Urban bicycle commuters face many traffic decisions; here are some ways to prepare yourself to make the right ones.
Urban bike commuters riding in traffic have to make quick decisions almost every block about things like which lane to take; how to approach a turn, and what route is safest and most efficient. There’s no way to guarantee that all your riding choices will be safe ones; however, these tips for thinking about your decision-making strategy can help you improve your traffic judgment.
A good way to start is by following a style of thinking from the injury-prevention profession. Assuming that your riding patterns are already governed by the knowledge of what is or what isn’t legal, you shouldn’t think in terms of hard-and-fast rules for your traffic choices. You should instead think in terms of understanding risk. There’s such a thing as "good risk" in life – like starting a relationship with someone even though you may get your heart broken. (Deciding to ride a bike in the first place is a "good" risk.)
Then there are "stupid" risks. One health care professional who works to promote seniors’ safety in east-end Toronto reports the story of a 90-year-old woman who confessed that she changes her lightbulbs by standing on an ironing board balanced across two counters. Apart from dramatic situations like this one, you can’t say that a certain choice is always going to fall into one of the two categories. Depending on the weather, the time of day, the person, the bicycle and other factors, the very same riding decision at the very same intersection with the very same traffic might be safe or stupid.
Know yourself.
Are you an aggressive or timid rider? Neither one is better, but each type is predisposed to certain kinds of bike behaviour, which protects them from some risks and makes them prone to others.
Never reinforce disaster.
This piece of wisdom from military history can apply to cycling. Are you feeling strong and alert today, or worn out and distracted? Is your bike in good shape; are you carrying unusual luggage; is the road wet, clear or icy; is the light good? The more risk factors you combine, the higher your chances of encountering a problem. So don’t try to carry that heavy load of groceries in sheet rain. Don’t decide to explore that new route when you’re in a hurry.
Build your skills.
A gradually lengthening history of riding without problems is a good indication that you’re making good choices, and every time you face the same type of situation, you get a little better at choosing how to proceed. However, the very best way to school your bicycle decision-making is to take a bike safety course. In the next article, I’ll discuss some more specific pointers for practical city riding.
