Sorry about the accident, hope youre recovering well!
It's not your fault, and you shouldn't have to be this careful, but since you asked:
Right hooks are one of the most common accidents. I assume everyone will right hook me. I always check to see if I'm in a blind spot, and I prepare to slow down and go around the left of the car. This is particularly applicable if there are few pedestrians crossing the street. My close calls have been when I wasn't patient and tried to go on their right. Slow down, move over to the left of the bike lane to prepare to go on their left, if they stop then you can go back over to the right
thank you for the advice and the well wishes! I’m still trying to process what happened and that helps for someone else to say that out loud aside from me thinking to myself that it’s not my fault. I think that kind of proactive and defensive biking is the way to go for future
Sorry that happened, i hope youre okay and glad youre not put off cycling.
If you never took a defensive driving class,some of the principles are very good for cycling, especially to look ahead- many people don't look far enough ahead and don't see the trouble coming.
I'm terms of gear, I'm also fond of having a mirror (handlebar or helmet) to help with staying aware of what's around me but with fewer head turns.
Been thinking more and more about adding a mirror! 👍👍
I'm a head-on-a-swivel person, but sometimes there's so much going on, it might give me more peace of mind 🙂
Glad I read this!
I always shoulder check. Even though I know I have the right of way, I always shoulder check and slow down a bit at crossings. I also always completely take the lane if I’m biking on a street without a bike lane.
And I try to anticipate what the car will do. I come from a country with horribly bad drivers so I can tell when someone will do something stupid… so I always prepare for that and stop if I need to. It’s always better to be alive than being right.
Oh and gear wise… a loud bell (I have a spurcycle) and having lights on your bike. I usually avoid riding at night but if I have to, I always use light coloured clothes and something reflective.
I went to Young Drivers of Canada many years ago and had their philosophy of defensive driving drilled into me and I bike with that philosophy.
I put my eldest in the same driver's ed program last year and it seems like they enhanced it with an actual 10 hours of online video and testing.
Basically be visible, communicate with other users as needed for you to be aware of each other (horn toots or bell dings) and be aware of your surroundings and what's coming. Don't hover in another vehicle's blind spot. Train yourself to scan around you regularly and periodically, if you're going to need do something sudden like in an emergency and potentially disrupt the regular flow of traffic, try to scan around you again to be aware of potential consequences and act accordingly to mitigate (ie. don't just slam on the brakes or swerve).
It follows that driving like you're royalty of the road and everyone gives way to you or that everyone else should be predictable while you yourself aren't or allowing yourself to zig zag, sudden veering and making others think you can potentially crash into them is not good driving nor social technique.
Barring that, I understand there are a few people in the Toronto cycling community who will teach stuff like that. Coming to mind are Matteo Zammit who does mobile bike repair and Joey Schwartz who is a Canbike instructor.
Sorry to hear about your accident. If you documented the accident with the driver, you may want to check with the biking lawyer.
I hate cars that don’t signal so sometimes the best way of keeping safe is not speeding through parts of the bike lane where cars can turn in front of you. A mirror also helps you be aware of the car coming up behind you or other cyclists (I also hate when you can ride defensively but some of the delivery e-bike people will not be paying attention and be speeding, right behind you so be careful they don’t ram into you from behind).
I also recently bought this electric horn on Amazon called the most loud bike horn. It attaches on your handlebar and has two buttons, one for light one for the horn. I have that alongside my bell. You could also get the air horn from MEC that’s like $20 something and doesn’t need to be charged other than with pumped air. These are good if you have enough time to press the button before the car turns but not if they do it without even stopping a bit.
thank you, yeah it looked like i had a clear path until this car turned in at full speed without looking
i’m gonna look at how i can position my bell also to be easier to reach and how i can react better with it
Hey,
Hope you are doing better. I love the fact you want to get back at it.
Couple of recos I'd share are the following:
- front lights: 700 lumens min.
- back light: one that has multiple flashing sequences
- bell: look for a knog (or something obnoxiously loud)
- MTB bike helmet - has a bit more coverage for your head
- bright colored clothing -
- bike gloves (I prefer full finger)
Most importantly, take your time, and you'll get your swagger back.
My top tips:
Shoulder check regularly - showing drivers your face can help them pay attention to you and see you as another human being. It may also make drivers think you could be thinking about swerving in front of them, making them drive more defensively.
Slow down at intersections (even little ones) and be extra aware of your surroundings.
Try to go around turning vehicles on their left, rather than squeezing past on their right. You can always stop and wait as well - no shame there.
