Hybrid Cars Dangerous to Bikers?
December 6, 2009 at 4:52 pm | In Safety | 8 CommentsTags: Safety
A menace to bikers?*
In some casual web surfing last week, I came across several items decrying the dangers posed to bicyclists, runners and pedestrians by hybrid cars. It seems these gas-electric vehicles are so quiet, bikers can’t hear them — and that causes accidents.
We’ve heard anecdotes along these lines ever since hybrids first came on the scene. Some people are even proposing that car makers add some kind of “noise” to hybrids so bicyclists (and pedestrians) are aware of their presence.
What struck me about the articles was their total reliance on anecdotal evidence. Nowhere were hard statistics cited, although some referred to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The study is available as a PDF document on the NHTSA’s web site.
In a nutshell, it says there is a higher incidence of accidents involving hybrids and pedestrians or bikers — in certain situations.
If a hybrid car is turning, slowing or stopping, backing up, or entering a parking space, the incidence of crashes with bikes is significantly higher than if an internal combustion engined car was making the same moves. Collisions between bikes and hybrids were more likely to happen when the car was moving at less than 35 mph.
The NHTSA report notes that it’s based on figures supplied by only 12 states — those whose VIN numbers identify cars as either hybrid or internal combustion. The NHTSA wants to do a more detailed study based on figures from all 50 states.
So — should bikers take evasive action when they see a hybrid coming their way? No more than they would for any other vehicle. Yes, hybrids are quieter. But the wise biker will always be aware of his or her surroundings. Knowing that a vehicle — hybrid or otherwise — is nearby will be your best defense.
*Photo by OrangeLimey, licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.
Top 10 Lessons Learned About Biking
November 5, 2009 at 8:15 pm | In Safety, guest post | Leave a CommentTags: guest post, Safety
Joe Ferguson
One of the mainstays of my club is Joe Ferguson, who leads our Sunday morning “A” rides. Earlier this year he got clipped by a pickup’s side view mirror while on one of those rides. He wound up at the hospital, but thankfully, his injuries weren’t too serious. Joe posted this list of things he’s learned about staying safe on a bike to our club Yahoo group, and gave me permission to share it on Bike Noob.
Several times I have been “taught a lesson” myself over the years and here’s what I’ve learned.
1. You can’t count on laws, rules, human decency, common sense, or the fear of retribution to keep you safe. Awareness of your surroundings is your best defense.
2. Flipping someone off who is blowing their horn at you rarely leads to a desirable outcome. Wave instead. It has the same meaning (if you want it to) but is less likely to be construed as inflamatory by a dispassionate observer or aggravated antagonist.
3. If an EMT offers you a ride in an ambulance, take it. Toughing it out on the ride home shows dubious judgement and you will see the doctor much faster if you take the ride than if you shower first and present later. And, you will be signing a form stating that you declined emergency service and so may be adding to your own responsibility for a negative result.
4. Even when you “take the lane” for good reasons it is not a good idea to ride more than two abreast. May even be against the law. If you have someone in the group with a good rear light they should ride in last position so as not to surprise drivers who may be (hah, scratch that) ARE distracted.
5. Not a single bike part is irreplaceable. You are the one and only you. Don’t let your ego get in the way of a good time.
6. If you live to laugh about it later it’s a good ride.
7. Truck mirrors break off (and cost a lot more to replace) nowadays but the difference between being smacked by a 1974 Ford right rear view mirror and a late model F150 driver’s side mirror is miniscule.
8. The body follows the head. Even the worst drivers tend to shift their head in their intended direction just before “heading” their vehicle that way. That turn signal may have been on longer than their Goldwater for President bumper sticker but a slight nod of the noggin makes a better indicator of where the bozo driving in front of you is going.
