How can cyclists avoid a right hand collision ?
Even if there are laws that bicyclists and motorists have an equal right to the road, the equation can change without any warnings and usually, the bicyclists are the one who suffer the most. Right hook collision is the most common bike-car crashes scenario. This happens when a cyclist is moving straight and the motorist on his left side takes a right turn towards the side of the street or driveway in front of the cyclist.
Usually, this happens when the cyclist cannot see the approaching vehicle’s signal, since he is on a designated bicycle lane or at the far side of the road. On the other hand, the motorist may not even see the cyclist prior to his right turn, or else he might make a wide turn to the right after he passed the cyclist. The cyclist normally hits the passenger side of the vehicle since he is still moving forward at the time the right hook collision happens.
According to statistics, the right hook collision takes up to 10% of the total road accidents involving cars and bikes and it is one of the hardest to avoid while riding on the bicycle lane with heavy traffic. Normally, motorists misjudge the speed of the approaching cyclist, and the cyclist may have enough time to avoid the collision until the very last second.
One of the many suggestions on how to avoid right hand collision on a busy road is for the cyclist to ride further left on the road to let motorists know about their presence and take extreme caution before they make their right turn. Another possible way to reduce right hand collision is for the cyclist to make a full stop every time they approach an intersection where unexpected right turn is possible.
Designated right turn lanes can be dangerous for cyclist going straight; cyclist may carry or walk their bikes through the intersection and go along the pedestrian to be safe and sure.
