Bike shop Upland: Common crashes #7: Right Hook 2

This post is part of our bike shop Upland's blog series exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, from Bicyclesafe.com. You are passing a slow-moving vehicle (or another bike) on the right, when it unexpectedly makes a right turn, entering a parking lot, driveway or side street, hitting you.

Common crash #7: Right Hook 2
How to avoid this wreck:

1. Do not pass on the right. This crash is very easy to avoid. Just do not pass any vehicle on the right. If a car ahead of you is going only 10 mph, then you slow down to 10 miles per hour behind it. Pass on the left when it is safe to.

When passing cyclists on the left, call out "On your left!" before you start passing. If they are riding too far to the left for you to left-pass safely, then call "On your right!" before passing on the right.

Be very cautious passing stopped cars at a light. They cannot see you approaching, and someone could throw open a door.

When tailing a slow-moving vehicle, ride behind it, never in their blindspot. Allow enough room to brake, in case a car in front of you turns right.

2. Look behind you before you turn right. This is how you avoid hitting cyclists who violate tip #1 above and try to pass you on the right.

Bike Shop Ontario: Common crashes #6: The Right Hook

Our bike shop Ontario is running a series on our blog exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, from Bicyclesafe.com.
#6 The Right HookIn this crash, a car passing you turns right turn directly in front of you, or right into you. The driver does not realize the speed you are traveling, and that they do not have time to pass. This crash is hard to avoid because you don't see it coming until the last second, and there is nowhere for you to go when you do see it.

How to avoid this crash:

1. Do not ride on the sidewalk. When you come off the sidewalk to cross the street you're invisible to motorists.

2. Ride to the left. Taking up the whole lane makes it harder for drivers to pass you to cut you off or turn into you. Don't feel bad about taking the lane: by doing so you are protecting your life. If the lane you're in isn't wide enough for cars to pass you safely, then you should be taking the whole lane anyway. 

3. Get a mirror, and use it when approaching an intersection. Be sure to look in your mirror well before you arrive at the intersection. When you get to the intersection, you need to look ahead of you.

Bike shop Upland: Common crashes #5: Red Light of Death

Our bike shop Upland is running a series on our blog exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, from Bicyclesafe.com.

Wreck #5: Red Light of Death

You stop on the right of a car at a red light or stop sign. They can not see you. When the light turns green, you advance, and then they turn right, slamming you.
This can happen with any size of vehicle, but this scenario is especially dangerous when it's a bus or other large vehicle that you're stopping next to. In 1994, an Austin cyclist was killed this way when he stopped to the right of a semi, and it turned right. He was crushed under its wheels.

 

How to avoid this wreck: Do not stop in a vehicle's blindspot.
Simply stop behind a vehicle, rather than to the right of it, as per the diagram below. In the diagram, you can see how visible this cyclist will be on all sides. The car behind them will see them directly in front.

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