9. A helmet is much more than a fashion statement, it is a sacrificial offering! Get one that fits and gives both good ventilation and protection front, side and rear. They are a single use item. Don’t hesitate to replace yours if it has worked just once on your behalf.
and finally…
10. If you get hit by a truck the day before moving day when you should be packing instead of riding, your wife will be more upset with you than with the driver of the truck. He’s probably the same dummy who tried to run her down in the supermarket parking lot, but you should know better!
A confusing hand signal
August 24, 2009 at 10:12 pm | In Safety | 10 CommentsTags: hand signals, Safety
I see that hand signals continue to be a topic of interest on some biking blogs. We all know the basic signals (As in the diagrams on the linked page, I signal a right turn by pointing my right arm straight out — I think there’s less chance of confusion).
But this discussion got me wondering about a motion I see on some group rides. Cyclists will put their (usually) left hand down when signaling slow or stop, and waggle the hand if they’re pointing out road debris.
"Bad stop" from Conejo Valley Cyclists (cvcbike.org)
But sometimes, they’ll move the left hand to the small of their back. And sometimes, they’ll hold it there stationary but other times, they’ll move it back and forth, as though they’re pointing to the right with their left hand — behind their back. To make matters more confusing, sometimes they’ll do the same signal with their right hand.
I’ve read that this can be considered an alternate sign for stop, but I don’t think so. I think it’s to indicate that bikers should move over to avoid an upcoming obstacle — for example, if a car is parked in a bike lane and we have to move left into the traffic lane to get around it, the signal would be made with the right hand.
But I’m just guessing. I haven’t come across any explanation of this signal in biking books or online. Because it’s a non-standard signal, it can cause confusion. And confusion can cause problems. What do you think? Is this a hand signal worth keeping around and promoting, or is it one best done away with?
Looking back — and trying not to swerve
June 14, 2009 at 1:52 pm | In Safety, Technique, crash | 8 CommentsTags: crash, Safety, Technique
We were on the way back from our club ride this morning (just two of us were in the B group today) when talk turned to the difficulty of checking over your shoulder for traffic.
The discussion was prompted by what I consider the toughest left turn on all of our routes. Traveling northbound on a busy two-lane road, the bike lane runs out. Now, we have to ride the right edge of the road, and hope there’s enough room for cars to get by us. Several blocks before we would hit a stoplight, we make a left turn into a nice subdivision that lets us avoid the busy intersection. It’s this left turn that can be a problem, because the cars are passing us as a steady rate.
We got to the turn. I was still at the right edge of the road. Oncoming traffic was heavy. My riding companion, Bob, was behind me. He called out, “OK!” I glanced over my shoulder and saw that he had already taken the lane. I moved into it, and got as close to the center line as possible as cars zoomed by, now on my right. When a small gap opened in the oncoming traffic, we could make our turns.
Safely in the residential subdivision, we rode slowly. Bob said, “I always have a problem looking back. Your bike goes the direction you look, and I don’t want to swerve into traffic — not on that road.”
We compared notes on how we look back. He’s comfortable with lowering his head and peering back past his left shoulder. I like to do it in two moves — I’ll look left about halfway, then forward again, then complete the look over my shoulder. I find it’s easier for me to get a glimpse of what’s behind if I do it that way.
The key is to avoid swerving the bike. Last year, when I took the Road I biking class, we spent some time practicing that very move (“scanning,” they called it). If you do it often enough, you can keep from pulling your bike left. But we get lazy from time to time, and fall back into bad habits.
We went through a high school parking lot, and approached a busy four-lane east-west road. Normally, the club riders will form a “bus,” riding two-by-two in the right lane, three to four deep. By taking up the same amount of space as a car (or bus), we force motorists to use the left lane to go around us. They’re also less inclined to shout at you when you’re in a big group. But with just two, Bob suggested we ride the sidewalk. That was fine with me. I’ve done that here before, too.
