Our personal injury lawyers have a question and answer session with League of American Bicyclists “League Certified Instructor” and previous Education Director of the New York Bicycling Coalition, Ken Crandall. #4
LSL:
So then on the flip side, we’ve talked about the motorists saying, “Be patient, give them space.” What would you say the safest way for bicyclists to share the road with motor vehicle is?
Ken:
The safest way for a cyclist to operate on the road is what we call a vehicular cyclist. You ride your bicycle like you drive a car, I refer to it as driving my bicycle, I don’t ride my bicycle, I drive my bicycle.
I don’t just get on my bicycle and let it take me somewhere, I drive my bicycle, I’m predictable. But the main thing I teach as a League of American Bicyclists instructor and as the former education director for New York Bicycling Coalition. is to be predictable. If you’re predictable, then you’re much safer. Predictability for the bicyclist, is their main line of defense. And it’s not about making life easier for motorists, it’s about making us as cyclists safer. Sometimes being predictable means riding in the line where you can be seen and prevent motorists from forcing you into an unsafe road position.
It is not my goal to inconvenience motorist, but it’s not my goal to marginalize myself to make it convenient for motorists. And that is a mentality that you observe, that cars are superior and therefore should be acquiesced to. You see it with pedestrians, you see it with clearly marked crosswalks with “Yield to pedestrian” signs. I see it all the time down on Broadway in Albany.
