The bicycle has become in recent years one of the most used means of transport in large cities , where the need to find ecological alternatives to gasoline or diesel vehicles is increasingly evident. However, in the same way that the use of bicycles has increased, so has the number of accidents and run-ins that occur to cyclists, due in large part to the little training and information that both cyclists and drivers have. That is why to achieve a better coexistence on the road, both cyclists and drivers should follow clear rules for a better coexistence between both.
First of all, we must remember that each municipality has its own traffic regulations , and it is important to look for the municipal ordinance that regulates it in each case to know what you can and cannot do.
Rules for the driver
The first thing to be clear about is that cyclists, along with pedestrians and motorists, are the most vulnerable users on the roads , so you have to be especially careful with them. The first rule that the driver must respect is the lateral distance that he must leave when overtaking a cyclist, which must in no case be less than one and a half meters. In this case, the driver can pass the continuous center line to respect this distance – as long as the conditions are safe. It is also necessary to reduce the speed of the vehicle when overtaking. In fact, if the situation requires it, the speed must be equal to that of the cyclist to be overtaken.
At junctions or roundabouts , the cyclist always has priority over a motor vehicle. Thus, a peloton or group of cyclists will be a single vehicle and the priority depends on the first one, that once it has entered the roundabout, the cars will have to give way to the rest of the peloton.
Rules for the cyclist
For their part, cyclists also have to meet certain rules to ensure a good coexistence . In the first place, two bicycles are allowed to circulate in parallel, except in sections without visibility such as curves or changes in grade. In the event that there is no bike lane or signposted shoulder, the cyclist must use the common shoulder to circulate. The cyclist also has to watch that all the components of his bicycle – brakes, lights, wheels, saddle, etc. – are in perfect condition, in addition to always wearing an approved helmet, which can save him from having serious brain injuries in case of suffering a fall.
In case of driving at night, you must use reflectors or lighting elements that warn other road users of your presence, and a front light, even when driving during the day. In addition, it is essential that you respect the traffic regulations, in the same way as if you were driving a motor vehicle, that you do not circulate with headphones or talking on the phone, since they promote inattention on the road, that you try to dress in bright colors to make yourself more visible on the road, and always drive in the same direction as the traffic, and not the other way around.
