Dear Driver

Dear Driver,

Cyclists and drivers have to share the roads. Mutual understanding of behaviour is essential for safety. Drivers have lethal weapons under their control. The cyclist feels vulnerable knowing one mistake and he or she could end up in hospital or worse. Driving and cycling are stressful. A trivial incident can trigger a surge of road rage.

Most cyclists are car drivers and learn the highway code, so they do understand the point of view of the driver. However, the reverse is not true. Guidance for drivers about cycling is missing. This open letter to drivers about cycling tries to fill this gap.

Watching out for cyclists...

Seeing cyclists is often a challenge for drivers. They are smaller than motor vehicles and can often be hidden by them, making you wonder why the vehicle in front is moving so slowly. They are faster than pedestrians and can suddenly appear in your field of view, especially in dense traffic. Recumbent bikes can be so low that they need a flag to show their presence. The UK Highway code recommends that cyclists wear something that enhances their visibility, but many don’t. Day glow yellow, orange and green colours enable cyclists to be seen from a distance, but they are too loud for most tastes. Many cyclists prefer to wear more discrete colours. Often the irregular patterns and highlights of cycling clothing can aid visibility. Watch out for the cyclists in black, who can easily merge into the background. Black is a popular colour for middle aged men in lycra (MAMIL), as it makes any flab less noticeable, as well as oil from dirty hands that have had to touch a bike chain.

Cyclists must use lights at night, but some don't, so beware. Where they put them varies a lot. They can be high up on their head or low down next to the wheel axle. This can create an illusion of them being nearer or further away than they are.  Most bicycle lights can be set to a flashing mode. This distinguishes a bike from other road vehicles – is that red light a car far away or a bike very close? A flashing rear light is generally good. If it’s flashing it’s not a car.

Cyclists will also use lights during the day to enhance their visibility. Flashing white on the front and red on the back is best for catching the eye of a driver from a distance. If you see them with their lights on, it’s an act of self-preservation not forgetfulness about switching the lights off. Think day time running lights in cars.

Staying wide of the rider...

Having seen the cyclist, getting past can be a problem. For example, you are driving along and see a cyclist in front of you. Suddenly the cyclist moves to the right into the middle of the roadway. You swear, sound your horn and swerve to avoid the cyclist. The cyclist gives you the finger for the near miss. You drive on, red with anger and irritation at the encounter.

There are several reasons why cyclists can apparently randomly swerve in the road, but one of the most common is the sight of a pothole. These are not only uncomfortable to ride over but can cause a puncture or even throw the cyclist off the bike. Cyclists often can’t see the holes until they are close, and don’t have time to look behind them before taking evasive action. 

Drivers should allow cyclists at least 1.5 m – a bit more than 5 ft – clearance to the side as they pass. This gives the cyclists enough space to cope with obstacles such as potholes, manhole covers and debris such as tree branches.

As the speed difference between a bicycle and a motor vehicle gets larger the suction effect that the cyclist feels increases the closer the vehicle gets to the bike, or the larger the vehicle. Cyclists have to fight to stay upright and riding in a straight line when they get a close pass from a forty ton lorry. The faster you are going the more space you should give. If you see a cyclist on a dual carriageway, the speed difference can be 50 to 60 mph. The best thing to do is to move to the outside lane well before you catch up with the cyclist and stay there until you are well past.

You can cross lines to pass a bicycle rider (including double unbroken centre lines) on a two-way road or straddle or cross a lane line (including a continuous lane line) on a dual carriageway. You can also drive on a painted island to make a wide gap when passing. Always indicate when moving to pass a cyclist. If it is not possible to make a wide enough gap, the driver must wait.

The “Stay Wider of the Rider” campaign in South Africa resulted in a law that drivers should give cyclists at least 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) of clearance. There is a campaign to increase it to 1.5 meter (5 feet). Statistics show that almost all cycling fatalities on South African roads are caused by cyclists being hit by a motor vehicle from behind or when a vehicle underestimates the speed of a cyclist and turns in front of the cyclist.  I believe the same is true in other countries.

The Olympic rower and keen cyclist James Cracknell was a victim of a truck that failed to stay wide of him. He was cycling in the US and was hit on the back of the head by a truck’s wing mirror. It nearly killed him.

If you want to pass two cyclists riding next to each other, the minimum passing distance applies to the bicycle rider closest to the right. You might think that cyclists riding side by side are being inconsiderate to other road users and taking up space. While it is legal in the UK for two bicycle riders to ride side-by-side on a road if they are not more than 1.5 meter apart, recommended cycling practice is to make a single file if vehicles cannot pass when cycling two abreast, or when the road is narrow or busy.

If you come behind two cyclists travelling side by side don’t reach for the horn. If you can pass giving them a wide berth, go ahead and do it. If not then wait for them to realize that you are there and manoeuvre into single file. Sounding you horn is only going to help if you are convinced they don’t know you are there. If you are driving an electric vehicle that’s quite possible. If your vehicle has an internal combustion engine they will have very likely heard you.

With larger groups of cyclists, riding side by side makes the group shorter, allowing cars to pass the group more quickly. A long single file of cyclists can make it hard for a car to pass, not easier. If the group remains cycling side by side and you can pass, just do it. 

Dipping your headlights for cyclists...