We had gone perhaps a half mile, and another major intersection was coming up. I was about to ask Bob if he wanted to stay on the sidewalk after the intersection, or ride in the road again. I looked over my shoulder, and saw that he was too far back to hear me. Sure enough, my bike swerved — right off the sidewalk and into the narrow strip of grass between it and the road. To my surprise, the grass didn’t cause the bike to tip over. I kept it going straight for a short way, then eased it right to climb back on the sidewalk.
The tire hit the edge of the walk, which protruded about an inch above the grass. It got caught on the edge — and now I went down.
I haven’t fallen from my bike on the sidewalk since I was in grade school, and the lower grades at that. All I could think of was, “Oh no! Not in these shorts!” I was wearing my expensive Sugoi shorts, which I’ve had for only a few months.
No tear in the shorts. Not even any road rash. Bike was okay, too. But it’s obvious to me that on my short rides this coming week, I’ll be practicing my scanning, keeping my bike straight, and I’ll be doing it on something wider than a sidewalk.
Those dicey right turn lanes
March 15, 2009 at 6:35 pm | In Safety | 2 CommentsTags: Safety
A fact of biking life is contending with right turn lanes that cross in front of your bike. I cross such a lane frequently in my neighborhood. It lets right-turning motorists bypass a stoplight, and merge quickly into cross-street traffic (which is usually heavy at this intersection).
Bikers are supposed to “take the lane”– that is, stay in their own lane, crossing over the right turn lane to continue onward. In theory, that works. But when the right turn lane bypasses the stoplight, cars tend to hit it at higher speeds, and that can sometimes lead to a potentially dangerous confrontation between car and bike.
The other day, I approached such an intersection. I could hear a car approaching from behind. I pulled to the left edge of the bike lane, and kept going on to the stoplight, which had turned red. Then I heard it.
The sound of a car engine, coming up behind me fast, on the left, but slowing. He was obviously going to head into the right turn lane. He pulled even with me. It was a big SUV, a Ford Explorer. He couldn’t let a lousy bicycle keep him from hitting his lane, but he was hesitant. Should he punch it, and cut into the lane in front of me? Or should he hit the brakes and wait until I’d passed across his front before he made his turn?
Although he hesitated, I didn’t. I kept ownership of the lane, and kept moving at a steady pace. He realized he couldn’t cut me off (much as I’m sure he would have liked to). He braked hard, and made his turn after I’d cleared the turn lane.
This afternoon, same intersection, same situation. But this time the car was a BMW sedan, one of the bigger ones. He gunned it as I eased over to the left edge of the bike lane, preparing to cross over the right turn lane. No hesitation on his part. The black car shot ahead, crossed in front, and merged into the cross traffic from the right turn lane.
The League of American Bicyclists, whose Road I course I took last spring, says, If your lane turns into a right turn only lane, change lanes before the intersection. But that’s if you’re riding in a traffic lane. I was in a bike lane, a lane that ended when it turned into a right turn lane, then resumed before the stoplight. So my course of action was to stay in my lane, which I did. Again, the League: Avoid riding in lanes that position you on the right side of a right turn lane. By hugging the left edge of the bike lane, I was ready to cross the right turn lane quickly and get out of the way of any turning vehicles.
It’s that move, getting out of the bike lane and crossing the right turn lane, that seems to cause drivers the most consternation. Since they’re turning anyway, it seems to me the logical thing to do would be to slow, ease in behind me, and in the two to three seconds it takes me to get out of their way, they can finish their turn. Biker’s logic, I suppose. Once people get behind the wheel of their cars, another mindset kicks in.
Be careful out there.
Stiff winds cause trouble
February 1, 2009 at 4:16 pm | In Safety, Technique | 6 CommentsTags: Safety, Technique, wind
I’ve had a question or two from readers about the name of the blog — Bike Noob. Since I’ve been riding for well over a year, is it realistic to still consider myself a newbie? But I still manage to come up with newbie questions, and I’ve got one for you today. First, some background.
I had a great ride today. The weather turned out to be even nicer than had been forecast. I took off for Southwest Parkway, because I wanted to get in a hillier ride than I have been lately.
