6 Myths About Commuting By Bicycle

Reader Comments
Back to blog

The figure of 24% of fatal bike accidents involving an intoxicated rider caught my eye. Maybe it's an urban legend or a stereotype, but I have heard that many former drivers who have lost their drivers licenses for DUI use bikes. Do the fatality statistics include data on whether the rider had a drivers license? If that data is included, does it also indicate whether the rider's license had been suspended or revoked, or whether the rider had no record of being licensed? I bike to work 80% of the week and have for 10 years, but I have not seen any riders who were obviously intoxicated. Of course my trips are made during daylight, which would probably reduce the total number of intoxicated riders on the road. Any thoughts?

mike stuckey of FL 3:52PM February 03, 2013

I cycle 10 miles to work nearly every day, do not have access to a shower, and it's ok. Shower before, use deodorant, and don't overdress, and you are fine. Get to work, strip off the slightly sweaty clothes, hang where they can dry, and change into work clothes. No big deal, and no, I don't have BO.
Serious commuting by bike did require getting some proper gear. Main things were some good lighting--front and back, and reflective outer clothing. For lights, I use a front hub generator wired to a powerful LED headlight mounted to my front rack, with a battery-powered flasher on the rear. The setup gives me motorcycle-quality lighting and I'm well-seen by passing drivers. Fenders keep me and my bike's drivetrain clean when riding in rain. I use the type that come to within a few inches of the ground in front. Short front fenders are near-useless. Topped off with a good helmet and eye protection, and I'm good. Gives me about 400 miles of exercise a month, saves a ton on gasoline, and maintains good health.

Paul Ahart of WA 9:29AM January 27, 2013

i took the effective cycling course after i had member of the charles river wheelmen for 7 years. the course taught the theory behind the type of riding i learned w/ the club, that that is the safest riding. effective cycling gave the confidence to take a full lane if the traffic is too heavy. i do signal to cars behind to wait, most seem to be cool about this. my father was not a dumb man & he bicycle toured in the u.k. after the war, he told to ride against traffic whic was the wrong advice. recently i saw 2 young girls try ride against traffic on the very narrow jamaicaway. when traffic moved they had top pull of the road. in this location was a wide path physicaly seperate from the road & they were not using it. the only tims i ride on the jamaicaway is cape in a day, boston to provinctown in one day, leaving before dawn & i am w/ a club.
narrow jamaicaway, when traffic came against them they had to pull of the road. in this location was a wide sidepath physically seperated from the road & they were not using it. about the only times i ride ther jamaicaway is with traffic before dawn with a club. cape
in a day, boston to cape cod in one day & come

jacek rudowski of MI 1:24AM September 08, 2010

I have been commuting 2-3 days a week in suburban CT for a couple of years now and it has been such a pleasure. I would like to echo the comments about "taking the lane" in high traffic areas. For the last mile of my 5 mile commute I am in "town traffic" with lots of mommies in Suburbans who simply do not SEE me. When I'm in town, I just ride right in the middle of the road, avoiding opening car doors or being clipped on the shoulder of the road. Traffic speed through main streets of suburban towns is not supposed to exceed 25 MPH anyway so if those motorists complain, mention the speed limit. Above all enjoy, and just take a few extra minutes to be safe in traffic...it's a lifesaver...literally.

Pam of CT 8:04AM August 10, 2010

After the oil spill in the Gulf, how can one still debate on riding a bike vs driving a car.
I have been commuting to work by bike more than 20 years in a crowded metro area. I had to face almost 2 million motorists every morning. Each one of these 2 million so called motorists racing against each other 60 to 80 miles an hour in a 5000 pounds of metal and hardened plastic structure, after each driver being hyped and aggrevated by putting down several cups of coffee and rushing to make it to work before the boss. No wonder almost 45,000 people die every year in car accidents (almost equivalent to the number of lives we lost in Vietnam war). This is pure collective madness.

avni of MD 11:28AM May 22, 2010

Kim, the speed limit on normal roads is a maximum speed, not a minimum (as many drivers seem to treat it). And the non-bike lanes are not "car lanes." For one, even if there is a usable shoulder or bike lane, cyclists must move to the left turn lane just as any other vehicle in order to make a left turn. Please be patient.

Berlinetta of KY 6:17AM May 22, 2010

I have bike commuted over 10,000 in the past decade, and I ride the shoulder -- when there is one -- on straight stretches of road. However, at intersections, I merge into the traffic lane and take my turn with the rest of the vehicles in order to avoid the 'right hook' of a car passing me on the shoulder then turning right. Cyclists (and cars) can co-exist. Yes, cyclists are slower vehicles than cars in most cases, but in high urban density with many traffic lights, even if a bike can't accelerate to 25 as fast as a car, it can make it to the next light that's still red while the car that drove there is waiting.
If there is no shoulder, I will "take the lane". Most of those roads are either four lanes, giving vehicles a passing lane, or lower traffic. Either way, cars are free to pass when it's safe. I don't know a single state where bicycles are not treated as cars for the purpose of traffic laws. Cyclists should respect traffic signals, and vehicles should respect bicycles.
And if you're one of those drivers fuming as you are "stuck" behind a cyclist, please remember, it's one less car on the road, and in just a minute or two, there will be an opportunity to pass safely.

Geoff Hazel of WA 3:38AM May 22, 2010

I've bike-commuted about 50,000 miles and haven't had what I would call a single life threatening close call. As a helicopter pilot, I've been trained to figure out how to turn an otherwise risky endavor into a relatively safe one. Cycling is the same. Use your head and figure out every way someone could run you over, then stay out of those situations.
For example:
People think you are going much slower, so they will pass to get to their turn and then turn right in front of you.
People don't expect you to come from bike paths, they are looking for traffic on the road. Bee seen and be predictable.
Look out for tow ropes, and road debris, oil slicks, loose gravel or sand, drainage grates, etc.
USE BRIGHT LIGHTS! They are uber cheap now.
Most cycling fatalities are at night (most of these are alcohol related - read drunks who lost thier license). Sadly many are kids. My big beef with bike helmet pushers is that this gives kids a false sense of security. Your brain will do a far better job of saving you than a styrofoam hat to put it in.
The fatality numbers for adult cyclists are much much lower.
By cycling you make it safer for kids to bike. The main facotr in how safe an area is to cycle is the number of cyclists.

Robert of FL 1:26AM May 22, 2010

If you can't keep to the speed limit, stay out of the car lanes. Why create a hazard for people around you. Use the shoulder or a bicycle lane. Duh!

Kim of MN 12:17AM May 22, 2010

I'd like to see some serious, hard stats about crimes affecting cyclists. I live/work/commute in Baltimore, and this issue is at least as serious to me as traffic-related safety. Many days I'd love to ride, but I've been bike-jacked once, 'menaced' a multiple of times, and I don't have a carry permit (nor would I view that as the solution--note to the sarcasm-challenged, tongue is firmly planted in cheek). But I'm surprised MD ranked as high on the list (#11) as it did; this article should describe in some detail how the rankings were arrived at. I feel pretty safe in the mornings, even in the dark (I light myself up like a bad x-mas display), but in the PM, when the junkies are out looking for a way to fund their next fix, I hafta confess that I often retreat to the safety of a cage.

T of MD 4:51PM May 21, 2010