Turning left by bike: a tricky maneuver
Around one sixth of the 24,000 bicycle accidents on the roads each year are collisions. Failure to yield the right of way and turning left are particularly dangerous. Training, anticipatory riding and mutual consideration can reduce the likelihood of injury.
According to Suva, of the approximately 24,000 bicycle accidents on the roads each year, around 4,000 are collisions. In more than half of the serious collisions involving cyclists, the main cause is failure to yield the right of way. The majority of the collision opponents are passenger cars. Such accidents can end in serious injuries for cyclists. These often result in 90 or more days of lost work. The most common injuries in serious bicycle collision accidents are fractures to the upper extremities and spine (39 %) and skull / brain injuries (10 %). According to Suva, March and September are the months with the highest proportion of collisions involving bicycles.
Avoiding accidents through correct turning and lane entry
Collisions can be avoided by turning correctly and/or riding through a traffic circle. Yet turning left with a bicycle in traffic is a challenging maneuver. "First of all, take a look back, give hand signals at an early stage, then consistently lane in towards the central reservation and only turn when there is sufficient distance to approaching vehicles, while keeping an eye on oncoming traffic at the same time - this is how a correct maneuver when turning with a bicycle works," explains Sandra Kammermann from Suva. This requires multitasking and full attention. When going through a traffic circle, it is also important that the bicycle takes the place in the middle of the lane and crosses the traffic circle that way. "Clearly signaling where you want to go is even more important here, so that the cyclist is not pushed to the edge of the traffic circle," confirms Sandra Kammermann. In addition, adherence to traffic rules and respectful interaction between all road users help to avoid accidents - regardless of the power and size of the vehicle.
Driving skills can be trained
According to Suva, most collision accidents occur from Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 09:00 and between 17:00 and 19:00. During heavy traffic, cyclists are even more challenged. The dynamics in case of misbehavior of a road user is mostly to the disadvantage of the bicycles. For this reason, it is worthwhile to practice turning left in advance on roads with less heavy traffic. "The tricky and demanding left turn requires not only good balance but also the presence of the other senses. Hearing in particular helps me to hear an approaching vehicle early on. This allows me to react earlier and better. Before it becomes too much of a challenge, I recommend practicing turning left on a side road with little traffic," says Sandra Kammermann.
Source: Suva
