Experienced Cyclists Make Better Drivers
 

Have fewer accidents and tickets than your friends and relatives? Well duh. I haven’t had an accident since 1977 and that was on black ice.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlton...h=2c0ef4596f6c

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/...rding-science/

should we hit up our auto auto insurers for discounts?

I think my bicyclist paranoia reflexes saved me and my family (including mother and pregnant wife and then 2 year old) from a deadly head-on collision. I instinctively look for exit strategies and escape routes when I am riding or driving. I wound up on some hapless woman's garden when I got off the road just in time to avoid getting hit at high velocity by an intoxicated speeding driver. I doubt I would have done that without the bicyclist death evasion skill-set.

When I'm driving, I'm always consciously trying to keep a little close to the centerline, watching for cyclists and/or pedestrians.

I find myself drafting vehicles in front...

I practice Bicycular Driving by Taking The Lane.

Effective Motoring
 

Motorists fare best when they are trained as cyclists or motorcyclists.

It could also be the other way around. Or somewhere in balance between the two, like "thoughtful vehicle operators are thoughtful on any vehicle" ... correlation vs causality, yada yada.

I'm going to agree with this one ^. Thoughtful, alert and well trained drivers are among the best drivers. The other factor is likely innate spatial and hand-eye coordination abilities.

I'm also going to agree that being an experienced road cyclist (if you are already a thoughtful, alert and capable driver) will make you a better driver when sharing the road with bicycle riders.

"Hit up" your insurance company with the information cited in your posted URL's and good luck with getting a discount based on that information and your enthusiasm for bicycling. The only auto insurance broker mentioned in the Forbes article is Chris Knott Insurance located in the UK. Nothing is mentioned on that company's web site about a discount for bicyclists but there is for being a member of a car club or car forum. Maybe you can try hitting up your insurance company for a discount if you are a member of a car club.

You probably will have better luck getting a discount if you can cite low annual mileage readings on your car's odometer, regardless if it was due to bicycling or any other reason for reducing your car's annual mileage.

experienced people make better drivers

I have found that training from my motorcycle license has been helpful. Especially the rule of "assume no one sees you".

Having to be constantly on alert when you're on a bike transfer over to being in a car as well, and that alone makes you a better driver.

I disagree.

On a bike you know you're very vulnerable so you have a heightened situational awareness. In a car you're encased in 3500# of metal and cruising along listening to the radio and talking on the phone.

But when I see cyclists, I swing wide to the left to give them plenty of room. And/or a "friendly" toot of the horn to let them know i'm behind them.

I ride my bicycle so much that when I rarely drive my car these days I tell myself “ok don’t forget you’re driving a car today”

Fixed it.

Do you use your phone when in the car? Even with hands free, its still distracted driving.

Everyone "thinks" they're the best driver. Just ask my 88 year old mom.

What does you family think? Does your wife reach for the phantom brake pedal?

Everybody who thinks they are a better driver, for whatever reason, should "hit up" their insurance agent for discounts, maybe some agents will be persuaded by the self praise to offer a discount on their car insurance rates.:rolleyes:

This makes a huge difference. As does telling the insurer that you will use the car to go to and from work as opposed to just pleasure use.

About 5 years ago I was talking to a neighbor who was a higher level guy with one of the name brand insurers (the company I use). I asked him why the cost of coverage for my 911 was higher than one of our cars that cost half as much, and his response was that owners of high end cars are rated better because they are more likely to be more careful when they drive in order to avoid damage to the car. Often thought that was interesting when I was out for a "spirited" drive.

Just don't try it if your policy is bundled with some life insurance.

Lol! The answer is yes. Until a year ago, I drove a 3,000 lb sports car with very good carbon/ceramic brakes. She was always hitting the phantom brake as we approached stop signs. She never could understand how that thing stopped in much shorter distances than her SUV. If I had braked like she expected, we would have stopped 50 yards short of the intersection.

I do not use my phone when in the car. When driving I am focused on the road, scanning constantly for hazards in front of me and monitoring traffic behind and beside me--exactly what I do on my bike. I don't know what you do and I can't speak for everyone else here, hence why I 'fixed' my original comment.

Yes, everyone thinks he/she is a good driver, and everyone thinks that everyone else is a bad one. But there are actually good drivers out there.

I haven't ridden a motorcycle in years, but I have the impression that some of my training and experience from that still influences my automobile driving.

I think the one I notice the most is the "left turning car" warning that goes off in my head when I see an oncoming vehicle where the driver appears to want to make a left turn.

You honk at cyclists??

I "toot" and a good distance back if i feel it's needed... like if the rider is not holding a line.

I DO NOT sneak up and blast my horn. I might be a dick on the interweb but, i'm not one when it comes to safety.

There's a HUGE difference between a toot and honking.

For several years I rode with a club and of course, pace lines were a big part of every ride. I apply the same principles to driving. Don’t do anything quick or unexpected. When slowing, slow gradually. Always look far ahead regardless of who is ahead of you to better anticipate potential issues. Signal to others hazards so they can react appropriately ( in my vehicles, when I see stopped traffic ahead on a two lane highway going I will momentarily use my emergency flashers <like Europeans do> to alert others I will be coming to a full stop). I don’t tailgate so that if I need to stop quickly, the inattentive car in back doesn’t pile into me (yeah, I know pace lines suck wheels but I also know who I am riding with). I try to be courteous and defensive even when driving rather spiritedly in my sports car.