It is likely that during your bike commute you will be faced with one or two busy roads on your route. It is likely that riding an heavy traffic will be part of journey and so you need to be prepared for it. Whilst you shouldn’t be put off by traffic or busy roads, there are a some measures that can be taken to keep you safe.
To ride safely on busy roads you need to have a good position on the road where you can influence and control the behaviour of drivers and the traffic around you. You need to make sure that you signal your intentions clearly and make clear and confident movements.
Whilst riding does have its risks the statistics of riding are still favourable when it comes to accidents. That being said, bike commuting on busy roads can be a bit intimidating when you first start out. Cycling through busy streets can often put people off being consistent with their bike commute but with a few tips, you can confidently take to the streets despite busy roads.
In this article we share our top tips for bike commuting on busy roads.
What Are Busy Roads?
I realise this is a very simple question but what do we mean when we say ‘busy roads’. There are different risks associated with different definitions. Most would call a road ‘busy’ when there is a lot of slow-moving and clogged up traffic through a busy area of a city or town.
Whilst this definition is fine, a more quiet road with heavy, fast-moving traffic can also be deemed a ‘busy road’.
Tackling these types of the busy road can require different strategies for the situation, following basic road riding rules will help in all situations but there are times where specific considerations should be used.
The typo of road you are riding on plays a part here. For example, a country road may not be as well maintained as a city centre road meaning potholes and road damage is less likely to have been repaired. This can lead to the shoulder of the road being more hazardous than the centre for a bike commuter. It is likely you will want to take a more central position on these types of roads.
In city centres, there may be many more cars but they are likely to be travelling more slowly. City centres are more likely to provide for cyclists meaning the shoulder is much more maintained, and in many cases has dedicated space for cyclists meaning you can stay closer the the edge of the road and move with the slower traffic.
The type of traffic you encounter will also differ depending on the road. Let’s take the example above, on a country road you are more likely to encounter agricultural and heavy vehicles than in the city centre. City centres may draw more motor cycles, smaller cars and other cyclists. You will also have to consider pedestrian traffic too when assessing how ‘busy’ the road is.
Riding strategies for these situations will differ, if on a country lane you feel more inclined to ride closer to the shoulder, due to being overtaken by heavier vehicles, you may encounter more potholes and hazards which may mean you change direction more erratically to avoid such hazards. You may also hit the pothole or hazard meaning you loose control of your bike, even temporarily.
This increases the likelihood of an accident and whilst you may think you are doing a favour for other road users, giving them more room to pass you, you could inadvertently increase the danger on the road.
Likewise, in slow-moving city traffic, where cars and cyclists are changing position regularly, a more dominant riding position may also help. We will cover this in more detail in this article.
The important message here when riding on busy roads is that you may need to make slight changes to your riding style for the situation to ensure you remain safe.
Road Riding position
We mentioned road position briefly above but this really is your best weapon against danger when riding on busy roads. No matter which roads you encounter, a more assertive road position is generally a good strategy but will take some confidence on your part to execute.
It is important to know your rights on the road as a cyclist to give you the confidence to take a more assertive position. It is easy to become intimidated by other road users, they are in a big protective metal case and a collision would be way more detrimental to you, then them. This can cause drivers to be more aggressive with the bike commuter.
Sections 59 to 82 of the Highway Code covers the rules around cycling on the road. It is there to ensure you stay safe and sets the standards for all road uses. It is worth becoming familiar with the highway code when it comes to your bike commute so you can be confident in your rights, but in short, you are as welcome on the road as any other road user and you do not have to ‘get out of the way’ of faster moving vehicles.
Other road users, especially motor vehicle drivers, have an obligation, mandated in the Highway Code, to protect cyclists due to their added vulnerability on the road.
So where should you ride? Drivers are obliged by the Highway Code (Rule 163) to give you ‘at least as much room as a car’ when overtaking. That means drivers should be getting across to the other lane when overtaking you which means you can command more of the space than you think.
The key to all of this is that you are considerate when using the road, as is the case with any other driver. Being considerate, helpful and part of the traffic solution will mean reduced risk of incidents, fewer conflicts and a more stress free commute. In order to do this, think about the primary and secondary road positions when bike commuting.
The primary riding position is the more assertive position where you take a more central position in the lane in which you are riding. Many guidelines state you should be at least a third of the way into the lane, this means you are clear of the shoulder and further from the curb.
This assertive riding position means drivers are less inclined to ‘squeeze’ past you and put you in danger. It also means you are much more visible to approaching and oncoming traffic and gives drivers oppurtunity to spot you form further away.
In slow-moving traffic, you can go even further into the lane. If you are crawling and you can keep pace with the traffic flow, then there is no reason for you to be overtaken.
If you are causing a large traffic build up due to slower speeds, and if there is a clear road in front of you, you may then opt to take up a secondary position.
