Comments on: Be unpredictable. Your life may just depend upon it. http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2006/12/19/be-unpredictable-your-life-may-just-depend-upon-it/ The BTA : Opening minds and roads to bicycling Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:58:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Curt Dewees http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2006/12/19/be-unpredictable-your-life-may-just-depend-upon-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1599 Curt Dewees Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:25:45 +0000 http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2006/12/19/be-unpredictable-your-life-may-just-depend-upon-it/#comment-1599 The items mentioned here do provide some interesting food for thought; however, I think that encouraging cyclists to "go out and be unpredictable" isn't the best advice I've ever heard. Riding unpredictably is one of the biggest complaints that we hear from motorists. (weaving in and out of lanes, disregarding traffic signals, not signalling turns, not riding in a straight line, etc.) If we really want to integrate bicycles into our transportation system as an equal and fully accepted mode, then intentionally behaving in a way that tends to piss off motorists may not be the most effective, long-term strategy. I also believe that by riding predictably, holding a straight line, taking the lane when necessary, signalling turns in advance, observiing traffic signals, and wearing a helmet are actually all safer behaviors for cyclists than not doing those things. Go out and be predictable. Your life may just depend upon it. The items mentioned here do provide some interesting food for thought; however, I think that encouraging cyclists to "go out and be unpredictable" isn't the best advice I've ever heard. Riding unpredictably is one of the biggest complaints that we hear from motorists. (weaving in and out of lanes, disregarding traffic signals, not signalling turns, not riding in a straight line, etc.)

If we really want to integrate bicycles into our transportation system as an equal and fully accepted mode, then intentionally behaving in a way that tends to piss off motorists may not be the most effective, long-term strategy.

I also believe that by riding predictably, holding a straight line, taking the lane when necessary, signalling turns in advance, observiing traffic signals, and wearing a helmet are actually all safer behaviors for cyclists than not doing those things.

Go out and be predictable. Your life may just depend upon it.

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