What should you do when a cyclist is coming towards you at night? Drivers dip their headlights for oncoming vehicles. They also need to do it for oncoming cyclists. Dazzling a cyclist with your main beam is very dangerous – they can’t see their way and could veer off the road, or onto the wrong side of the road, or hit a pothole and come off. Hit the dip switch as soon as you see a cyclist coming towards you. A flashing white light will help you distinguish between a nearby cyclist and a distant vehicle.

If you approach a cyclist from the rear, your headlights, whether dipped or undipped, will help the cyclist see their way. This can be very helpful to a cyclist on a dark road. They will of course know you are there because of your lights, so no need to sound the horn.

Allowing cyclists lots of space to stop...

Cyclists don’t like stopping. They expend energy in getting the bike in motion and keeping it moving. Momentum is a precious asset. Car drivers have a motor so slowing down and speeding up costs them very little. Cyclists really appreciate drivers who avoid forcing cyclists to stop or slow down.

How quickly can a bike stop? A car going at 20 mph can stop in 40 feet. Bikes going at the same speed will need at least this amount of space, and more if the road is wet. Most bike have brakes on the wheel rim and water on the rim reduces stopping performance. Some bikes have disc brakes like cars, which improves their stopping capability in both wet and dry. Drivers don’t have time to see what kind of brakes a bike has, so they should assume the cyclist will need more space than them to stop.

A cyclist coming down a hill can be doing 30 mph or more. 50mph is not unusual. Their stopping ability will be much worse than a car. Applying the brakes can cause them to skid and lose control. Treat such cyclists with the utmost caution. You could kill them by pulling out of a road in front of them expecting them to slow down like a car with anti-lock brakes. They just can’t do it. Likewise overtaking a cyclist and then driving just in front of them is a very dangerous thing to do. The cyclist will have to brake to allow space to stop. When this overtaking manoeuvre is very quickly followed by a turn cutting off the cyclist the driver is asking for trouble. Wait for the cyclist to pass the junction and then execute a turn.

Emergency stops for a bike are a real problem of control. Most cars are now equipped with Anti-lock Braking Systems making emergency stops simple –  drivers just have to press the brake pedal to the floor and let the ABS system control the stop. If a cyclist pulls too hard on the brakes the wheels will lock and the cyclist can go flying over the handlebars. In an emergency stop the cyclist has to apply the brakes with sufficient but not excessive firmness to stop in the shortest space. A progressive squeeze on the brake lever is needed, sometimes with fast release and reapplication like an ABS system (cadence braking). This requires a lot of practice, which most cyclists just don’t do, or can’t do when panicking because they are about to hit something.

Watch out for cyclists on a time trial bike in the racing position with their hands on the bar extensions in front of them. The levers there are for operating the gears. To brake they must move their hands to the handlebars at sides where the brake levers are. This change adds to their stopping time.

Look out for cyclists when opening your car door...

Cyclists are too often victims of car drivers and passengers opening their car doors without looking to check that it is safe to do so. As cyclists can be passing on either side of a vehicle, it’s important to check whatever door you are opening.

The Dutch have invented a way of opening a car door that forces the person doing it to look over their shoulder and see behind them. The trick is to use the hand on the opposite side of your body from the door, so you are reaching over your own chest to grab the door handle. This movement makes you turn to look behind you. Put a post-it note in your car to remind you until the habit has become instinctive.

Warning cyclists with your horn is rarely needed...

You come up behind a cyclist in your motor vehicle. You think it might be helpful to sound your horn to let the cyclist know you are there. Usually it’s not helpful. The cyclist will have heard you. Use of the horn will usually be interpreted as an aggressive action meaning “move over and let me pass”. If the road is clear you can simple pass leaving at least 1.5 meter space. If there is not enough space to pass then wait. The cyclist may move over and even stop to let you through if the opportunity arises, such as at a passing place.

If the cyclist is wearing earphones and listening to music he or she may not have heard you, and sounding your horn may be necessary to get attention. A short tap on the horn should be all that’s needed. Holding the horn down in angry display of frustration is more likely to make the cyclist ignore you or make a rude sign and not move over.

Why don't cyclists always use the cycle lanes?

You are driving along and see a cyclist in the road. To the left of them is a cycle lane, or perhaps a cycle path separated from the road. Why is the cyclist not using it? Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory in the UK but most cyclists do prefer to enjoy the safety they offer. There can be many reasons why they choose not to use them. The cycle lane might be too narrow for the speed the cyclist wants to ride at, especially if it is shared with pedestrians. The cycle lane might have interruptions such as crossing side roads where as the main roadway does not. The cycle lane surface may be strewn with debris, rough or broken up and liable to cause a puncture. Some cycle lanes and paths are just a few meters long, and not worth diverting to take advantage of.

Only recently has cycle lane and path design been taken seriously in the UK. We lag far behind other countries in Northern Europe in the provision of safe and efficient cycle lanes and paths. Good design keeps bikes and cars separate. The result is more people cycling and fewer cars on the roads, which is good for people’s health and the environment.

Thanks for reading this...

I hope reading this letter has increased your understanding and tolerance of cyclists. You can improve it by getting a bike and joining them! I learnt how to ride a bike when I was a boy and used it for my day to day transport at university. When I could afford a car and learnt to drive, the bike stayed in the shed and ended up at a dump. Years later when the doctor told me to lose weight and take more exercise I got a new bike. I found it hard to keep up with my friends at first but after six months I became lighter and faster. I had a few falls but as my skill improved these became rare events. I now cycle 5000 miles a year, getting exercise and exploring the countryside. I feel much happier for it.

A cyclist.