It's better to be alive, than right!

The rules of the road are either misunderstood or ignored when it comes to bicycles vs. cars vs. pedestrians. After going out for a short ride this saying rang true to me once again. It seems as if we are invisible to a lot of people that we share the road with. Just because you may be right may put you in a situation that is best avoided in the first place.

So how can we avoid this? One thing I learn during my motorcycle days is always watch the front tire of cars. Why the front tire? It will more often then not show the truth of the car you are looking at. A right directional, eye contact with the driver, a car at a stop sign, if taken at face value is really meaningless. Yet when you see the front tire of a car turning left while the directional is blinking right, what will you believe? You make eye contact with a driver (or so you think) yet the front tire is still rolling what will you trust? For me it has always been the front tire rule and it has saved me countless times on my bicycle. So next time your are on the road (even if you are in your car or walking) keep an eye on the front tires and you will see what I mean.

Also, while we are talking about safety,  take a look at bicyclesafe.com and revisit what we all should have learned as kids.