But I wound up cutting the ride short. I had planned to go about five miles farther, but I was bothered by one factor: the wind.
It came out of the southeast, at a steady 10 mph. But the gusts were much higher, maybe even 30. I’ve noticed on several recent rides in strong wind that I start feeling uneasy when I’m going downhill in a stiff crosswind or a quartering wind. The bike starts to feel unstable.
There’s no good reason for this. I do the ABC Quick Check before each ride, so I know my tires are at optimum pressure, the quick releases are tight, and the wheels are rolling true. So I don’t think it’s the bike.
I used to look forward to downhills. I’d pedal like mad to see how fast I could crank up the bike. Today though, I coasted, and even feathered the brakes to keep the speed in what I felt would be a controllable zone. My top speed was 32 mph, and under other circumstances I could have topped 35 or 36 along these same stretches of road.
This is a different sensation than getting hit by a stiff crosswind gust that threatens to knock you over. Today, I got the sensation that the bike would go out of control before I was knocked over.
Finally, on a nice downhill stretch heading west, the sensation got to be too much. The wind was hitting me on the left side. I got that uneasy feeling, and decided to bag it.
By the way, I still considered this a good ride. The hills made me work hard, and physically, I felt good throughout and afterward.
I wonder if this feeling is left over from my crashes last fall, which led to some less aggressive riding than I typically did before the crashes. I’ve been riding with a bit more verve in the past couple of weeks, attacking corners and building speed. It’s just the downhills in the wind that are getting to me.
So, loyal Bike Noob readers: Any suggestions on coping with a stiff cross wind? My inquiring mind wants to know.
Safer cycling
October 30, 2008 at 9:01 pm | In Commuting, Safety | 5 CommentsTags: car free, Commuting, Safety
I’ve mentioned before that I work at a university. One of the things I’ve noticed as I hit town during my daily commute is an increasing number of cyclists on the road, biking to and from campus. I think we’re all noticing more cyclists lately, because of high gas prices, but the ones I’ve been seeing are worth a comment.
More and more cyclists seem to be practicing what is called “vehicular cycling,” where bikes take their place among other traffic on the road, and cyclists follow the same rules cars must follow. This morning, one fellow waited in a left turn lane about four cars back from the stoplight. When the light changed, he pedaled hard to stay with the flow of cars around the corner, then reached the bike lane on the road he was turning on to, and settled in. The cars behind him were not delayed by following a bike.
A four-lane road leads from the interstate highway toward campus. This morning, a cyclist rode “as far to the right as practicable” and moved at a pretty good clip. Cars passed him closely, because there’s no room for a bike lane on this road, but there is enough room for two cars and a bike — if everybody pays attention.
I’m also seeing more riders stop at stop signs and signal their turns.
Of course, there are always some jerks, but that’s not what this post is about.
As a larger number of cyclists ride according to the rules of the road, that boosts the chances that motorists will be more likely to accept their presence, and perhaps ease the antagonism between cyclists and drivers.
And before you ask — no, I’m not one of the bike commuters. Unfortunately, I live 30 miles from work, and riding there is not a realistic choice — for me.
Critical Mass
October 2, 2008 at 9:33 pm | In Safety | 4 CommentsTags: Critical Mass, Safety
I’m not a very political kind of guy. I tend to live and let live. I do think that bikes should get more deference from politicos, though, and I’d like to see local cities and towns take measures to make biking a more realistic transportation alternative for most people.
For most people, that would mean making the streets safer for bikers. Let’s face it, most folks haven’t taken classes in biking, like the Road I class offered by the League of American Bicyclists. I had the good fortune to take both the classroom and road parts of Road I last spring, and it did me some good.
One group of cyclists is trying to be more in-your-face about using the road. It’s Critical Mass, which has popped up in major cities around the country. And now, it’s even in not-so-large cities. San Marcos, Texas, where I work, has about 40-thousand residents, but because the university is a good-sized one, it now has its own Critical Mass ride. I got caught behind it on my way out of town this evening.
