Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Fitn ess
Commute to work ir a Ride for n th eal ea l H errands C Red Touring & hip uced ns Qu cong nio Recreationmpa iet estio n Co Sport Cycling
En jo y
Bad News
Safest
methods are counterintuitive Much "Bike Safety" teaching is wrong! Most think unsafe methods safer & vice versa Most people unwilling to learn better ways
Worse News
Some
traffic laws discourage safest practices Cyclists greatest duty staying out of the way Bicycle facilities" encourage unsafe behavior Bicycle Friendly is often cyclist unfriendly
Great News
You
can eliminate >90% of your risk Best practices not hard if you are willing to learn Driving a bike is >90% same as driving a car You already know how to drive a car
1. Stay out of the way of cars 2. Always ride on the sidewalk 3. Ride as far right as possible 4. You could be dead right 5. Ride as though other drivers can't see you
Dont repeat bad advice just because it sounds good
Fred Oswald Mar 2005
Swimming
Certified instructor Pre-class written & swim skills test 36 hour class, master skills, written & swim exam. Red Cross water safety prog.
Fred Oswald, Jun 2002
Syllabus
None
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
SAME ROADS, SAME RULES, SAME RIGHTS following best practices Operating by pedestrian methods and in unexpected places is often dangerous
Collision w/BIKE
Collision w/CAR
Hit Pedestrian -- 1%
Misc. WRONG-WAY
About HALF are caused by cyclist error! 90% involve turning & crossing traffic.
Cyclist fault
SWERVE
Frank Krygowski
College Adult
Knowledgeable & experienced cyclists are ~ 80% safer than the average adult.
Adapted from: John Forester, Bicycle Transportation, 2nd Ed., MIT Press, 1994 Orig. sources: Chlapecka, et al.; Schupack and Driessen; Kaplan; Watkins
Fred Oswald Nov 2000
Your lane is ON the road. Dont ride wrong way or on sidewalk! Stay in traffic lane to be seen
Prima r
y zon e of v
igilan ce
z ary d on ec S
e on
STOP
"...Sidewalks are typically designed for pedestrian speeds and maneuverability and are not safe for higher speed bicycle use. Amer Assoc. of State Highway Trans.
Officials, Guidelines for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
Photo by F. Oswald, Jun 1999
In general, the designated use of sidewalks (as a signed shared facility) for bicycle travel is unsatisfactory.
--- AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
4511.55(C) says:
This section does not require ride at the edge of the roadway when it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. when necessary to avoid fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, surface hazards, or if it otherwise is unsafe or impracticable to do so, including if the lane is too narrow for the bicycle and an overtaking vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
Ohio Bicycling Street Smarts says:
On a road with two or more narrow lanes in your direction -like many city streets -- you should ride in the middle of the right lane at all times.
Defensive Driving
Defensive Driving
Stay out of turn lane unless turning. Stay away from truckers blind spot!
Aggressive:
Uncooperative, pushy, selfish, combative
Assertive:
Standing up for ones rights, while also respecting rights of others.
Passive:
Above you never need to dodge car doors if you ride far enough left.
Fred Oswald Jul 2008
Cambridge fatality
www.rwinters.com/ Chicago Bikelane Design Guide
?
Most Bike Lanes create intersection confusion by promoting common destination positioning mistakes
Lane Bike Lane Bike
Lane Bike
In tight traffic look back & signal to get the cooperation of a following driver. Merge over only if driver allows. Fred Oswald Never try to force a merge. Aug 2002
video detector
Uniform traffic laws promote safe, fair & efficient travel for all.
No. of Communities
15
10
Excelle nt
Good
Poor
Bad
Dange rous
2006 Ohio reforms made bad local rules invalid! But local reforms are not automatic.
Avon <F->
Reqd. to ride on sidewalk Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Reqd to walk across intersection of through streets
N Olmsted <D>:
Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 8 not allowed on residential streets Under 12 not allowed on non-residential streets Cleveland <C>: Sidewalk cyclists must walk across intersection of through streetsGenerally consistent w/state law
N Royalton <A->:
Generally consistent w/state law
Strongsville <D->:
Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Reqd to walk across intersection of through streets
Any person operating a bicycle shall ride upon the sidewalk rather than the roadway when sidewalks are available and not congested with pedestrian traffic.
Ohio Revised Code 4511.711 says:
Summary
Much of what we learned as kids is wrong. Most collisions involve turning or crossing traffic. Be assertive about your safety. Proper lane position helps avoid trouble. Standard traffic laws good; bike specific laws bad. A bike is not a toy. It is a childs first vehicle. Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles