Bicycle Driving Seminar by Fred Oswald, League Cycling Instructor # Health Fitness Clean air Companionship Enjoy Reduced congestion © Fred Oswald, Apr 2010 Quiet Commute to work Ride for errands Touring & Recreation Sport Cycling Parent Tips

 Safest methods are counterintuitive  Much "Bike Safety" teaching is wrong!  Most think unsafe methods safer & vice versa  Most people unwilling to learn better ways Bad News Fred Oswald Oct 2008

 Some traffic laws discourage safest practices  Cyclists greatest duty “staying out of the way”  “Bicycle facilities" encourage unsafe behavior  “Bicycle Friendly” is often cyclist unfriendly Worse News Fred Oswald Oct 2008

 You can eliminate >90% of your risk  Best practices not hard if you are willing to learn  Driving a bike is >90% same as driving a car  You already know how to drive a car Great News Fred Oswald Oct 2008

1. “Fear from the rear” (Fear of traffic passing from behind). 2. Roads are for cars / Cyclists do not belong on the road / Greatest duty staying out of the way 3. Rules of the road do not apply / Cyclists do not need (or cannot learn) to follow the rules of the road. Common Bicycling Fallacies of the “Car Culture” Fred Oswald Mar 2010 These are compounded by the fallacy that there is nothing to learn about cycling

1. “Stay out of the way of cars” 2. “Always ride on the sidewalk” 3. “Ride as far right as possible” 4. “You could be dead right” 5. “Ride as though other drivers can't see you” Beware of “ GOOD” ADVICE from the Car Culture Don’t repeat bad advice just because it “sounds good” Fred Oswald Mar 2005

Bike SafetySwimming Qualifications“Authority figure”Certified instructor Skill/ Experience Required NonePre-class written & swim skills test Instructor TrainingNone36 hour class, master skills, written & swim exam. SyllabusNoneRed Cross water safety prog. Fred Oswald, Jun 2002 Who teaches children “Bike Safety”? Who taught us when we were young? -- Compare cycling with swimming

Break the cycle of misinformation Child riding wrong way “Safe Routes to School” cover DOT HS , Sep 2002.

The Guiding Principle: Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles Fred Oswald Feb 2003 Photo above from Chicago’s Bike Lane Design Manual Operating by pedestrian methods and in unexpected places is often dangerous SAME ROADS, SAME RULES, SAME RIGHTS following best practices

Source: Kaplan, “Characteristics of the Regular Adult Bicycle User” Fred Oswald Apr 2000 FALLS Collision w/CAR Collision w/BIKE w/ANIMAL Most bike crashes do not involve cars! DOOR

Car-Bike Crashes, Who is at Fault? WRONG-WAY L-TURN FROM R NO driveway RUN LIGHT, or SIGN LEFT CROSS RIGHT HOOK RUN LIGHT or SIGN SWERVE About HALF are caused by cyclist error! 90% involve turning & crossing traffic. DOOR NO driveway Fred Oswald Jun 2002 OVERTAKING (2/3 at night) Misc. Source: BikeEd Instructor Manual Based on Effective Cycling Cyclist fault Motorist fault

U.S. Fatalities per Year ER visits per year Frank Krygowski

Effect of Experience on Cycling Crashes Adapted from: John Forester, Bicycle Transportation, 2 nd Ed., MIT Press, 1994 Orig. sources: Chlapecka, et al.; Schupack and Driessen; Kaplan; Watkins Fred Oswald Nov 2000 Knowledgeable & experienced cyclists are ~ 80% safer than the average adult. ~ 30% improvement ~ 80% improvement

Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles Fred Oswald Jun 2002 Principles of Traffic Law 1. First Come, First Served 2. Drive on the Right 3. Obey Traffic Control Devices 4. Observe Speed Positioning 5. Follow Intersection Positioning The standard rules of the road give cyclists a huge safety advantage. Source: Effective Cycling & BikeEd Instructor Manuals