This cell phone shot doesn’t do justice to the size of the group. I estimate there were about 50. If you look closely, you can see that some have already made the right turn at the light.
The cyclists decided to take the main road leading from campus to the Interstate highway. They took up the entire right lane, which forced traffic to use the left lane. At 5:15 p.m., that can really back up the cars, and we waited longer than usual to get out to the Interstate.
In their favor, I must admit that they impressed me. There was none of the raucous conduct we’ve read about on other Critical Mass rides. These folks did a good job of keeping to their lane. They filled it from edge to edge, and with about 50 riders in the group, they were not a compact mass. However, by the time they reached their turn point, they had spread out, and were not as bunched in the lane as they had been. They seemed to be mostly university students. Although some older road bikes were present, I did not see one pair of padded shorts or a polyester cycling jersey. Clothing was rock concert casual.
Some motorists are always going to be upset by the presence of bikes, and some this evening were impatient to get past the riders. I’ll bet we’ll read something about it in the local paper over the next couple of days. But if nothing else, it showed the city that bikers are among ‘em, and must be taken seriously.
Riding in traffic vs. bike lanes
August 21, 2008 at 9:38 pm | In Safety | 12 CommentsTags: bike lanes, Safety
The whole riding on the sidewalk issue brings up a parallel line of discussion: Bike lanes or not? Those who think cyclists must be treated as equals with motor vehicles maintain that bike lanes set up a divide between bikes and cars. They think bicycles should ride in traffic, obey the rules of the road, and be given the same courtesies as motorists.
Those for bike lanes argue that bikes and cars are not the same, because of the difference in mass. Many are probably less skilled riders. In their view, bike lanes are common sense solutions to a potential hazard.
As seen in the previous post, I would have preferred to have a bike lane available, and did not opt to take what I thought was a risk of riding in traffic.
One problem with the bike lane or not issue seems to be the way urban planners and developers design new residential and commercial areas. The north-south thorofare in my area has a bike lane for its entire length. The speed limit for cars is 40 mph, on a four-lane divided road. The main east-west road, the previously mentioned Slaughter Lane, has a bike lane for more than half the distance it travels across the city, but none in the last five miles or so on the west end. Why?
The problem is compounded by a lack of east-west arteries in town. Because so many suburban streets are built on curvy paths, there is often no parallel, less-traveled alternative to take. For instance, for me to take an alternative route to Slaughter, I would have had to go a mile farther north, not just a block or two.
So I guess I’m all for bike lanes. As bikes become a more common mode of transport, people will have to demand of their city officials more accommodation for bikes.
Riding on the sidewalk
August 19, 2008 at 7:02 pm | In Safety | 11 CommentsTags: Safety, sidewalk
I rode on the sidewalk the other day.
I know, it’s terrible. Real bikers just don’t do that. You might run the risk of being hit by a driver who isn’t expecting to see a biker on a sidewalk. Bikes have the same rights and responsibilities on the road as motorists. Take the lane.
All of which I agree with, except for one case: Slaughter Lane in southwest Austin. I’ve ridden on Slaughter in the past, as part of a club ride where we form a “bus” and are treated as such by the cars on the road. But Slaughter is a different animal for a solitary biker. It is a four-lane, divided road with no shoulders. The speed limit is 45 mph, but most drivers do at least 50. It just feels dangerous.
Slaughter Lane. Picture taken on a Sunday morning when traffic was relatively light.
So, the other day when I was on the last leg of our club ride to Kyle, I had a decision to make: Do I ride on Slaughter by myself, or do I take the sidewalk for the last mile and a half?
I thought back to the Road I course I took in April. The instructors told us that if we were uncomfortable doing something out on the road, don’t do it.
So I took the sidewalk. I make no apologies.
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