Cycling is not only great fun, but also cheaper and often even quicker than driving if you live and work in urban areas. Not to mention the health and environmental benefits. However one concern some may have with Cycling is the safety element. Fear not though, according to the UK’s Department of Transportation, cycling is only slightly more dangerous than walking, with 4 more fatalities per billion miles travelled. Invest in a comfy saddle if you’re planning that level of mileage!
Whether the statistics alleviate your concerns or not, let me share with you some ways you can improve your safety whilst cycling on the roads..
The Gold, Silver and Bronze rules of cycle safety are:
- Visibility
- Visibility
- Visibility
In 90% of accidents inadequate visibility is a major factor. You can cycle as diligently as humanely possible, however you are at the end of the day putting your welfare in your fellow road users hands. Regrettably, studies state cyclists overestimate their visibility to drivers by 700%.
Add to the fact bikes are smaller and have less presence on the road compared with vehicles, studies suggest a motorist can be looking directly at a cyclist and yet not register them increasing the risk of collision. This phenomenon is known as “inattentional blindness” and it’s more common than you’d like to think. It’s also known as LBFTS – Looked But Failed To See.
This video perhaps portrays inattentional blindness best: how many passes does the team in White make ?
In order to increase your safety on the road it is therefore imperative to stick out like a sore thumb to ensure you are prominent enough for motorists to register you as a road user. Cycle safety is a percentage game and you want those numbers as high as possible. There are fortunately a few ways you can do this.
Good Lights:
Ensure you have powerful front and rear bike lights. It is a fallacy that you should only turn your lights on when it’s dark, they should be on at all times when cycling. Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) are best as they are designed to be visible in the daytime as well as night.
Flash mode is more eye-catching on the road than constant so it would be the best option for when you’re cycling in urban areas. You can check out our extensive selection of lights here.
Hi-Vis Reflective Clothing
Cycling apparel which is fluorescent is by far the best colour to go for as they’re the most perceptible in the daytime; however they make little to no difference at night. For fluorescent colours to stand out they require UV light which vehicles unfortunately don’t emit unlike the Sun. This is where the importance of reflectivity comes into the fray. When purchasing cycle clothing intended to be worn in the evening it is of the utmost importance it is equipped with reflective markings on it if you want to make any difference to your visibility on the road.
Biomotion and Science of being seen
A reflective Jacket may be your bread and butter however the smaller accessories are possibly as important for your visibility according to research.
As mentioned earlier, due to “inattentional blindness” a cyclist could be in a motorists line of vision yet still not be ‘seen’. Biomotion tech could be the anti-dote to that and the most effective way at being seen. The theory is that as our brains are hardwired to recognize human movement it is therefore lighting up the areas we use for motion such as the feet, legs and arms which are most important to illuminate!
According to one study a cyclist who uses biomotion effectively is up to 83% more likely to be seen. Therefore, perhaps it’s the humble reflective ankle and wristbands which could be the most important items in your reflective arsenal. For their price, I would not hesitate to purchase them.
ABC’s of Awareness.
Based on research conducted with Clemson University, Trek have created the ‘ABCs of Awareness’ which puts these three steps in a hierarchy of importance:
Always On: This relates to having your front + rear lights constantly turned on, day and night.
Biomotion: Highlighting your body’s moving parts.
Contrast: Wearing contrasting clothing (high-vis in the day, reflective at night).
Safer Routes – Horses for Courses
The quickest route may not always be the safest one. It would be worth checking to see if there are ulterior routes which include designated cycle lanes, even if it means slightly prolonging the time it takes to get to your destination. Not only do they naturally put you out of harms way, motorists are more used to associating that part of their journey with cyclists. This means they should also be more aware of the possibility of cyclists in their vicinity.
