Traffic is frustrating for everyone on road and it seems that the level of frustration a person experiences is directly proportional to the size / cost of the vehicle.

As a cyclist negotiating traffic and generally annoyed motorists, What can I do to ensure safe, smooth and speedy ride?

1. Empathy:
   • It is important to understand that the sucker driving a motor vehicle has a lot of $ invested just to save a few minutes of his/her time. In most cases, the $ spent (Capital+tax+fuel+parking+etc…) is probably way more than the person’s value for the time saved in the commute. Given this situation, everyone is simply rushing to maximize the time savings. That explains partially why people behave the way they do in roads.
   • Given this situation, a cyclist delaying ones commute can easily get on to ones nerves. The problem is worse in a place like Singapore where the majority of cyclists are usually people who have little or no understanding of traffic rules.
   • It is not possible for me to educate other cyclists (that is the job of traffic police / LTA) but with this knowledge, I can hope to better manage the angry driver.
   • I signal, wave and follow traffic rules to the book (almost). I wave to drivers when I overtake them, I wave when I make a mistake, I smile at drivers at intersections. I wave “thank you” when some one stays behind me.
   • I have found that generally, when you acknowledge their presence, the drivers are usually tolerant of your presence
2. Visibility:
   • Generally, no one leaves home intending to kill pedestrians / cyclists. Matter of fact, everyone’s (almost) intention is to hopefully avoid any accidents on the road so that they can get to work/home in peace.
   • As a cyclist, if I provide them the option of not hitting me, I am sure everyone will take it and visibility takes center stage here.
   • I wear bright clothing and I place my panniers on the traffic side (right side in Singapore). There have been very few incidents of people not giving me room. I suppose people want to avoid scratching their cars eh:)
   • And I wave when I am potentially blocking traffic behind me. There have been incidents of people honking at me but I hold my line and wave to keep them behind me.
3. Predictability:
• I suppose another key to be safe on roads is not being a monkey on the road. As a cyclist one has to understand that you neither have speed not strength to compete with normal traffic flow. If you want to be safe, stick to doing what people expect from any other vehicle.
• I stick to my lane. I wave early and start switching lanes early if I have to make a right turn.
• I also wait to switch lanes opportunistically – I move between lanes when there is a lull in traffic flow.
• If I am in a middle lane and traffic increases, I stick to my lane and claim the entire lane.
• I do not ride between moving traffic (motorcyclists are the worst culprits here)
• However, I may ride between vehicles when traffic is standing still (likely at a traffic junction). Even then, If there is too little space, I do not pass
• I do not jump on to pedestrian path just to get ahead – I would like for people to think I am another normal road user.
• If I am unable to get ahead in a traffic junction, I wait along with other motorists – I think making a statement for cyclist behavior is more important than saving a minute.
• I do not jump lights (I ride like a maniac if I see green and may mass if I see amber. But I stop at Red). In extremely light traffic situation, I may jump a light - but only if the light is for pedestrian crossing only. At Intersections, I strictly DO NOT jump red. And no one should.
• I slow down on rainy days and stay extra cautious and look out actively for traffic.
• I use a mirror and regularly peek into it – Drivers notice this and give me room as I am trying to be defensive.
4. Respect:
• Probably least appreciated is the fact that there is little mutual respect among motorists. Cabbies curse private cars who in turn curse motor cycles who curse bus drivers who curse other cars who curse cyclists. The loop never ends.
• As I have noted earlier, the general trend is that the person causing most trouble is the overly paranoid (BMW/Merc), overly arrogant (MazdaRx8′s/Subaru STI’s) or overly irreverent (Construction trucks / contractors’ lorries). there is an occasional idiot or two who make mistakes on the road and are usually apologetic. I suppose this is expected – and the only way to insure against these is to stay cautious, claim your space and not be intimidated. It pays if you wave graciously and accept apologies from people.
• Anyway, I guess everyone (except a few) are planning on avoiding accidents in the first place and if you exert caution and ride ‘defensively’, it is unlikely that you will get into trouble.

Related posts:

1. Courteous riding
2. Traffic issues
3. Riding in Rain
4. coffee talk on road usage
5. riding in tropics

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 6th, 2007 at 8:13 am and is filed under bicycle commuting in singapore, bike, musings, Singapore. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.