Bringing in an eclectic mix of people from all different places to a big city, riding, skating walking and driving in different directions. As a teen driver in a bustling city, it can be an intimidating and frustrating experience, especially if you are new and unfamiliar with the different ways traffic flow works in a new environment. To the untrained eye, it may seem like pure chaos, but there is a method to the street navigating madness. Bike and driver laws vary by state, so be sure to check your city’s site to find out the specifics on bike and driver laws and responsibilities.
Deflect Common Hazards
Cars should always use their tuning signal and gradually slow down upon reaching the intersection to avoid collision with urban bikers. It’s important to make room on the streets for bikers even when popular lane designations like painted lines and symbols, traffic control devices and cement road blocks do not make the space for you. Drivers often cut off cyclists, assuming that bikers should be on the sidewalk if there is no bike lane, when this isn’t the case. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings. often at busy intersections pedestrians and cyclists cut it close when crossing the street before the light change, always look before you start to drive to avoid a collision with any stragglers.
You can’t always predict and control the dangers of the road, but you can control the way you interact with others. Be proactive and approach bikers with caution when driving in urban streets. The leading cause of accidents between drivers and cyclists is the failure to yield either at a stop sign and by turning left or right in front of an oncoming biker. The right hook is one of the leading causes in bike-to-car accidents, happening when a bike and a car both approach an intersection and the car plans to turn right and the biker is heading straight. these types of accidents typically result from communication error and both the cyclist and the driver not being aware of their surroundings.
Text Ya Later!
According to doseomthing.org, an astounding 75% of teenagers in the U.S. have texted while driving, Add that to the 18% who do it on the reg and you have the disastrous combination of reckless driving and possible accidents. Teach your teens to not text while driving, inform them of statistics, and if you as a parent are putting down the law in your own home, make sure you’re practicing what you preach. As seen on the New York Times, 59% of teens say they see their folks Tweeting, Instagraming, Facebooking, and texting while behind the wheel. It’s important to set the right tone and make sure you’re setting the right example. Do you really, really, really need to Tweet that you just love your skinny mocha that badly? Just wait until you make it to your next stop. Not next stop light, but actual destination where you will not be operating a vehicle.
Being a Proactive Driver
Never make a right turn in front of a biker, and yield on left turns with oncoming bikers. Sometimes bikers are forced out of designated bike lanes due to physical hazards or weather conditions, so give them room to maneuver. When passing a cyclist, leave three feet between the two of you and always reduce your speed. With these basic safety measures you can avoid blunders with bicyclists.
Shut the Door
Parked cars can be a hazard to bikers too! Opening car doors on unsuspecting bikers is a recipe for disaster. Most bikers should know to put room between parked cars and their bike path, but when parking street side be sure to double check for bikers before opening a door. Sometimes traffic flow does not permit the extra space between bikers and cars and often bikers can’t tell if there is a person in the car or not, let alone if the driver plans to exit the vehicle.
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This is a guest post written by Allison Rodriguez on behalf of Review Centre. Ally drove her first car when she was 8 years old, while sitting on her dad’s knee. She thought it was a fun game and still thinks that driving is fun, but it definitely isn’t a game.