How to Not Get Hit by Cars

I recently found out about BicycleSafe.com by Michael Bluejay, which consists of a convenient guide for “Ten Ways to Not Get Hit.” I think it may be one of the more useful bicycle safety resources I’ve seen online. Each of the “ten ways” describes a common collision scenario and how to avoid it, complete with graphics.

A lot of biking resources try to downplay or avoid talking about these dangers, as Bluejay mentions at the top of his page:

This page shows you real ways you can get hit and real ways to avoid them. This is a far cry from normal bicycle safety guides, which usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the law.

A gripe I often have with “follow the law” guides is that bicycle laws vary across locales and are often counterintuitive. People have a natural inclination to ride on sidewalks or against traffic, for example. When you tell them “that’s against the law,” they often won’t even believe you. Bluejay’s guide uses obvious points that are hard to dispute, and it doesn’t rely on the letter of the law.

I suppose many of us bike riders don’t like to use language like “how to not get hit by cars” from the fear we’ll scare away potential converts, especially when we already struggle against the popular misconception that biking is more dangerous than other forms of transportation. But we must face the reality that cars pose threats that every bike rider should be aware of.

Even with safety education, crashes are still possible due to our dangerous-by-design streets and vehicles. If you want to dive deeper into those scenarios, Bike Law’s website has excellent information.

I also quite like the banner Bluejay made for anyone linking to BicycleSafe.com: