Urban survival – Negotiating Traffic

One of the best things about being on two wheels is that you can make progress through slow or stationary traffic. But remember,  if you do so car drivers quite often will not see you. They are probably not expecting you to be there in the first place, you are smaller and may not be easily visible to them so you need to take a bit of extra care.  Position yourself  to see and be seen.

The most important thing when filtering through heavy traffic is for your concentration to be focused; you need to be aware of all things around you.

Be very aware of:

• Vehicles emerging from side junctions between other vehicles in your lane – especially when you’re next to a tall vehicle and can’t see properly.
• Look at the other drivers – make sure they are concentrating on the road.
• If you’re riding between a line of cars, actively look for indications of what the driver and passengers are doing – make sure none of them are getting out, as this could mean a door being opened on you.
• Be aware of vehicles suddenly changing lanes.
• When you overtake, look out for the vehicle you’re about to pass moving into your path.
• Be very aware of pedestrians and cyclists – especially cyclists as they nip in and out of lanes. Pedestrians particularly children may step out in front of you.
• Pay special attention to road surfaces – potholes, paint studs and poor surfaces. Make sure you’re aware of the road signs that might warn you of these sorts of hazards.
• When at a pedestrian crossing do not overtake the vehicle nearest to the crossing as this vehicle may hide a pedestrian/child.  Such a manoeuvre is also an endorsable offence!

This entry was posted on Friday, November 4th, 2011 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Articles, Training Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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