Half the wheels, twice the fun: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Summer is here and many of us will be taking to the streets and country roads with our bicycles to make the most of the sunshine. This week’s tips give advice on sharing the road with cyclists from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

• Leave enough room. When riding or driving leave enough room between you and the cyclist, you never know when you have to stop and you want to make sure there is enough space in the event of anything unexpected happening

   

• Some police forces are enforcing 1.5 meters as the minimum passing width but the easiest way to remember is to treat the cyclist as you would a car. Give them space and treat the 1.5 m as a minimum

• Follow the Highway Code. If you are unsure as to what to do around cyclists on the road. Having a a look at the Highway Code so you know what is expected of yourself and the cyclist will be of great benefit to you

   

• Have a double look opening your car door after parking. This also goes for doing sharp turns around corners and in blind spots. Cyclists can sometimes be in unexpected places

• Take your time. Don’t lose your hair and lose your temper waiting for a cyclist on the road. Acting irrationally leads to unnecessary road rage and accidents that could be easy avoided

• Be careful when overtaking groups of cyclist and ensure you can see well ahead before attempting an overtake

Richard said: “Cycling has never been so popular and sharing the road safely is the key to ensuring we all get to enjoy what summer weather we get. Cyclists don’t have a safety cell of metal, seatbelts and airbags around them so the onus has to be on the driver to look out for the most vulnerable on our roads. Giving them a bit more time and a lot more space will make life easier for all of us.”