Vehicular cycling

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Vehicular cycling, or VC, is the practice of driving bicycles on roads in a manner which is visible, predictable, and in accordance with the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic. Under the international Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968), a bicycle (or "cycle", as referenced by the convention) is defined to be a vehicle and a cyclist is considered to be a driver. In a minority of jurisdictions (the states of AZ, CA, IA, IL, IN, MN, NY in the USA[1]) a bicycle is legally defined as a "device" rather than as a vehicle, but in all cases operators of bicycles share a basic set of rights and responsibilities with operators of motor vehicles. Bicyclists, who do not pose an extraordinary danger to others, are not burdened with certain additional responsibilities placed on drivers of motor vehicles — for example, only motor vehicle operators are required to have a driver's license and, in some localities, carry liability insurance.

Sometimes vehicular cycling is referred to as integrated cycling (i.e. integrated with other vehicular traffic, as opposed to cycling on segregated cycling facilities ), integrated traffic cycling, cooperative cycling, or bicycle driving. For information about the relationship between vehicular cycling and bicycle lanes, please see the common misconceptions below.

Additional descriptions of vehicular cycling can be found by following the links below.

Contents

[edit] Principle

John Forester, a cycling transportation engineer,[2], has written that the principle of vehicular-cycling is: "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles".[3] This is coherent with the dictionary definition of bicycle: "a vehicle with ... pedals by which it is propelled ...".

Jeffrey A. Hiles, a Instructional Web Designer,[4] has written that vehicular-cycling is a philosophy.[5]

[edit] Origins of vehicular cycling

The origins of riding in accordance to vehicular rules of the road go back to the 19th century when bicycles were invented and began sharing the roads with other vehicles, such as wagons and buggies.

John Forester's book, Effective Cycling, is generally considered the primary modern reference work about vehicular cycling. Without using the term vehicular cycling per se, John Franklin does an excellent job describing it in his book, Cyclecraft.[6]

[edit] VC best practices, techniques and skills

A vehicular cyclist is a cyclist who generally travels within the roadway in accordance with the basic vehicular rules of the road that are shared by all drivers, and the most effective cycling practices. Primarily, this means:

  • Traveling on the same side of the road as other traffic traveling in the same direction.
  • Staying outside of the door zone; when passing a motor vehicle that is parked parallel to the road, no closer than the length of the door.
  • Respecting traffic controls such as yield signs, stop signs and traffic lights.
  • Between intersections and other junctions, choosing the appropriate lane or lateral position according to those rules of the road that are shared by all drivers
  • While preparing to turn or turning, choosing the appropriate lane or lateral position according to destination positioning.
  • Ignoring designated bicycle lane stripes when choosing where to travel on the pavement.
  • Changing lanes or lateral (left/right) position in response to, and in anticipation of, factors such as changing traffic conditions.
  • Using the full lane unless overtaking traffic is likely to be delayed and the marked traffic lane is wide enough to share.
  • When making a turn toward the inside of a road when multiple traffic lanes are marked, merging into the traffic in each lane while using negotiation with other drivers as required.
  • Generally feeling and acting like a vehicle driver, albeit the driver of a narrow and relatively low-powered vehicle.

While almost any cyclist is bound to ride "vehicularly" at least some of the time, few cyclists do so consistently[citation needed]. Some non-"VC" actions commonly taken by cyclists include:

  • Cycling on the opposite side of the road compared to other traffic traveling in the same direction.
  • Cycling in the door zone (many cyclists track their tires just outside of the door zone, apparently not realizing that their elbows or even handlebars are close enough to be struck by a suddenly opening door, possibly forcing the cyclist into traffic with little to no warning).
  • Cycling along sidewalks or crosswalks.
  • Running red lights.
  • Blatantly running stop signs (certain stop signs, particularly those in quiet neighborhoods, are routinely treated cautiously as yield signs by most vehicle drivers, including vehicular cyclists, though technically doing so is against the letter of the law). There are exceptions to this is some places. In Idaho, human powered vehicles are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs[1].
  • Going straight across at an intersection while positioned laterally for a turn.
  • Darting inward across the roadway from the outer edge of the road, instead of merging across one marked lane at a time.
  • Moving laterally without looking back and yielding to overtaking traffic that has the right of way.
  • Splitting marked lanes instead of taking a more predictable position within a lane.
  • While a traffic light is red, moving to the front of the traffic queue instead of taking one's place in line according to the first come, first served principle. (however a special privilege allows this in some places such as New South Wales, Australia)
  • Passing slow or stopped traffic on the out side.
  • Not merging out of a curbside bicycle lane when approaching a junction or intersection when the cyclist is going straight.
  • Traveling along the edge of a marked traffic lane that is too narrow to share side-by-side with a wider vehicle, thus encouraging drivers of overtaking wider vehicles to believe that the lane is wide enough to share.