STOP Primary zone of vigilance Secondary zone Fred Oswald, Jun 2002 Your lane is ON the road. Don’t ride wrong way or on sidewalk! Stay in traffic lane to be seen

"...Sidewalks are typically designed for pedestrian speeds and maneuverability and are not safe for higher speed bicycle use.” Amer Assoc. of State Highway Trans. Officials, Guidelines for the Development of Bicycle Facilities Bicycle Sidepath / Sidewalk – Unsafe at (almost) any speed Photo by F. Oswald, Jun 1999

Sidewalk and Sidepath Hazards Paul Schimek, 2001 D. Gutierrez & B. P. DeSousa, 2003 Riding against traffic on sidewalk or sidepath is significantly more dangerous. Riding on sidewalk/sidepath compared to riding on road increases collision risk by a factor of: ─ 1.8 (California; Wachtel and Lewiston 1994) ─ 2.7 (Eugene, OR, 1979) ─ 4.7 (California, 1974) ─ 3.4 (Sweden; Linderholm 1984) ─ (Finland, Sweden, & Norway; Leden 1988) ─ 3.9 (Denmark; Jensen, Andersen, Nielsen 1997) ─ 1.7 to 5 (Germany; Schnull, Alrutz et al 1993) In general, the designated use of sidewalks (as a signed shared facility) for bicycle travel is unsatisfactory. --- AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities

Vehicular Cycling “Layers of Safety” Fred Oswald, Jul Don’t CAUSE collision (follow rules of road) 2.Assertively deter motorist mistakes 3.Drive defensively to escape hazards 4.Mitigation (helmets, gloves, etc.)

Vehicular Cycling Safety Skills 1.Look Back (Scan) for Traffic 2.Rock Dodge 3.Hard Braking (panic stop) 4.Quick Turn These skills can prevent YOU from causing a crash … or allow you to escape someone else’s error. They require instruction & practice. Fred Oswald, Apr 2002

Fred Oswald, Aug 2003 Proper Lane Positioning An essential skill for cyclists Narrow Lane Road or Downhill – Use Full Lane Cyclists have legal right and safety obligation to use the full lane if too narrow to share with motor vehicles Photo by Wayne Pein Photo by R. Woodward, Jan 2000

State of Ohio on Bicycle Lane Position Ohio Revised Code § (A) says: …ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable … Note practice-able. DOES NOT SAY as near as possible! § (C) says: This section does not require … ride at the edge of the roadway when it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. … when necessary to avoid fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, surface hazards, or if it otherwise is unsafe or impracticable to do so, including if the lane is too narrow for the bicycle and an overtaking vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. Ohio Bicycling Street Smarts says: On a road with two or more narrow lanes in your direction -- like many city streets -- you should ride in the middle of the right lane at all times. Fred Oswald, Apr 2010

Wide Lane – Room to Allow Passing but don’t ride in the gutter Fred Oswald Sep 2008

Defensive Driving — Be Assertive for Your Safety  See and be seen  Deter unsafe passing  Prevent motorist mistakes  Stay out of the door zone  Avoid road hazards  Keep safety zone to your right

Defensive Driving — Beware the Right-Hook Hazard Right from --- CommuteOrlando.com Stay out of turn lane unless turning. Stay away from trucker’s blind spot!

What is Assertive Cycling? --- the sweet spot between being aggressive and passive. Aggressive: Uncooperative, pushy, selfish, combative Passive: Inactive, submitting without resistance Assertive: Standing up for one’s rights, while also respecting rights of others.

Fred Oswald Jul 2008 Avoiding Hazards on the Right Below – you almost never need to dodge drain grates if you ride far enough left. Above – you never need to dodge car doors if you ride far enough left.

Don’t Get the “Door Prize” Beware bike lane hazards Cambridge fatality Chicago Bikelane Design Guide Door Zone Bike Lanes. Don’t assume a bikelane is a safe place to ride!

