1. If you drive at night, you should use a headlight without hesitation. addition is required.
2. Slow. Enough for you to be able to stop if necessary.
3. not ride on the pavement . Crossing between sidewalks can be a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left side of the street you risk being hit as shown in the drawing. If you do it by law, you risk having you get hit from behind by a car that is turning right. You also risk being hit by a car that you leave a parking or access. These accidents are difficult to avoid, which is a reason to not ride on the sidewalk before anything else.
Another reason to not ride on the sidewalk is that threats to pedestrians. Your bike is as threatening to pedestrians as it is a car for you. Finally, driving on the sidewalk is illegal unless otherwise specified, for example, in some pedestrian areas of Valencia. If despite that flows through them, which is slowly on a pedestrian pace, and in an extremely carefully, especially across the street.
crash type 10:
the bang from the opposite direction
Worse yet, you can atropellarte an oncoming car to you on the same road. He has little time to look and diss it comes to you faster than normal (because you go to him instead of walking away). By the same token, if it hits you, the impact will be much stronger. Your speed and join yours.
AVOIDING THIS COLLISION
not ride in the opposite direction (or wrong way) unless expressly permitted for bicycles. Circular
in the opposite direction may seem a good idea because you can see the cars that you forward but it is not. These are the reasons:
1. cars coming out of the access, parking and cross streets (in front of you and to the left), and are turning right onto your street, do not expect there is oncoming traffic. Do not see it and will crash on you.
2. How will you turn right?
3. Cars will approach you at a relative speed greater. If you go to 24 km / h later a car behind you at 56 km / h comes up to you to only 32 km / h (56-24). But if you go in the opposite direction the car is about 80 km / h (56 +24), ie 250% faster. From the moment you approach faster to each other, both you and the motorist you have much less time to react. And if the crash occurs, it will be ten times worse.
4. Circular direction is illegal (unless otherwise specified and reserve a space for it) and you can get a ticket. According to Bruce Mackey on 25% of crashes are caused by cyclists move in the opposite direction.
More general tips
Avoid busy streets
One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting to ride a bike is to use the same streets he used when he was driving. It is usually better roads with fewer cars to choose where they go slow. It is clear that cyclists have a right to the road but this is of little consolation when you've had an accident. Note how far you can go with this strategy: well if you learn your streets, you will find in many cities you can travel on side streets to get to most sites, crossing busy streets instead of circulating for them.
Turn the lights
Too obvious? Well, if so, why much of cyclists riding at night without lights? bike shops have rear red flashing lights for 15 euros or less. The headlights are not as good as most bike lights have a battery of short duration (usually only a few hours). A solution is an LED flashlight that lasts 15 hours with rechargeable AA batteries (even more alkaline). The secret life of the battery is that the light comes from four LEDs (short for light emitting diode ) consume only white cells compared to standard incandescent lights. You may need to improvise a way mount the flashlight on the handlebars as some models are not designed with bicycles.
circulates as if you were invisible
Assume that motorists do not know they're there and flows so as not to collide with you even if you do not see. SER is not invisible, but it is irrelevant whether cars see you or not. If you drive a car so have to see to avoid hitting you (for example, reducing speed or changing lanes) that means you certainly run over if you do not see. But if you stay out of the way, do not collide with you even if he does not notice you're there.
On roads with fast traffic, the cars have less time to see it come quickly. You should avoid fast roads, that comes first, unless there is plenty of space for one car and a bike together. And if there is that space, you should practice the invisibility circulating attached to the right. If you far enough not to occupy the space for cars, I will not touch you but not seen.
Another example: signal a left turn is a good idea, but it's a better idea to turn left at the time or place where no cars behind you to bump into you while you stand waiting for turn. You can be standing in the middle of the street, standing with his arm outstretched left waiting to turn, but accounts with the cars behind you will see and stop. If you do not see you, you have a problem.
Of course not advocating skipping red lights, but if you're the type of person who does at least apply the invisibility principle when deciding if you're going to jump, could you hit traffic crossing me if invisible? If the answer is yes, feel free not to cross. Never force a car to reduce speed to avoid hitting you (red light is on or not.) Remember, the more trust that cars see you so that you do not hit, the more likely they do.
Remember, do not try to be invisible, only circulates on the assumption that cars will not see you. Of course, you want to see you, and should help in that. That's why you should do gestures to motorists who think they may be about to come against you and what you should be illuminated at night like a Christmas tree (front and rear lights).
There are exceptions to move as if you were invisible. For example, often have to occupy a full lane circular rather than sticking to the right, for reasons explained below.
occupies the full lane when necessary
While circular often prefer sticking to the right to keep out of the way of cars overtake you, it is often safer to take the full lane, or at least , move a little to the left. As you can see in figure 1 above, move a little to the left allows vehicles at crossings and intersections look better. You should also take the lane if the cars behind you pass on too closely. This forces the cars to see you and either slow down, or changing lanes. And as said, if you're on a street where cars are locked behind you all the time or changing lanes to dodge, you're probably in the wrong street and should find a quieter street.
addition, it is perfectly legal to occupy the lane. The law says you have to move as far right as "practicable." Here are some things that make "impracticable" circular attached to the right.
1. cars too close you advance. If the lane is too narrow for cars to overtake you safely, move left and occupies the full lane. It is dangerous for cars as you pass by.
2. Cars are parked on the right side of road. If you drive too close to them you will run into a door when someone comes out of the car. Move to the left.
3. 're in a high traffic area with many side streets, parking or access ahead and to your right. Cars that turn left will not see you because they are pending traffic in the middle of the road, not at one end of it. Move to the left. Look at the picture of shock number 1 above.
If you read carefully, you may have noticed that it is risky to both circular attached to the right as to occupy the lane. If you want a final rule, sorry, not so simple. (But take seriously many of the other concepts mentioned in our above list of 10 for work one hundred percent of the time.) If you drive all the way to the right, you risk hitting a door and make it hard you see the cars at crossings and intersections. But if you occupy the lane and a car does not see you, you certainly run over. For more chances that you see when you occupy the lane, is lit up like a Christmas tree and travels through side streets when you can, because the cars are slowed down and therefore will approach you from behind slower and have more time to see you.
Thanks for reading this and pedals for sure!
Ángel Postigo Translation.
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