AI 速览
- Take the lane when the lane is too narrow to share safely — a door's width plus a buffer is the minimum distance from parked cars.
- The door zone, roughly one metre from parked vehicles, is where most urban cyclist fatalities happen; ride outside it every time.
- At intersections, claim the centre of the lane — it makes your line predictable and blocks the right-hook pass.
- Eye contact is not a contract. Assume every driver will turn across you until their vehicle has physically stopped.
/ 01
Why the curb is the wrong instinct
Most new cyclists gravitate to the curb, believing they are being polite and staying out of the way. The curb is in fact the most dangerous place to ride. It puts you in the door zone of parked cars, in the debris field where glass and nails collect, and encourages drivers to attempt unsafe same-lane passes.
The safer position is further left — far enough that a driver must actually change lanes to pass, or at minimum leave the full statutory passing distance. Riding a metre or more from the curb feels exposed at first. It is, statistically, the position most likely to get you home.
/ 02
The door zone and how to clear it
Dooring is one of the most common and most deadly urban crashes: a parked driver opens a door directly into a passing cyclist's path. The cyclist either hits the door, swerves left into traffic, or goes over the top.
The rule is simple: ride at least one metre (a full door's width) outside any parked car, even if that means taking the travel lane. Look for occupied cars — a driver behind the wheel, a tail light, an opening that just closed. Slow down when the curb is full of parked cars; a single inattentive opening changes everything.
Lane position by road context
| Road context | Recommended position | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow lane (<3.5 m) | Centre of lane (take it) | Forces a clean lane change to pass |
| Wide lane (4 m+) | 1 m left of curb | Allows safe pass without door-zone risk |
| Line of parked cars | 1 m outside doors | Eliminates dooring risk |
| Right-turn lane approach | Centre of lane | Blocks right-hook passes |
| Roundabout | Centre of lane | Prevents side-by-side conflict |
/ 03
Taking the lane — when and how
Taking the lane means riding in the centre of the travel lane, deliberately. It is not aggressive; it is the correct position whenever the lane is too narrow to share, whenever you are moving at traffic speed, or whenever the alternative places you in a door zone.
Check over your shoulder, signal if you have time, and move smoothly to the centre. Hold it until the hazard is past, then move left again. If a queue builds behind you on a narrow road, that is the road's problem — not yours.
/ 04
Intersection positioning
Intersections are where the right-hook (a car turning right across you) and the left-cross (an oncoming car turning left across your path) happen. Both are predictable. Both are preventable.
At any intersection, move towards the centre of your lane well before the junction. This forces drivers behind you to commit to a position — they cannot slide up your inside to turn right across you. Make eye contact with oncoming drivers waiting to turn left; if you cannot see their face, assume they have not seen you.
/ 05
Eye contact, signals and assertion
Communication buys you space. A clear hand signal, a steady line, and a glance at a driver are the three cheapest safety investments you will ever make.
But eye contact is not a contract. Drivers look through cyclists all the time. Treat every vehicle as if it is about to do the wrong thing, and you will rarely be disappointed in the right way.
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