All drivers are likely aware of the phrase “share the road” but few know the rules of the road for vehicles and cyclists and how to effectively do so. INFINITI OF DENVER wants our drivers to coexist with cyclists to prevent accidents and injury and to help you avoid being ticketed for not following certain vehicle/cyclist road rules.
- First, Stay in Your Lane!
The simplest tip to effectively coexist with cyclists is also the most obvious: don’t drive in the bike lane! Bike lanes are designed to give cyclists and drivers their own separate areas for each other’s safety, but drivers will often cut into the bike line, intentionally or unintentionally, to pass another vehicle, momentarily park, or give themselves more space. While it may seem trivial to just cut into the bike lane on occasion, it’s not a good habit to develop. Depending on the design of the road there could be a cyclist just over the hill or just around a bend that you’d have to swerve to avoid, risking your safety, their safety, and the safety of the other drivers on the road. Most accidents are caused when a driver doesn’t notice a cyclist and simply avoiding the bike lane in the first place can help you avoid an accident. This holds true especially at night considering over half of all bicycle accidents happen when it’s dark outside.
- Passing Cyclists While Ensuring Safety
Passing cyclists while ensuring yours and their safety requires you to always pass on the left when traffic in the next lane over is clear. This requires patience so some drivers may need to adjust their attitude and remember the cyclist is also a person with their own right to the road. When passing cyclists, aggressive or impatient drivers will need to find a way to motivate themselves to give cyclists the room they need to stay safe on the road. Cyclists should be using hand signals to alert those around them when they are turning – a left arm extended straight out signals a left turn and either a partially raised left arm or a right arm extended straight out signals a right turn – so pay attention to these as well. Cyclists should also signal when they’re stopping or slowing down by extending an arm towards the ground. For a visual reference, consult page 10 of the Colorado Bicycling Manual.
- Stay Alert
You should especially be aware and alert in urban areas, as there are already a number of distractions and oftentimes no bicycle lanes. Denver, Colorado is quite the bike friendly city and that won’t be changing anytime soon, so it’s good to familiarize yourself with the rules of the road for both cyclists and vehicles to ensure your safety and cyclist safety.
INFINITI Safety Features
Obviously, the rules above will improve your summer cyclist awareness, but to sweeten the deal even more, INFINITI also boasts a range of safety features that ensure an even safer commute for those in and outside the vehicle.
- With Forward Emergency Breaking, you can rely on your INFINITI to detect potential frontal collisions and brake in emergency situations.
- With Steering Assist features and the innovative Lane Departure Warning, your INFINITI will correct itself by centering the vehicle in its lane to avoid drifting.
- Your INFINITI may even include the Around View® Monitor which provides a 360 degree view of the car and its surroundings so you can stay aware of objects all around you.
We invite you to come experience the difference at INFINITI OF DENVER and shop our selection of new 2022 INFINITI models. Contact our sales experts or shop our safe, luxury vehicles online and experience the difference!
