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Bicycle - Motorist Safety
Taking a Turn? Do it Safely!
Motorists:
Before turning right, check for bicycles in your right-side blind spot by looking over your shoulder. Bicycles are vehicles, and you must yield to them as to any other vehicle in the road before turning.
Never turn immediately after a passing cyclist, either; s/he may be going faster than you think.
Be additionally cautious when turning left. Drivers turning left in front of oncoming cyclists cause a large percentage of car/bicycle crashes.
Cyclists:
If you are on your bike, keep alert for turning vehicles and make sure to use hand signals if you are turning yourself.
Link
to printable flyer (202 KB)
Link to more safety tips for cyclists and motorists
Look Before Opening Car Doors
Motorists:
Look for bicyclists whenever you exit a vehicle, whether you are a driver or a passenger, in your own car or in a taxi.
By law, the person exiting the vehicle must wait before opening a door into traffic. Failure to do so results in significant numbers of injuries every year. Please help eliminate these avoidable events by looking first.
Cyclists:
Ride at least three feet from parked cars.
Never swerve between parked cars; use the outside of the next car as your guide.
Avoid riding on the right side of any stopped car, especially if it is near the curb.
Link
to printable flyer (201 KB)
Link to more safety tips for cyclists and motorists
Please Don't Block the Bike Lane
Motorists:
Never drive or park in a bicycle lane; you are endangering others when you do so. You are also subject to fines of up to $100.
Cyclists:
Watch for motorists crossing bicycle lanes to turn or park.
If there is an obstacle in the bicycle lane, slow down, signal, and make sure you have a clear space or the attention of the driver behind you before you move left into the general travel lane.
If you encounter an illegally parked car, you may call the Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department (617-349-4700) or the Police Department (617-349-3300) to report it. Details such as the license plate number and exact location by street address will help enforcement officers.
Link
to printable flyer (199
KB)
Link to more safety tips for cyclists and motorists
Cyclists: Be Bright, Please Use a Light
Cyclists:
The law requires using a white light in front that is visible for at least 500 feet, pedal reflectors, and a rear red reflector and/or rear red light that is visible for at least 600 feet. The more illuminated you are, the better. Supplementary visibility measures such as blinking lights, reflective straps and reflective tires are particularly helpful.
Remember that motorists and pedestrians need to see you. Many cyclists believe that lights in the city are not necessary, as the streets are relatively well lit. The point is not so much what you as a rider see; it is that you are seen by others.
Nearly half of all cycling deaths in the US involve cyclists riding at night without lights, although only 3% of biking is done after dark.
Link
to printable flyer (180
KB)
Link to more safety tips for cyclists and motorists
For More Information
For more information about bicycling in Cambridge, please contact Cara Seiderman, cseiderman@cambridgema.gov, at 617/349-4629. The Community Development Department TTY line is 617/349-4621.
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