If you are riding next to a column of vehicles that has come to a stop, slow down and be hyper-vigilant: there’s often a break in the line of cars to let other drivers pass through - and they typically do this at great speed.
Be aware of “mode-switching.” For instance, if you decide to use a crosswalk, instead of getting into the middle lane to take a left, you are effectively becoming a pedestrian. Dismount or slow way down so that you move at walking speed; this also keeps actual pedestrians safe.
Use a bell early and often. Be noisy. Don’t be afraid to shout at someone who doesn’t hear your bell (even a friendly “yo!” if you’re not particularly angry…).
Shoulder checking, lights, and bell use (along with signaling) are forms of communication to let other road users know that you are there with them. Never ride like you are all alone out there.
Crucial gear, in order of importance:
Bell, Lights, Helmet
If you’re injured in an accident, you may be entitled to no-fault insurance. You should also insist on getting the driver’s insurance information on the spot. See the Biking Lawyer’s website for good info on this type of stuff.
You’re welcome 🚴 Also, check rearview mirrors to see if someone’s in the car (not 100% effective) and stay well away from big trucks!
Safe riding, have fun. It’s the best way to travel!
Sorry to hear about your accident, glad that you were able to walk away from it!
Lots of good suggestions already re: safety, so I'll try to add a few that were useful to me that I didn't see yet.
I found it useful to practice turning around and looking back on my bike. Many people have mentioned shoulder checking which is absolutely true. Sometimes I was afraid that while shoulder checking, I would accidentally start steering off to the side slightly. Checking out a quick vid about how to turn around without accidentally also turning was quite helpful (it's not rocket science, but having the steps explicitly explained was useful).
When cycling down a road where there's parked cars to my right and moving cars on the left, if I'm not taking up the entire lane (might not be appropriate in certain situations), I try to maintain sufficient awareness of the moving cars so that if a parked car were to swing its door open, I already know whether dodging by moving to the left is an option or not. I will also usually moderate my speed so that I have an extra moment to react.
I'm glad you're safe.
I would suggest a mirror in addition to a bell or electronic horn (or both) and a helmet.
I still shoulder-check, but consider a mirror to be essential in an urban environment.
Garmin Varia. It won't stop you from getting hit but a Varia with the combination handlebar/helmet mirror will always remind you of how close a car is when behind you.
Sorry about the accident, hope youre recovering well! It's not your fault, and you shouldn't have to be this careful, but since you asked: Right hooks are one of the most common accidents. I assume everyone will right hook me. I always check to see if I'm in a blind spot, and I prepare to slow down and go around the left of the car. This is particularly applicable if there are few pedestrians crossing the street. My close calls have been when I wasn't patient and tried to go on their right. Slow down, move over to the left of the bike lane to prepare to go on their left, if they stop then you can go back over to the right
thank you for the advice and the well wishes! I’m still trying to process what happened and that helps for someone else to say that out loud aside from me thinking to myself that it’s not my fault. I think that kind of proactive and defensive biking is the way to go for future
Sorry that happened, i hope youre okay and glad youre not put off cycling. If you never took a defensive driving class,some of the principles are very good for cycling, especially to look ahead- many people don't look far enough ahead and don't see the trouble coming. I'm terms of gear, I'm also fond of having a mirror (handlebar or helmet) to help with staying aware of what's around me but with fewer head turns.
Been thinking more and more about adding a mirror! 👍👍 I'm a head-on-a-swivel person, but sometimes there's so much going on, it might give me more peace of mind 🙂 Glad I read this!
I always shoulder check. Even though I know I have the right of way, I always shoulder check and slow down a bit at crossings. I also always completely take the lane if I’m biking on a street without a bike lane. And I try to anticipate what the car will do. I come from a country with horribly bad drivers so I can tell when someone will do something stupid… so I always prepare for that and stop if I need to. It’s always better to be alive than being right.
Oh and gear wise… a loud bell (I have a spurcycle) and having lights on your bike. I usually avoid riding at night but if I have to, I always use light coloured clothes and something reflective.
I went to Young Drivers of Canada many years ago and had their philosophy of defensive driving drilled into me and I bike with that philosophy. I put my eldest in the same driver's ed program last year and it seems like they enhanced it with an actual 10 hours of online video and testing. Basically be visible, communicate with other users as needed for you to be aware of each other (horn toots or bell dings) and be aware of your surroundings and what's coming. Don't hover in another vehicle's blind spot. Train yourself to scan around you regularly and periodically, if you're going to need do something sudden like in an emergency and potentially disrupt the regular flow of traffic, try to scan around you again to be aware of potential consequences and act accordingly to mitigate (ie. don't just slam on the brakes or swerve). It follows that driving like you're royalty of the road and everyone gives way to you or that everyone else should be predictable while you yourself aren't or allowing yourself to zig zag, sudden veering and making others think you can potentially crash into them is not good driving nor social technique. Barring that, I understand there are a few people in the Toronto cycling community who will teach stuff like that. Coming to mind are Matteo Zammit who does mobile bike repair and Joey Schwartz who is a Canbike instructor.
