I've never been impressed with any bicycle safety video. You want to be safe, use your head.
You drive, you have a license, you know the rules of the road, as a cyclist you follow the same ones.
Everytime you drive in traffic and you see a cyclist do something stupid, remember that's on your Do Not Do list. Build up a big huge list of stupid things cyclists do. Don't do any of them.
Here's some tips, learned the hard way. Follow them, Disregard them, whatever, just use your own head when deciding.
- Remember the motorcyclist's mantra "Drivers can't see me, and the ones who can are actively out to get me." Don't take It personally, it is a mental thing - the brain is looking for other cars, and is ignoring "background" stuff, you just happen to qualify as background to most people's brains.
Even if a driver makes eye contact with you, they may not mentally register you. You may have right of way (such as when going straight through an intersection and they are turning left across your path), but they may not see you, or may think they are faster than you, or whatever, it doesn't matter - at some point (for me about once a month) they will make that turn, and if you aren't proactive (reduce speed and be certain they aren't going to go before crossing their path), they'll hit you.
- Filtering up the right side of the lane at a stop is a good idea: it is both faster and safer for you than just stopping at the end of the line of cars. But you have to be careful, someone may not see you and make a right hand turn, across your path. Always watch the drivers in the cars. If you have parked cars to your right, keep an eye out for doors about to be opened. Driver won't look in their mirror before opening the door and rear passengers can't. If a car is too close to the curb for you to pass safely, stop and wait there.
- Wear a helmet. I know it's hot in Austin, and I know helmets don't protect against all injuries. But a quality helmet ($40 from Bell or Giro) will be well ventilated, look good, and make a real difference if ever things don't go your way.
- If riding near dark, use a light front and back. Sets cost as little as $20 at REI or MEC. As a driver, I find blinking rear lights get my attention much better than always-on lights.
- You are legally entitled to a full lane, but since you're going slower than traffic, you'd be a jerk to use it unless required. Do your best to get out of the way of other traffic and it will solve a lot of potential issues. Gravel, pot holes, and sewer grates are all good reasons to move further into the lane for a short period of time - a high and mighty attitude isn't.
- Just like when driving a car, always signal when you plan to turn (use your left hand, arm straight out from shoulder, bend 90 degrees at elbow: hand pointed up is turn left, hand pointed straight left is left, hand pointed down stopping) and do a shoulder check. If you've got mirrors, they're great, but nothing beats looking over your shoulder to be sure no one is there.
- Use the proper lane, and stay to the right side of that lane. If you are turning left, use the left turn lane.
- Come to a complete stop at stop signs, or at the very least, slow right down and look very carefully. It sounds so stupid, but I see so many cyclist blast through suburban stop signs.
- Listening to music is great, but only in your right ear. Leave the left ear open so you can hear traffic around you (especially cars coming up behind you). And don't blast the right ear so loud you can't hear out of your left.
- Smile. Seriously. You're on a bike and feeling good. The haters in the cars are gonna hate 'cause you pass them when they are stuck in traffic. They are gonna hate because of a million things that happened to them that day, none of which actually involve you - but you will become the outlet for at least a few of them. Do everything you can to make their day a bit better; smile, be friendly, maybe show off your athletic mustachian tush.
If it sounds like I've had a few bad run ins with attitude, it's because I have. Both on my bicycle and my motorcycle. In one case a pickup followed me home and failed to stop at a stop sign behind me (I was stopped at said stop sign, around here we call that attempted murder). Why? Because I didn't make a left turn fast enough for his tastes. I've been called a hippy, and many vulgar things because I chose to ride a bike. Between myself and my friends we've had everything but the kitchen sink thrown out truck windows at us (Best yet is a sandwich, beer cans and lite cigarettes are most common).
