Large Vehicles and Bicycles Interacting Safely

Guest Blog by Robert Neff, a daily bike commuter across 5 cities, member of Palo Alto's Bike Advisory Committee (PABAC), SVBC Palo Alto Local Team member, and SVBC member since 2011. 


“Cyclist run over by a big rig” - fortunately that event did not happen a week ago when I was waiting behind a tractor-trailer as it made a right turn from a right-turn-only lane on Homestead. When the light went green, the truck driver moved ahead on the left side of the lane, in preparation for its right turn, and then stopped. Why? At that moment another bicyclist took advantage of the gap between the truck and the curb, to make a right turn there. A few seconds later the truck driver proceeded on its right turn, with its trailer wheels running all the way to the inside of the turn, even over the corner curb. There was no safe space for people biking on the inside of the truck. Had the truck driver not seen that person biking in his mirror, a major collision could have resulted. Truck driving takes a lot of training, attention, and awareness. This truck driver saw the bicyclist and stopped to let them safely pass, preventing a collision.Unfortunately, the larger the vehicle, the lower the visibility, and the greater the danger to bicyclists. Big rigs, buses, and garbage trucks take up over 9 feet of road width, and their profile is taller than cars, so in a collision a bicyclist or pedestrian is more likely to end up under the wheels. Large vehicles' rear wheels track far to the inside on turns, making the situation fatal in “right-hook” collisions, and the vehicles are so large that it is difficult for its drivers to track bicycles behind and beside them. When large vehicles are traveling quickly, the draft from the trailers creates its own wind, which can upset bicyclists. Though big-rigs, box trucks, garbage trucks, and buses are a small fraction of the total number of vehicles on the road, collisions between large vehicles and bicyclists have resulted in at least 6 fatalities since 2009 in Burlingame, Redwood Shores, Menlo Park, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale.VTA and SamTrans actively train bus operators to help them understand how to maneuver around people biking and walking. SVBC's Shuttle Driver Training has worked with bus drivers at LinkedIn, Apple, and Facebook to help operators understand how people biking use the street. Training like this helps drivers understand how to safely cross bike lanes to get to bus stops and commuter drop-offs.However, because of the inherent size and visibility issues with buses and trucks, people biking should also be aware of how to ride predictably and safely around large vehicles. Treat large trucks and buses for what they are -- the most dangerous vehicles on the road.
  • Keep your distance and be patient.
  • Never ride next to a moving truck (on either side). If you are being passed, let them pass as quickly as possible.
  • Never pass a truck or bus on the right unless they are stopped at a light and you are certain that they are going straight and that you can pass before they will start moving.
  • Never pass a truck on either side if they are signaling a turn. (They may swing away from the curb before turning right, so you don’t want to be on the left either.)
  • Use daytime flashing headlights and tail lights. When a motorist or trucker glances your way or checks a rear-view mirror, flashing lights will help them observe you even if they were not looking for a bicycle.

For more guidance, see: http://iamtraffic.org/resources/interactive-graphics/what-cyclists-need-to-know-about-trucks/If everyone on the road is aware of how to operate their vehicle safely and how to interact with other people on the road, we can all stay safe out there.

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