[edit] Using the full lane

A bicyclist is using the full lane (also known as "taking the lane") when traveling along near the center of a marked travel lane instead of the side. Using the full lane normally precludes passing within the same lane by drivers of wide motor vehicles, while being positioned next to a lane line usually encourages such passing.

Vehicular cyclists commonly use the full lane under the following circumstances:

  • when there is a junction at which approaching or waiting traffic may turn or cross directly in front of the cyclist
  • when there is traffic approaching from the rear (to increase conspicuity),
  • when traveling at the normal speed of traffic at that time and place,
  • when the marked lane is too narrow to share comfortably with overtaking traffic,
  • when merging across a roadway in preparation for a turn across the opposing lanes,
  • when overtaking or passing another vehicle or cyclist,
  • or whenever the cyclist feels it increases his safety.

John Franklin advocates operating bicycles in accordance with the basic rules of the road for vehicle operation. Using terms such as primary riding position — meaning in the center of the traffic lane — and secondary riding position — meaning about 1 meter (3 feet) to the side of moving traffic, but not closer than .5 meters (1.5 feet) to the edge of the road, Franklin advocates the primary riding position as the normal position and the secondary riding position only when safe and reasonable to allow faster traffic to pass.

Vehicular cycling, including using the full lane when appropriate, is supported by traffic laws in most countries (California's Vehicle Code section 21202 is an example of this).

[edit] Destination and speed positioning

Vehicular cyclists and other drivers who are traveling in accordance to the vehicular rules of the road use speed positioning between intersections. When lanes are marked, slower drivers generally operate in the outermost travel lane. When lanes are not marked, slower drivers generally operate as far to the outside of the traveled way as is reasonably efficient and safe.

As drivers approach a junction of ways, destination positioning comes into play and they position themselves laterally according to their destination (left, straight or right):

  • Where lanes are marked, slower drivers approaching a junction should choose the outermost lane that serves (i.e., corresponds to) their destination. For example, if the outermost lane is turn-only lane, drivers in that lane who do not intend to turn outward should merge inward into the adjacent lane. Drivers of narrower vehicles should be careful about moving to the side of marked lanes when turning, as drivers of overtaking wider vehicles may be tempted to share the lane during the turn.
  • When lanes are not marked, drivers approaching a junction will travel along the inside of their side of the road if turning toward the inside, along the outer side if turning to the outside, and in between if going straight.

The best rules of the road allow any slower driver (including vehicular cyclists) to establish the center of the outermost marked lane (between the left and right tracks of wider vehicles) as their default or primary position. When traffic is:

  • overtaking and will likely be significantly delayed while waiting to pass without that travel lane, and
  • the lane can be efficiently and safely shared with that traffic,

then the polite driver moves over in the secondary position close to the outer edge of that lane. In general, drivers are more visible and predictable in the primary position than when they are traveling along in the secondary position.

[edit] Looking back

The trivial sounding skill of looking back over one's shoulder is essential whenever a cyclist needs to:

  1. check that moving laterally or turning will not violate the right-of-way of someone who is overtaking
  2. broadcast the cyclist's desire (to move laterally or turn) to other road users so that they can better predict the cyclist's path
  3. see if someone who's overtaking is about to make a mistake and violate their right-of-way

Looking back is usually visible enough that it can suffice as a signal that the cyclist wishes to move or turn in the direction of the look. A sustained look back increases the odds that the signal will be noticed. Compared to hand signaling, looking back has the advantage of allowing the cyclist to keep both hands on the handlebars. Some jurisdictions, however, mandate that bicyclists use hand signals before moving laterally or turning.

Looking back can be challenging to perform: it requires traveling in a straight line while looking behind for up to a few seconds. The natural tendency is to not continue in a straight line, but to turn the bike in the same direction as the look. The tendency to turn can be countered with practice. The more often looking back is done, the more comfortable and effortless it will become.

Special mirrors are available for mounting on a cyclist's helmet, eyeglass, or handlebar. Such mirrors enable the cyclist - with practice - to check for overtaking traffic with less effort. Another advantage is that the check can be accomplished more quickly, reducing the amount of time the cyclist isn't watching where they're going. Although such mirrors are small in size, the mounting is so close to the eye that the field of view can approach that of an automotive rear-view mirror. However, the field of view is usually still limited enough that looking back remains an essential skill for vehicular cycling.

