Safety and Education Committee Report - Archive

Stopping in the Roadway

Vehicles stopped in the roadway are often struck by others. If this happens to a cyclist the results are often catastrophic. When you ride a bicycle you will often stop and the operators of other vehicles may not react appropriately. Obviously suddenly stopping in the travel lane will cause problems and should be avoided. With all the distracted drivers on the roadway, even pulling over (slowly) and stopping on the shoulder can be quite hazardous. Try to stop in a driveway and get perpendicular to traffic. This will create a larger object for others to see and place you where a vehicle is expected. You will also be farther off the roadway and be able to see approaching vehicles. When stopping to wait for friends at intersections you should go through the intersection and wait. When you are waiting to regroup, the roadway should not be obstructed and someone should be watching the approaching traffic.

Riding with others is usually safer than riding alone. A group of cyclists is much more visible than the solo rider and the other riders provide warnings of nearby hazards. It is easy to become less alert and distracted by conversation in this somewhat safer environment. Unexpected changes in speed and/or direction cause many of the accidents that occur when riding in a group. When riding in a group the others must be alerted before stops or turns are made.

In order to retrieve dropped objects or make repairs there is often no choice of when or where one must stop. If something falls off your bike, stop slowly and go back to get it. When picking up an object it is safest to dismount, park the bike and approach the object on foot. If it is safe to stay on the bike turn it perpendicular to traffic so you can see (and be seen by) approaching traffic.

Shifting to a smaller chainwheel at a slow cadence sometimes causes the chain to get dropped. If this happens climbing a hill the bike will stop unexpectedly and may cause a problem for others. Try to shift into a lower gear before climbing the hill. If you must stop to put your chain back on be sure to leave the roadway. Bending over to re-install the chain obscures your jersey and black shorts blend into the background making you very difficult to be seen.

If you do something unusual it often requires others to think and react to an unexpected situation. Some people have very limited skills for handling these conditions so bicyclists must clearly indicate their intentions far in advance and still be prepared for the possibility of being ignored. One of the advantages of riding a bike is its ability to stop whenever you want but you have to think about it before you do.

Bill Fisk- Safety and Education

Safety and Education Coordinator