There are plenty of tips and tricks you can practice to make every ride safer and more enjoyable. Check out the tips below! If you’re looking for more specific legal and technical advice, these resources may be helpful
1. Get a headlight
If you’re riding at night, you should absolutely use front and back lights. Even for daytime riding, a bright light that has a flashing mode can make you more visible to motorists. LED headlights last ten times as long on a set of batteries as old-style lights.
2. Ride in a straight line
You might be tempted to ride in the parking lane where there are no parked cars, dipping back into the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you at risk for getting hit from behind, if a person driving a car doesn’t expect you to swerve out in front of them. Instead, ride a steady, straight line in the traffic lane. Always ride far enough away from the parked cars that you won’t be doored. Sometimes this will mean “taking the lane” and riding in the middle of the travel lane.
3. Don’t move left without looking first
Sometimes when people are driving, they pass people riding bikes within mere inches (which is illegal), so moving even a tiny bit to the left unexpectedly could put you in the path of a car. Practice holding a straight line while looking over your left shoulder to do a shoulder check until you can do it perfectly. Most people who are new to cycling tend to move left when they look behind them, which can have disasterous consequences.
4. Avoid car doors
Ride far enough to the left that you won’t run into any door that’s opened unexpectedly. You may be wary about riding so far into the lane that cars can’t pass you easily, but you’re MUCH more likely to get doored by a parked car if you ride too close to it than you are to get hit from behind by a car which can clearly see you.
Tips for People Driving Cars
According to the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. Respect for the rights of all road users goes a long way towards avoiding collisions.