The secondary position is roughly 1 metre to the left of the traffic flow and not less than 0.5 metres to the edge of the road. This may be appropriate if the road is wide enough to allow safe overtaking, and the rider’s safety is not reduced by riding in this position.
The secondary position is useful on quieter roads with fewer parked cars at it allows more space for passing cars when it is safe to do so but riders shouldn’t be afraid to take a more central position in some circumstances.
Both of these riding positions are intended to help put you in control of the dangers around you and help to improve drivers behaviour to avoid accidents and collisions.
Make Your Intentions Clear
It is essential that you always look to communicate your intentions whilst on your bike commute. As with any road transport, it is important that you let others know where you are going, and important to know where others are going too.
There is great advice from Cycle Scheme on the types of hand signals available to the bike commuter. The obvious ones are putting out an arm to signal to turn right or left. In most cases, this will be sufficient but there are others dictated in the Highway Code and others that have become common practise.
The most common signal I personally use are:
- Signalling to turn right or left
- Communicating I am slowing down (flapping arm up and down)
- A sweeping, beckoning gesture with your right arm to tell drivers to ‘Please overtake, driver behind. It’s safe to do so.’
- A wave or a thumbs up to signal my thanks to a considerate driver.
It is worth noting that signals are optional according to the Highway Code and do not need to be used if there is no traffic around you. Be considerate though, and communicate with others whenever there is surrounding traffic.
Another way to communicate is to make eye contact with other drivers. Making eye contact means you both know you have seen each other and it will be much easier to understand each other’s intentions. Once eye contact is maintained you can be more confident that the driver won’t do anything unexpected.
Do Not Undertake
In slow-moving traffic, it can be tempting to slip passed other vehicles and undertake them. You should avoid this move in most, if not all circumstances. Drivers will not be expecting you on the inside of their car and probably never look in their wing mirror for cyclists on that side of their car.
This means there is an increased risk of a driver moving in that direction paying less attention to what is coming. This could be an erratic move to quickly get into a roadside parking space or to turn left into a driveway or car park. If you are undertaking, you risk an incident if drivers are not fully observant.
Passengers exiting cars will also not notice cyclists coming that way so if a driver is quickly trying to drop someone off and continue on their journey, you will increase the risk of having an issue.
Watch Out For Blind Spots and Turning Circles
As with undertaking, it is important that you avoid being on the inside are long vehicles, such as lorries, vans and buses. These vehicles have a wide turning circle and will have to swing into turns, in what can be, quite an unpredictable way.
You don’t want to get caught on the inside of a turning vehicle because you will quite quickly end up in the blind spot and be out of sight to the driver until it is too late.
The blind spot is simply an area where someone’s view is obstructed. When you’re in the driver’s seat of your car, blind spots include areas of the road you can’t see by looking in front of you, in your rear-view mirror, or in either of your side-view mirrors.
It is worth considering these blind spots when you are bike commuting on busy roads. Being caught in the blind spot is going to leave you, the cyclists, in a much worse state than the driver.
Be Road Confident
It is important to be confident when you ride on busy roads and in traffic. This is easier said than done, especially for a beginner bike commuter. It is easy to be intimidated by streams of traffic in rush hour. That being said, confidence is a key factor in keeping you safe.
Confidence means you will make moves on the road, such as lane changing or right turning (turning across traffic) without hesitation and without putting doubt in other drivers mind. A confident approach will mean you demand space on the road and put yourself in a more dominant position.
This confidence will make your intentions clear, give drivers more time to see you and react accordingly and demand more space and respect from other road users.
Being timid, hesitating in decisions and taking a more defensive riding position will actually put you at more risk so whether you are confident or scared when you first start on the road, act confidently and make your movements clear and deliberate. The video below gives good advice on this for changing lanes confidently.
Undertake Cycle Training
A good way to ensure you have the skills and knowledge to be confident on your bike commute on busy roads is to take a training course. We recommend the government-certified Bikeability course. This course is similar to the Cycling Proficiency Test of yesteryear but for the modern bike commuter. for those old enough to remember. There are three levels to the course that you can progress through.
The first level teaches basic control skills in a traffic-free environment; the second shows you how to use minor roads and the third trains you to cope with busier roads and advanced road layouts. Courses are held in a wide variety of venues, such as schools and workplaces and are nationwide.
Bikeability training is not only for children, it is a great way for any new rider to learn the basics. It is good to do refresher courses from time to time too the make sure you stay up to date.
This training will help you to be more confident on the road and hence you can be more intentional and dominating in your riding. It does not pay to shy away from the traffic, on busy roads you are part of the traffic and need to play your part in a smooth commute for all.
Summary
The advice in this article will hopefully enable you to be a more confident bike commuter when on busy roads and in traffic. The key advice is being confident in your ability, upgrade your knowledge and embrace the traffic, becoming part of it and riding with it. Good luck!!!! Let us know how your fare and if you have any other top tips for our readers!!!
