Every country has it's own traffic rules. These rules also apply to cyclists. Cyclists have to follow the traffic laws of that country and regulations regarding safety like wearing helmets and lighting.
Apart from these national regulations there are also some unwritten cycling laws. These unwritten laws explain how cyclists should behave.
Here in the Netherlands we have a lot of cyclists. And cyclists sometimes have a bad reputation. We as cyclists can prevent this by behaving correctly when we go for our rides.
Here are some do's and don'ts each cyclist should take into account.
Don't break the law
This one is quite obvious. As a cyclist you shouldn't break the law. Be acquainted with the traffic rules in your country and follow those rules. I often see cyclists ignore red traffic lights. This can be very dangerous both for you as for the other traffic.
I also sometimes see cyclists in areas that are ment for pedestrians like shopping streets or on the pavement. This is often less dangerous but very annoying for pedestrians.
Pay attention
As a cyclists you are participating in traffic. With all other forms of transportation with different speeds it can be very crowded. And as a cyclist you are quite vulnerable, so you really need to pay attention.
Too many times I see people that aren't paying attention while cycling. Whether it is because they are watching their phone or talking to friends while cycling together; not paying enough attention is often a cause of accidents.
Another thing I witness a lot nowadays is people with headphones on. When you're wearing headphones you cannot hear the traffic around you, so you miss a lot of information.
Be sure to pay attention to the traffic around you. Especially in crowded places like cities.
Signaling
When you ride a bicycle it's a good practice to show the other traffic around you what you are about to do. You do this by signaling.
At intersections you point in the direction you are about to go. And not before you have looked over your shoulder if there is any traffic behind you. It might be good to practice riding with one hand and looking over your shoulder first.
Speed and priority
In some cases you as a cyclist have priority, but always check wether you are given priority by others; especially when dealing with cars.
I always make sure I have eye contact with the driver that needs to give me priority, so I know they have seen me and they stop.
Also adjust your speed as you approach an intersection or other crowded places so you have the time to see the other traffic and vice versa.
Visibility
Visibility is very important in traffic! Cyclists are sometimes overlooked by other drivers, so it's very important that you are visible. Years ago I always wore dark cycling outfits, but I switched to fluorescent colours a couple of years ago. Now I'm way more visible than I used to be.
My clothes and cycling bag also have reflective stripes to make me even more visible on the road.
And last, but not least; when you go cycling in the dark, dusk or dawn, always make sure you have proper lights on your bicycle.
Proper lights can really save your life when cycling in the dark.
Any comments or additions?
Do you have any comments or additions to the suggestions I mentioned above? Please let me know in the comment section.
Good behavior while riding your bicycle is important for your own health as well as the image people have about cyclists.
(Note: All photos in this blog are from Pixabay!)
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Great topic, indeed. We have just a few rules for cyclists in the Brazilian CTB (Brazilian Traffic Code), but I see most cyclists ignore them mostly, including the terrible idea of running red lights. There aren't any agents enforcing the law for bicycles here the same as for motor vehicles after all, so I guess we fall into the common sense law. One huge issue around my town are the pedestrians walking/jogging on the bicycle lanes; the other day there was a serious crash because a lady cyclist hit a pedestrian.
I remember in Slovenia the rules were so strict. Once the police pulled me over because I was cycling while holding a Gopro on a bicycle lane, apparently on a wrong bicycle lane too.
Oh, they do that over here as well. I recently almost hit one myself. This dude was running towards me in the dark, in dark clothes without lights. He scared the hell out of me.
Here in The Netherlands we have high fines for using your phone while cycling or cycling without ligts; 150 and 60 euro.
But the chances younget caught are so low that people unfortunately keep doing it.
No lights at night is another huge issue. We have a bunch of ppl who use the bicycle as transportation without paying attention to anything really, especially safety. The other day a road cyclist hit head-on a young dude who was cycling against the traffic direction on an overpass. From what I heard it was brutal because the road guy was doing interval training up the bridge, so imagine a 80-something kilo guy going 40km/h hitting someone head-on -- quite the energy.
Terrible! And you have to add the speed of the other guy as well. That would have caused quite a collision.
I once drove into the side of a car with about 30 kilometer an hour (not my fault). That already broke my cycling shoe.
Goddammit! That's exactly how I broke my tibia, except I avoided hitting the side, but ended up hitting the side of the front bumper while trying to escape. I flew over the engine hood.
You made a great post and the cycling etiqutte you mentioned are important. I also want to add that putting on some cycling kits would also keep the cyclist safer from any form of accident. Kits like helmet, handgloves and a shoe with good sole to grip the pedal.
Good addition. Especially helmets are life savers!
Of course, they are.
Use of fluorescent color clothes is really good and it's a helping hand to make cyclist visible. It's really important to be visible and they should be in priority. Moreover, the pertinent thing is to pay attention to all rules and regulations of traffic.
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Visibility is so important. Cars can go very fast and a cyclist can be quickly overlooked. That's why I always try to have eye contact with drivers.
I don't always take my priority although I should be given it.
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