It is worth noting drivers may be less alert whilst driving in residential areas and could be on auto-pilot. The one time I have been in an accident whilst cycling over the years was on one such road. I was cycling behind a motorist who had just pulled out of his driveway, and after driving about 20 yards down his road he suddenly halted. So I followed suit, a little perplexed. He then nonchalantly reversed into me at full pelt! He had forgotten to take his bins out, and in doing so, took me out instead. Not something you’ll see on your average hazard perception test. Inattentional blindness at work perhaps?
Weather Dictates Speed
Rain brings its own hazards, stopping distance being one of them.
Often the only variable you have control over whilst cycling is the speed you’re going and the distance you leave between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. It goes without saying the faster you’re going the longer it takes to stop; and this number increases exponentially in the rain. Expect the unexpected.
If the vehicle in-front of you has broken suddenly (which happens) and you have had to follow suit you may end up in a dangerous situation where you’re uncontrollably skidding and only have a split second to decide between going into the back of the car in-front (and possibly through their back window) or diverting onto the pavement/ oncoming traffic. Best to leave a big gap and not have to decide which is the better of the two evils.
Another danger, which although isn’t unique to wet conditions, does make them more hazardous, is parked car doors opening or joggers/ pedestrians crossing the road without looking! Sometimes people rely solely on their hearing, and if they can’t hear a motor, proceed without caution. These are other instances where the stopping distance can make a dramatic difference.
Ice can’t be avoided in the Winter months so on particularly cold days where there is a chance it has formed busier roads can actually be safer due to the increased odds of them being gritted and cars having already paved the way for you. Better yet, don’t cycle. If you need to commute find an ulterior method and if you need to train dust off the Turbo.
Winterproof Your Bike
There are worthwhile ways you can beef up your bike in the colder, darker, wetter months and make the journeys safer whilst prolonging your bikes health in the long run.
- Service Your Bike: Make sure your bike is in tip-top condition as it will likely be put through more strain than in the warmer (milder) months.
- Change Your Tyres: One of the most advantageous actions you can make is to change your tyres to a grippier version with a higher puncture resistance. Not only will you be safer on the road you will also decrease your chances of having to fix a puncture on the side of the road on a miserable day. There are few things more frustrating in life. Always have spare tubes, tyre levers and a pump on you.
- Clean Your Bike: Ensure you clean your bike regularly, more often than you perhaps would do in the Summer. Debris and shrapnel get caught in your components which dilute their effectiveness and can be costly to replace. A simple clean with a bucket of warm soapy water may take only 5 minutes yet save you immeasurable time and money in the long run.
- Buy Mudguards: Mudguards will take the brunt of the mud and dirt being flicked all over the place and in doing so will not only assist in protecting your bike frame and components but also to help ensure you don’t look like a moving Jackson Pollock painting.
Know How To Signal
Ensure you know how to signal your intended movements to other road users. This is not only good etiquette but also helps keep you and other road users safe. Also being able to look over your shoulders is important to ensure you know what’s around you. The bike can naturally veer in the direction you’re looking so be careful.
Dress To Impress
He who cuts the wood warms himself twice; however sometimes there’s a downpour and the wood is obsolete. As well as a waterproof Jacket its advisable you have waterproof trousers, gloves and overshoes (with fluorescent/ reflective colours ideally) . Once you start getting drenched in the rain you won’t be long getting cold.
You can of course get wet from the inside out due to perspiration so wearing a sweat wicking baselayer can be a good option – Merino Wool is a personal favourite. Avoid cotton.
Sunglasses are often an overlooked accessory in the winter, however they will protect your eyes from the debris, mud and other irritants.
It goes without saying you should be wearing a helmet! One that has MIPS included is even better.
Make a Note of Potholes
Potholes are a cyclists nemesis and they’re ten a penny on Cork roads. They’re hard to spot in the dark and can be invisible when combined with heavy rainfall. If you make the same regular journey make a mental note of their location on the road in order to avoid a potentially painful encounter for yourself and the bike!
Oh, and Stay Visible!
If there’s only one thing you take from this article it’s ensure you’re as visible as possible on the road. There is no substitute for it!
