5 Mistakes Drivers Make Around Cyclists Without Realizing It

Once in a while, you probably merge a little too close to the curb, maybe you roll through a right turn sometimes, or open your car door without checking the mirror. No harm, right? Unless there was a cyclist right next to you. It’s not like drivers hate cyclists; they just forget they’re there. Or they assume they’ll move, adjust, slow down… Because they always do! Until the day comes when they don’t.

Believe it or not, a lot of bike-related crashes aren’t caused by speeding or drunk driving. What causes them are the everyday moves/maneuvers drivers make behind the wheel. We’re talking about those small, automatic habits that seem harmless until someone ends up in the ER. And when that person is on a bike with no metal frame, no airbags, and no seatbelt, the results are often brutal.

Drivers aren’t villains by any means, and the point of this article is to call out their blind spots – both figurative and literal ones. Why? Because the more you understand the mistakes you make around cyclists, the better your chances of stopping simple drives from turning into serious accidents.

Mistakes to Keep in Mind

When you’re driving around cyclists, you have to be aware. The road is not yours; you share it with others, but some of those ‘others’ don’t have steel cages around them. That imbalance means that even the slightest mistake you make is potentially dangerous or deadly for someone on a bike.

Here are mistakes that often fly under the radar.

1.   Drifting into Bike Lanes Without Noticing

This one happens all the time, and it’s not hard to see why. You’re trying to avoid a pothole or make a wide turn, and without thinking, your tires slip into the bike lane. If you’re lucky, no one is there, but if you aren’t…

Well, this kind of lapse usually leads to some of the common injuries from bicycle accidents. Drivers often drift into bike lanes, especially when markings are faded or the visibility is poor. It doesn’t take much – just a moment of you not paying attention, and you could force a cyclist to swerve or, worse, hit them directly. It’s a mistake of habit, but one that deserves your full attention every time you’re on the road.

2.   Misjudging a Cyclist’s Speed

A lot of drivers think bikes are slow. But cyclists, especially on e-bikes or going downhill, can move much faster than you think. They can even keep up with traffic. If you misjudge that speed, you might pull out in front of a cyclist too soon or turn across their path without enough clearance.

This miscalculation turns into a collision in the blink of an eye.

It’s how people end up with head injuries, broken ribs, or worse. Just because someone is not driving a car doesn’t mean they’re moving at snail speed.

3.   Not Checking the Mirrors Before Opening Car Doors

This is called ‘dooring’ and everybody has done it at least once. Drivers (and passengers, too) often forget to check their mirrors before getting out of the car. In cities, bike lanes run right along parked cars, so making this mistake can lead to a very dangerous situation.

If you hit a cyclist with your door, you could throw them into traffic or onto the pavement, which can cause concussions, broken wrists, or serious bruising.

4.   Following Too Closely

Some drivers get frustrated behind cyclists and drive too close to them. Sometimes they want to intimidate them, sometimes they’re just impatient. Either way, the road is not the place for this kind of aggressive behavior and if you find yourself doing this, you need therapy. Seriously.

Aside from being aggressive, this is also extremely dangerous. Cyclists might need to swerve around potholes or slow down suddenly, and if you’re riding their back tire, there’s zero room for error. One tap from your bumper can send someone flying over their handlebars.

5.   Turning Right Without Checking the Bike Lane

This is one of the most dangerous mistakes you can make as a driver, and it’s especially common when the cyclist is coming from behind. It’s known as the ‘right hook’ and it happens when you don’t check your blind spot or side mirror and cut across a cyclist’s path in the middle of the turn. Cyclists rarely have time to react, and the impact is usually hard and direct.

The result of these accidents are often fractures, cuts, and hospital trips that could have been easily avoided with one extra glance. Remember that the bike lane is another traffic lane, so you need to signal, check, and then turn.

Conclusion

All these people that end up running cyclists off the road aren’t (necessarily) malicious in nature. These people are busy, they’re distracted, or stuck in their usual driving route. Mistakes happen, we’re all human after all. With that being said, when you’re being that wheel, even a tiny slip-up can have grave consequences – endangering someone’s life, or worse.

The good (and welcome) news is that all these mistakes are easily fixable; all it takes is a bit of raised awareness on your, the driver’s, side.