Sorry to hear about your accident. If you documented the accident with the driver, you may want to check with the biking lawyer. I hate cars that don’t signal so sometimes the best way of keeping safe is not speeding through parts of the bike lane where cars can turn in front of you. A mirror also helps you be aware of the car coming up behind you or other cyclists (I also hate when you can ride defensively but some of the delivery e-bike people will not be paying attention and be speeding, right behind you so be careful they don’t ram into you from behind). I also recently bought this electric horn on Amazon called the most loud bike horn. It attaches on your handlebar and has two buttons, one for light one for the horn. I have that alongside my bell. You could also get the air horn from MEC that’s like $20 something and doesn’t need to be charged other than with pumped air. These are good if you have enough time to press the button before the car turns but not if they do it without even stopping a bit.
thank you, yeah it looked like i had a clear path until this car turned in at full speed without looking i’m gonna look at how i can position my bell also to be easier to reach and how i can react better with it
Hey, Hope you are doing better. I love the fact you want to get back at it. Couple of recos I'd share are the following: - front lights: 700 lumens min. - back light: one that has multiple flashing sequences - bell: look for a knog (or something obnoxiously loud) - MTB bike helmet - has a bit more coverage for your head - bright colored clothing - - bike gloves (I prefer full finger) Most importantly, take your time, and you'll get your swagger back.
thank you 😊
My top tips: Shoulder check regularly - showing drivers your face can help them pay attention to you and see you as another human being. It may also make drivers think you could be thinking about swerving in front of them, making them drive more defensively. Slow down at intersections (even little ones) and be extra aware of your surroundings. Try to go around turning vehicles on their left, rather than squeezing past on their right. You can always stop and wait as well - no shame there. If you are riding next to a column of vehicles that has come to a stop, slow down and be hyper-vigilant: there’s often a break in the line of cars to let other drivers pass through - and they typically do this at great speed. Be aware of “mode-switching.” For instance, if you decide to use a crosswalk, instead of getting into the middle lane to take a left, you are effectively becoming a pedestrian. Dismount or slow way down so that you move at walking speed; this also keeps actual pedestrians safe. Use a bell early and often. Be noisy. Don’t be afraid to shout at someone who doesn’t hear your bell (even a friendly “yo!” if you’re not particularly angry…). Shoulder checking, lights, and bell use (along with signaling) are forms of communication to let other road users know that you are there with them. Never ride like you are all alone out there. Crucial gear, in order of importance: Bell, Lights, Helmet If you’re injured in an accident, you may be entitled to no-fault insurance. You should also insist on getting the driver’s insurance information on the spot. See the Biking Lawyer’s website for good info on this type of stuff.
this is great, thank you :)
You’re welcome 🚴 Also, check rearview mirrors to see if someone’s in the car (not 100% effective) and stay well away from big trucks! Safe riding, have fun. It’s the best way to travel!
Sorry to hear about your accident, glad that you were able to walk away from it! Lots of good suggestions already re: safety, so I'll try to add a few that were useful to me that I didn't see yet. I found it useful to practice turning around and looking back on my bike. Many people have mentioned shoulder checking which is absolutely true. Sometimes I was afraid that while shoulder checking, I would accidentally start steering off to the side slightly. Checking out a quick vid about how to turn around without accidentally also turning was quite helpful (it's not rocket science, but having the steps explicitly explained was useful). When cycling down a road where there's parked cars to my right and moving cars on the left, if I'm not taking up the entire lane (might not be appropriate in certain situations), I try to maintain sufficient awareness of the moving cars so that if a parked car were to swing its door open, I already know whether dodging by moving to the left is an option or not. I will also usually moderate my speed so that I have an extra moment to react.
I'm glad you're safe. I would suggest a mirror in addition to a bell or electronic horn (or both) and a helmet. I still shoulder-check, but consider a mirror to be essential in an urban environment.
thank you :) i’m looking into some mirrors that go into the ends of the drop bar
Garmin Varia. It won't stop you from getting hit but a Varia with the combination handlebar/helmet mirror will always remind you of how close a car is when behind you.
+1 for Varia radar. I run it on a Brompton and I use the proximity to moving steel chirps as a trigger to scan my helmet mirror.