Cyclists and motorists have to share the roads. This leads to serious and even fatal car accidents every year when cyclists get hit. In some cases, this happens because drivers or the cyclist themselves aren’t sure exactly how to share the road.
The first fundamental question to ask is simple: Do you ride with traffic, as if you were in a motor vehicle? Or do you ride against traffic, as if you were going for a walk or out for a jog? Cycling seems to fall somewhere in the middle, which is the reason for the confusion.
Always ride with traffic
The truth is that you should always ride with the vehicles so that they’re coming up behind you when they overtake. Some cyclists feel a bit nervous to do this, but your odds of being struck from behind are actually much smaller than being hit if you’re riding in a place where drivers don’t expect you to be. This is also why it’s typically safer to ride on the road and not on the sidewalk.
Additionally, cyclists are allowed to use traffic lanes when needed, and they can use left-turn lanes. By riding with traffic, you ensure that you can use hand signals to merge seamlessly into traffic if you have to do these maneuvers.
Have you been hit while riding?
Unfortunately, even if you follow every rule of the road perfectly, it just takes one negligent driver to cause serious injuries. These accidents happen when drivers are distracted, impaired, aggressive or simply not paying close enough attention. If you have been hurt in a crash, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.