Even with its limitations, mirrors are regarded as an important or even critical piece of safety equipment by some cyclists. Others value mirrors more as a means to avoid the shock of being surprised by high-speed traffic passing from behind.

[edit] Negotiation

The concept of negotiation is an important part of traversing across one or more lanes of traffic. The basic idea is to negotiate for the right-of-way in the adjacent lane, move into that lane, and then repeat the process for any additional lanes. This is an important vehicular cycling skill because it allows the cyclist to merge in with the flow of other traffic instead of cutting across at a right-angle (as a pedestrian would).

The first step in traversing across a lane is looking back for traffic that may be overtaking in that lane. When there is such traffic, the cyclist needs to either wait until that traffic has either passed or explicitly yielded the right-of-way (by slowing down to let the cyclist in). Simply looking back is often all that is required to signal the cyclist's intent, but sometimes a hand signal is helpful in getting overtaking traffic to yield right-of-way. Once right-of-way has been acquired in the adjacent lane, the second step is for the cyclist to move into that lane.

If there is another lane to traverse, the cyclist repeats the steps until there are no more lanes to traverse. The key to the process is that the cyclist merges into traffic lanes as per the rules of the road, one lane at a time.

[edit] The vehicular cycling attitude

In the end, VC is as much about attitude as anything else. Without the VC attitude, no matter the skills, one cannot ride in traffic vehicularly. One really must believe, deep down, that as a cyclist he is a vehicle driver -- that he has the same rights as other vehicle drivers and that it is safe and not discourteous to assert those rights -- before he can act as a vehicle driver. Acting as a vehicle driver is a critical prerequisite to being treated as one (if one does not act as a vehicle driver, he certainly won't be treated as one).

[edit] Common misconceptions about vehicular cycling

There is considerable confusion expressed about the meaning of vehicular cycling. Among these, are:

[edit] "VC is cycling as if you're a car"

Some people mistakenly describe VC as, "cycling as if you're a car". But bicycles are not cars, and the vehicular rules of the road apply to not just cars, but all kinds of vehicles, from horse and buggies to tractor trailers, and everything in between, including bicycles. Some rules have more relevance to drivers of some vehicles than to others because of unique physical and operational characteristics of some vehicles. For example, because of the narrow nature of motorcycles, motorcyclists can often share (split) lanes that are too narrow for two standard width vehicles to share. This is also true for bicyclists, whose vehicles also have the narrow characteristic. Truck drivers require special training, as do bus and taxi drivers, and motorcyclists. Some people advocate special training for cyclists to learn vehicular cycling, such as the Effective Cycling program. One of the main vehicular rules that has special application to cyclists riding on roadways is that drivers of slower vehicles should keep to the side (when safe and reasonable) between intersections, though many people forget that at intersections and their approaches lane position should be selected according to destination.

[edit] "VC is needlessly blocking cars"

Cyclists who ride in the center of a lane needlessly impeding faster traffic are sometimes mistakenly referred to as vehicular cyclists; yet by definition a cyclist who needlessly impedes faster traffic is violating the vehicular rules of the road and is hence not riding vehicularly.

[edit] "VC means not riding in bicycle lanes"

Another misconception about VC -- that riding in a bicycle lane is contrary to the principles of VC -- probably stems from a misunderstanding of John Forester's teachings about bicycle lanes. Forester has written that Effective Cycling does not train a cyclist to avoid riding in a bicycle lane, but rather to choose their lateral position as if the bicycle lane stripe is not there. Cyclists who end up in a bicycle lane should be extra cautious with regard to people who look for vehicles only in the traffic lanes, the road debris that tends to accumulate there, and avoiding crossing the solid stripe without first yielding to other traffic.

Also, while many VC advocates oppose bike lanes, what they actually oppose is the bike lane stripe, not the space demarcated by the stripe. Nor do they oppose riding in that space (whether it is demarcated or not) when safe, reasonable and appropriate to do so for the current factors and conditions. The opposition to the stripe is based on the widespread perception that the demarcated "bike lane" space is where cyclists "should" ride regardless of current factors and conditions.

[edit] "VC means you have to follow the letter of the law"

To understand vehicular cycling, it is important to fully comprehend the subtle but significant distinction between the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic and the laws which regulate driving in a given jurisdiction. Vehicular cycling is based on the principles, not the laws.

To illustrate the distinction between these two concepts, consider the principle that vehicles should always travel within the portion of the road intended for the movement of vehicular traffic (a.k.a. the Traveled Way[7]). Now consider those laws which prohibit drivers of a particular class of vehicle (bicyclists) from traveling within the Traveled Way when a path (such as a sidewalk) exists along side.[8] Notice the difference between principle and law in this example.

