Defensive Driving Tip #54: Turn Right, LOOK Right!
In the United States, a driver’s natural tendency when making a right turn is to look left, since left is the direction the traffic is coming from (we hope). For this reason, right-turning motorists are one of the biggest dangers to bicyclists!
We teach in defensive driving class that many bicyclists ride on the wrong side of the street — if you are riding a bike, you are supposed to ride WITH the flow of traffic. But for convenience or whatever other reason, you ride down the street on the wrong side (on the sidewalk) — facing the opposing traffic.
So…Al Driver is leaving Fry’s, and he stops short of the sidewalk for a split second, looks to his left to make sure he’s not about to be hit, then begins to pull out to make a right turn onto the street. Maybe he’s in a bit of a hurry because other traffic is quickly approaching. As he crosses onto the sidewalk, Bob Bicyclist runs smack into the side of his vehicle, from his right, and the forces of impact (quite possibly) toss him out into the street where another oncoming car runs over him. He’s D.O.A. This is one of the leading causes of death for bicyclists.
The Next thing we teach in defensive driving class is, while a bicyclist is quicker, and he’s not supposed to be riding the wrong way, you can have the same unfortunate encounter with a law-abiding pedestrian. If you are a bicyclist, or a pedestrian, your life may very well depend on following the “rules,” and never assuming that a motorist will see or yield to you. You need to be aware of danger areas. Don’t run down sidewalks, or across streets – walk, but don’t lollygag, and keep an eye on everything around you. (If you are running, you tend to get “tunnel vision.”)
Most of us know we’re supposed to stop before crossing a sidewalk, when exiting a private drive, parking lot, or side street. Another thing we teach in defensive driving class, but many of us do not think about the dangers posed by not looking BOTH directions, to make sure that sidewalk is clear. You can probably think of other situations where you might not think about looking both ways — but should. One way streets, for example — might a motorist be coming down that street the WRONG way? Or, there can be places where your vision is hampered by obstacles, and dangers can pop out without warning. Be wary — and continually work on your situational awareness, whether you’re a driver, a biker, or a pedestrian. Don’t take anything for granted. Always make it a habit to look BOTH ways, whether something should be coming from that. If you get a ticket take our defensive driving course 2passdd.com