How to cycle safely - tips and rules for cyclists in lockdown
You would think the past couple of months were a safe time to go out cycling. The roads have been all but emptied of cars, meaning people have been taking to two wheels and enjoying the freedom of our cities and country lanes.
And yet, emerging statistics paint a different picture. Cycling accidents appear to have gone up. Specialist bike insurance firm Laka, has found a 16pc increase in cases of cars hitting cyclists since lockdown began. “Our take from that is that because roads were traffic free that may have perhaps given motorists an excuse to put their foot down and not be so alert themselves,” says Laka’s vice president of marketing, Kelly Barnes.
The increase in volume of cyclists surely also plays a role: more people riding bikes inevitably leads to more people falling off them. Anecdotally, it's felt common to hear of scrapes and near misses in recent weeks. Yesterday, the singer Sophie Ellis-Bexter added to that impression, by Instagramming from a hospital bed after taking a tumble while cycling along a tow path by the Thames.
A post shared by Sophie Ellis-Bextor (@sophieellisbextor) on Jun 3, 2020 at 3:07am PDT
Here’s what you need to know about protecting yourself while on two-wheels.
What kit do you need?
Wearing a helmet while cycling isn’t a legal requirement. However, according to Laka’s stats, 54pc of crash victims who have bike and helmet insurance make a claim for both, which suggests that helmets often come in handy. “We think that indicates that serious head injuries were prevented through the use of a helmet,” says Barnes.
There’s another good reason to wear a helmet: it can protect you from liability. Cycling UK’s communications and media manager Sam Jones says, "we've seen it before: there was an awful case where a child was hit from behind by a car and ended up with brain damage,” he explains. “Because the child wasn't wearing a helmet, the insurer tried to claim there was 'contributing negligence' from the child who had been riding perfectly safely, in order to avoid paying out.”
However, one thing you legally must have is a red reflector on the back of your bike, and amber reflectors on the pedals. If you’re riding outside the hours of daylight you must legally also have a white front-light and a red rear-light, just like a car. In addition, brakes on both wheels are a legal obligation.
Where are you allowed to cycle?
Newer or younger cyclists may feel safer riding on the pavement but this is technically illegal. However, there is something of a grey area around the issue, which perhaps help explain the perennial arguments that arise between parents who are concerned for their young children, and pedestrians who are concerned for their own safety.
“There was guidance given by a previous cycling minister, Paul Boateng, who said it was down to the police to exercise discretion as to whether there's an offence really being committed,” explains Jones. “If it's someone riding along who is worried about the speed of the road and they're being careful or considerate of other road users, the police must use their judgement to decide whether an offence has been committed.”
It gets more complicated in the countryside. “Bridleways you're allowed to ride on," says Jones. "But if you ride on footpaths you could be committing trespass which is a civil offence. Often there's no rationale over what makes a footpath and what makes a bridleway, it's just a historic line on the map.” With this in mind, it’s best to get out your OS map and plan your route in advance.
On roads, you should cycle as though you’re driving a car, following the Highway Code. In many cases, this involves cycling more centrally in the road (another possible bone of contention with those around you). “The number one thing you can do [to be safe on a bike] is learn about road positioning,” says Jones. “A lot of it is quite counter-intuitive, especially if you've just started riding a bike, because a lot of it is putting you out into the middle of the road but that's the thing that'll help you be seen, and will help other people know how to interact around you.”
Cycling UK have created a video to explain the basics of road positioning, which you can watch below:
What are your rights as a cyclist if you get into a crash?
“If you think about car accidents and how you decide liability there, it's pretty much the same,” explains Barnes. In short, it’s the person who is crashed into who is the victim, while the crasher is the guilty party, regardless of mitigating circumstances.
And just like cars, you can get insurance as a cyclist. "Cyclists need to make sure they have the appropriate damage insurance," says Barnes. Most major insurers can cover both bicycles and their riders too. “There have been a number of cases where cyclists have been prosecuted for colliding with pedestrians and ordered to pay large fines,” adds Barnes. “A public liability insurance policy protects cyclists against liability, including legal costs if they injure someone or damage their property whilst using their bicycle.” In addition, all members of Cycling UK get get free 3rd party insurance up to £10m for only £4 per month.
The one thing to watch out for is “injuring persons by furious driving”, which can carry a sentence of up to two years in prison. “I'm sure you'll know that there were a few cases last year where cyclists were fined large sums of money for hitting pedestrians in London, so that's something we'd advise people are wary of,” says Barnes.
There was a landmark case in 2017 which saw a cyclist hit and kill a woman. “We've had a few more cases since then,” says Barnes. “There was one where a pedestrian was not paying due attention, was looking at her mobile phone, but the cyclist hit her and was found at fault. I think that was last year. I don't have stats to back up [that cyclists are usually found at fault], but we're increasingly seeing that to be the case, yes.”
There is one exception however. If a careless driver opens their car door as a cyclist is riding past and the cyclist rides into it, “that's a statutory offence for the person opening the door,” says Jones. “I think it bears a maximum fine of £1,000 whether there's no damage or whether you've killed them as a consequence of them being knocked off their bike and landing into oncoming traffic, which has happened.” To avoid this, motorists are advised to do a ‘Dutch Reach’ and open doors with their left hand, forcing them to turn and see oncoming traffic, while cyclists are advised to ride further into the middle of the road.
Remember, you don’t need any training to ride a bike, though Cycling UK does recommend it, especially for children. Bikeability is a service which provides courses on important skills for cyclists and families and courses operate around the country. You can visit their website to find a course near you.