John Forester illustrated the distinction in another way when he wrote about turn signals:

"The law about making turn signals differs from state to state, and has differed from time to time. The principle is that any driver who will be affected by the movement should be informed of your intended movement. However, the implementations of that principle differ."

The principles of driving require that a driver signal those who will likely be affected by a change in the movement of the driver's vehicle. If a look back meets this requirement when merging, then that is all which is required of a vehicular cyclist. While the law may require cyclists to use their arms to signal, the principle does not dictate that a vehicular cyclist must do so. Vehicular cycling requires sound judgment in the application of the principles of driving, not blind compliance with the law.

[edit] Alternatives to vehicular cycling

An alternative to vehicular cycling is pedestrian cycling, or cycling according to the pedestrian rules of the road. This means riding on sidewalks, crosswalks and paths at pedestrian speeds. It is important to be aware that the use of footpaths or sidewalks by cyclists is forbidden in many countries. In addition, where such activities are illegal, cyclists may be held totally liable for any injuries to other parties or damage to property resulting from such behaviour. Cycling experts contend that while pedestrian cycling can be accomplished safely, one should be aware of the peculiar hazards associated with this activity, including but not limited to:

  • Opening passenger-side doors.
  • Pedestrians, dogs, children playing, etc.
  • Potential conflicts with other vehicles at all intersections, including driveways and alleys as well as major intersections.
  • Entering crosswalks, where drivers turning into your path are often looking the other way.

Some cyclists routinely operate not in accordance with either the vehicular or pedestrian system. Car-bike collision statistics indicate that such cyclists are particularly vulnerable.

Many cyclists use a combination of vehicular and pedestrian cycling. This approach has the drawback that extra care must be taken when transitioning from one mode to the other, since transitioning often leads to actions not expected by others. In particular, during a transition, a cyclist must yield the right-of-way to both pedestrians and vehicle drivers.

A common type of cycling that is non-vehicular is where the cyclist's primary goal is to stay out of the way of same-direction motor traffic. Many cyclists think they are vehicular cyclists because they generally obey the law, but they're not, because they fall into this category. These are the cyclists who go straight across an intersection from the outside edge of the road, who make inside turns only when it's clear (don't bother negotiating) by darting straight across the road during a gap, or resorting to pedestrian-style turns when no gaps are to be had, who eschew streets with narrow outside lanes whenever possible (and, thus, where there is no room to be "out of the way"), etc...

[edit] Education

In addition to reading about vehicular cycling in textbooks, a cyclist can participate in training courses offered by organizations such as the League of American Bicyclists and the Canadian Cycling Association.[9]

Another source for education regarding the basics of vehicular cycling is John S. Allen's pamphlet, Bicycling Street Smarts, available for free on his website (see below).

[edit] Advocacy

Advocates of vehicular cycling such as John Forester, John Franklin and John S. Allen argue that cycling in accordance to the vehicular rules of the road is the safest and most effective means to use a bicycle for transportation.

Some VC advocates contend that cyclists should only ride vehicularly, believing that non-vehicular cycling is not only less safe, but leads to less societal acceptance of cyclists who do cycle vehicularly.

Some VC advocates oppose segregated cycling facilities like bike lanes because they inhibit and discourage cycling integrated with other vehicular traffic.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Sturges, Al (1997). The Bicycle as Vehicle. League of Illinois Bicyclists. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
  2. ^ Jack Taylor. A Brief Biography of John Forester. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
  3. ^ Forester, John (1977). Effective Cycling Instructor's Manual (PDF). John Forester. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
  4. ^ Jeffrey A. Hiles. JEFF HILES. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
  5. ^ Jeffrey A. Hiles (1996). The Ideal: Vehicular Cycling. Listening to Bike Lanes. Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
  6. ^ Franklin, John [1997] (05 2004). Cyclecraft. Stationery Office Books. ISBN 0-11-702051-6. Retrieved on September 19, 2006. 
  7. ^ Traveled Way definition. MUTCD Chapter 1A. FHWA (2003). Retrieved on April 24, 2006.
  8. ^ Sidepaths. Engineering and Planning : Sidepaths. Bicycle Transportation Institute (2002). Retrieved on April 24, 2006.
  9. ^ CCA bicycle education and safety. CAN-BIKE PROGRAM. Canadian Cycling Association. Retrieved on April 24, 2006.

[edit] See also

[edit] Bibliography

  • Effective Cycling by John Forester (First edition, 1976; Sixth edition, The MIT Press, 1993) ISBN 0-262-56070-4

[edit] References

Utility cycling
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Road cycling | Segregated cycle facilities | Vehicular cycling | Bicycle commuting
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