Sharing the Road With Less Friction

This week, I'd like to offer some thoughts about how cyclists and motorists can get along a little better.

Cyclists: Follow the rules of the road. Blowing through stoplights is foolish and reinforces the image of cyclists as arrogant scofflaws. What's more, running lights might get you killed. If avoiding death isn't enough of an incentive, consider this: You burn more calories if you stop and have to start pedaling again. So stopping at lights makes you more buff.

Drivers: If road conditions allow and there's no traffic coming the other way, you should give cyclists plenty of room when passing. Sometimes, we're forced into close proximity, but on an early Sunday morning when the road is empty, a little breathing room will keep everyone safer.

Cyclists: Don't ride three abreast. In addition to being illegal in most places, it makes drivers really angry, with good reason. If you want to chat, go to Starbucks. If you're on the road, you should act like you're smart enough to be there.

Drivers: Don't honk at cyclists. Even short “polite” beeps can scare the daylights out of cyclists, possibly causing them to swerve and crash. It's not overstating things to say that honking at a cyclist could have fatal consequences. Yes, I know drivers have excuses.

“But I want them to move over.” (Honking might get cyclists to move over but it's more likely to make them swerve and possibly crash. Just go around them.)

“They're hogging the road and I want to teach them a lesson.” (This method is unlikely to be effective and, instead, it could be disastrous.)

“But I want them to know I'm there.” (They know you're there. Just go around.)

Cyclists: Don't ride with headphones on. It's just stupid. Would you drive your car with headphones on? No, because it wouldn't be safe. It is the same with biking. Headphones put you out of touch with the surrounding conditions, including traffic and other cyclists who may be trying to pass you. If you want to wear headphones while riding, you should go to the velodrome. Wearing them on the road is foolish at best and a death wish at worst.

Cyclists: Be smart and be predictable. Signal. Hold a steady line. Keep an eye out for road conditions ahead; swerving to avoid obstacles at the last minute is dangerous. If potholes or gravel regularly force you into the middle of the road, change your route. Yes, you have a right to be there, but riding far off the white line is likely to put you in contact with cars. In a bad way.

Drivers: Be patient. If you are passing a cyclist or group of riders, just wait until the road conditions make it safe to pass. The 15-30 seconds you have to wait isn't going to kill you, but trying to pass when traffic is coming the other way just might. A little patience goes a long way.

Cyclists: Consider heading out to a less congested area to bike. Yes, it's a pain to load your bike onto the car, but driving for as little as 15 minutes can get you onto less traveled roads, making for a more pleasant ride, and it might be nice to see some new scenery.

Both cyclists and drivers: Put away the cell phone. Seriously. Your hands should be on your steering wheel or handlebars and your attention should be on the road, not on your conversation.

And can I mention this again? Drivers, don't honk at cyclists. Please.

I'm a cyclist. I'm a driver. I have friends who are cyclists and drivers. I'd rather not have any of them end up in the hospital. I'd especially hate to have a cyclist friend put in the hospital by a driver friend.

We're not enemies, we're neighbors, part of the same community. Let's act like it.