Community Developments

Every day, we interact with each other on our region’s roads in a variety of ways: as pedestrians in crosswalks, as cyclists merging from a bike lane, as drivers approaching a busy intersection, as buses pulling away from a bus stop.  As more people chose to use alternative transportation to get around, these kinds of interactions are only going to grow in number and variety – making it very important for everyone on our roads to practice safe habits.

While it might be easy to develop a long list of everyone’s rights and responsibilities based on what mode they are using, there is one Golden Rule of transportation safety they everyone can live by: Be Predictable.

What does that mean? Here are two easy tips:

• If you’re on a bicycle: Behave like a motor vehicle. This means remaining in your lane as much as possible, signaling before changing lanes or turning at intersections, and not weaving from lane to lane or around slower moving vehicles, such as traffic at a stoplight. It also means staying in the road as much as possible and not riding on the sidewalk. Riding on the sidewalk might seem like a safer option, but entering intersections from sidewalks – where drivers are not looking for you - is one of the leading cause of bicycle/automobile accidents.

• If you’re in a car: Sometimes, drivers – with the best of intentions – may stop in the middle of the street to let a pedestrian cross, or wave a bicycle through an intersection out of turn. While this might seem polite, it can actually be quite dangerous. For example, even if you stop to let a pedestrian cross when there is no stop sign or crosswalk, cars coming the other direction may not, or a car waiting behind you may grow impatient and think you are turning and zip around you. Similarly, when you wave a bicyclist through an intersection out of turn, you may be putting that cyclist in danger – particularly if the cyclist is not clear of your intentions because a tinted window or bright reflection is obscuring your kind gesture. Be predictable by stopping only at appropriate intersections and crosswalks, and moving through intersections when it’s your turn, regardless of what other vehicle may be waiting.

When everyone behaves predictably, every person on the road knows what to expect from – and how to react to – their fellow road users. Help make our roads safer by taking the guesswork out of using them!

Interested in ways to get around Roanoke other than driving? Register with RIDE Solutions for a carpool match, information on safe cycling routes, and more.