Cycling Safely
Tips from the City of Lincoln:
- Always wear a helmet.
- To change lanes and/or merge, make sure there is an opening by looking behind you for traffic. Be sure to signal your intension to change lanes or merge. The traffic in the lane you want to move into has the right of way.
- Obey the rules of the road.
- Stop at stop signs and lights.
- Ride with the flow of traffic, not against it.
- Yield to pedestrians.
- If you will be riding at dawn, dusk or at night, be sure to use bike lights and reflectors. This is not just for your safety, but the safety of others. In addition, the City of Lincoln requires the use of front and rear lights when riding at night.
- Don't hug the curb too closely. Curbs can be dangerous for a cyclist not to mention they trap debris which can puncture a tire.
- Ride in single file. Nebraska State law requires cyclists to ride single file at all times on roadways.
- Don't ride on sidewalks unless no other safe option exists. Motorists do not expect a bicycle entering the roadway from the sidewalk, making intersections more dangerous for cyclists riding on the sidewalk. Also, it is illegal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk in downtown Lincoln.
- Beware of cars coming out of alleys and driveways. Drivers are often not looking for a cyclist and often misjudge their speed.
- Ride in the lane of traffic when it is heavy and slow-moving. Riding with traffic when the vehicles are moving about the same speed as a cyclist is safer than staying far to the edge of the roadway.
- Maintain a straight course as much as possible and avoid swerving in and out of parked cars. Predictability is very important for both cyclist safety and the safety of others.
- Watch out for opening car doors. Maintain at least several feet from parked cars in case someone opens their door unexpectedly.
- Make eye contact with drivers and signal your turns.
- When passing buses, be sure to only pass on the left. Buses have a blind spot behind and on their right sides, so by passing on the right, you could get squeezed into the curb if the bus pulls over for a passenger. Also, watch for pedestrians crossing the street when passing the front of the bus.
- Ride predictably.
For more information about commuting by bike, biking at night, biking in the winter, trail riding or riding the bus with your bike, visit the City of Lincoln's website.
Driving Safely Around Cyclists
- Give at least 3 feet of separation when passing a bicycle. If 3 feet is not possible, reduce speed and wait to pass until it is safe.
- Stay out of designated bicycle lanes while driving or parking, unless crossing into another vehicle travel lane.
- Remember road conditions are amplified for a bicyclists and may cause them to suddenly shift lanes in reaction to potholes, gravel, or slippery surface, so pay attention.
- Avoid turning directly across a path of bicycles traveling in the same direction. When turning left at an intersection, yield to oncoming bicyclists just as you would oncoming motorists.
- Do not blast a vehicle horn when approaching a bicyclist.
- Look for bicyclists before opening car doors.
- Check for bicyclists at intersections as they may be riding on sidewalks or sidepaths adjacent to the street.
- Right-of-way rules apply equally to bicyclists and motor vehicles at intersections and roundabouts.
Note: This is not an inclusive list. For a full list of laws for motorists, visit the Nebraska Driver's Manual, Lincoln Municipal Code Chapter 10.48 Bicycles, and the Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 60 - Motor Vehicles.
Tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Yield to bicyclists as you would motorists and do not underestimate their speed. This will help avoid turning in front of a bicyclist traveling on the road or sidewalk, often at an intersection or driveway.
- In parking lots, at stop signs, when backing up, or when parking, search your surroundings for other vehicles, including bicycles.
- Obey the speed limit, reduce speed for road conditions and drive defensively to avoid a crash with a cyclist.
