How to safely pass a cyclist

From our friends at Trek

There are plenty of distractions to today’s drivers, but a safe driver must keep focus on the road. A car traveling the speed limit can easily be going up to four times the speed of a cyclist. A driver needs to always be aware, especially as the weather turns warm, so they have time to identify and react to cyclists in a safe and thoughtful manner.

To safely pass a cyclist a driver must:

Adjust speed.

The driver may need to adjust speed during the pass and must also be conscious of vehicles in other lanes as well as oncoming traffic. Passing a cyclist at high speeds increases the chances of crashes for the drivers and cyclists.

Never pass a cyclist on hills, curves or in turns.

Cyclists may be headed straight, or have to turn into the road to avoid grates and pedestrians. Also, on hills or curves, wait until you have clear sight lines, just as you would when passing another vehicle. In most states, you can cross the center line if needed to pass safely.

Give cyclists space.

Leave at least three feet of space, the minimum legally required by many states. It leaves room for riders to get around debris if needed without veering into you.

Be patient.

Honking or yelling can scare a cyclist, causing them to slow down or crash into you. Neither will make getting around them easier.

All in all, it's a really simple process as long as the driver is paying full attention to the road so that they can see the cyclist, establish a safe place to pass them, and be aware of all road users.