Bike lanes encourage mistakes: Pass on right & filter forward “Drive-out” at stop sign “Right hook” “Left cross” Bike Lane Hazards Paul Schimek, 2002Fred Oswald, 2010 Ever seen “car” roads like this?

Destination Position & Bike Lanes Bike Lane type speed positioning doesn’t work at intersections –Straight through traveling cyclists should not be at the extreme right –Bike Lanes often encourage cyclists to violate destination position rule Most Bike Lanes create intersection confusion by promoting common destination positioning mistakes ? Lane Bike Lane Bike Lane Bike Copyright © 2004, D. A. Gutierrez and D.P. DeSousa

Left Turn Technique 1.Look back & plan move 2.Find a gap in traffic 3.Signal & merge to L side of lane 4.Look back for gap in traffic 5.Signal & merge to next lane Plan ahead & get into position early Fred Oswald, Dec 2003

‘Negotiating’ a Left Merge In tight traffic – look back & signal to get the cooperation of a following driver. Merge over only if driver allows. Never try to ‘force’ a merge. Fred Oswald Aug 2002

Using Vehicle Detectors Fred Oswald Aug 2008 Right – Stop with wheels over wire buried in road. (Most work if you find right spot.) Stencil to mark detector loop. Dipole loop sweet spots Quadrupole loop sweet spots video detector

A bike is not a toy. It is a child’s first vehicle. Fred Oswald, Sep 2002 Teach your kids: ‘Drive your Bike!’

Paul Schimek & Fred Oswald, Mar 2003 Why traffic law matters Traffic laws shape --- How cyclists are taught to ride The safety record of cyclists How the police treat cyclists What the motoring public expects from cyclists What happens in court or with insurance adjustor if a cyclist has a collision Uniform traffic laws promote safe, fair & efficient travel for all.

9 have poor rules Fred Oswald, Jul 2002 Revised Jan 2010 Survey of Bicycle Traffic Rules in 75 NE Ohio Communities 21 have excellent rules 21 have bad rules 13 have dangerous rules 2006 Ohio reforms made bad local rules invalid! But local reforms are not automatic. 11 have good rules

Middleburg Hts. : Generally consistent w/state law Broadview Hts : Reqd. to ride on sidewalk Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Req’d to walk across intersection of through streets Req’d to yield to vehicular traffic N Royalton : Generally consistent w/state law Strongsville : Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Req’d to walk across intersection of through streets N Olmsted : Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 8 not allowed on residential streets Under 12 not allowed on non-residential streets Sidewalk cyclists must walk across intersection of through streets Cleveland : Generally consistent w/state law Brook Park : Generally consistent w/state law Except brake must skid wheel Fairview Park : Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 12 not allowed on non-residential streets Avon Lake Keep to the right-hand curb. Avon Reqd. to ride on sidewalk Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Req’d to walk across intersection of through streets N Ridgeville Reqd. to ride on sidewalk Reqd. to ride on sidepath Under 11 not allowed on streets Req’d to walk across intersection of through streets A ‘Crazy Quilt of Non-Uniform and Dangerous Traffic Laws

Dangerous bicycle regulations Actual local ordinance “Any person operating a bicycle shall ride upon the sidewalk rather than the roadway when sidewalks are available and not congested with pedestrian traffic.” Ohio Revised Code § says: “no local authority may require that bicycles be operated on sidewalks.” This ordinance requires expert cyclists to imitate beginners. It is invalid because it conflicts with the uniform rules of the road. Fred Oswald Apr 2007 This is invalid in Ohio following reforms passed in 2006

Improving Safety Through Education

Summary Much of what we learned as kids is wrong. Most collisions involve turning or crossing traffic. Be assertive about your safety. Proper lane position helps avoid trouble. Standard traffic laws good; bike specific laws bad. A bike is not a toy. It is a child’s first vehicle. Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles Fred Oswald, Apr 2010