Defensive riding - how not to die (or get seriously injured)

Constant flow of news about fatal crashes with cars has gotten me fairly contemplative about my vulnerability on the roads as someone who is out on busy roads on a bike every single day. Not sure if a thread exists but thought I'd get one going about all the things people do to minimise the risk of getting in incidents owing to others' stupidity, or your own carelessness.

I'll start a list of things that I've learned the hard way, in no order of importance:

1. Look behind and in front of you whenever approaching a junction, and slow down if the junction is blind. This is particularly important when on segregated cycle lanes, given that you're less likely to anticipate a car turning across your path - and cars can come from any of three directions (out the junction, or into the junction from behind you or across the road). Most of the accidents I've been involved in are owing to cars not checking and just turning into a junction across a cycle lane, while I've been less vigilant than usual.
   
2. When going past cars waiting to make a turn (even if they look like they've stopped to let you go), go to the far side of the lane from them anyway. The same principle applies similarly to going by junctions.
   
3. Give car doors a wide berth, or slow to a sensible speed if going by cars narrowly which are not obviously moving. Watch out for cars that were moving which may have stopped before going by on the left.
   
4. Watch for pedestrians about to step out into your path. From both sides of the road.
   
5. Generally stay in the middle of the lane whenever possible.
   
6. Wide turns on wet days (unless you know exactly what your tires can do and are familiar with the road surface), and watch for manhole covers.
   

Good advice

You may find this ride guide helpful (pdf)

And perhaps consider cycle training :)

Fit a mirror. Better situational awareness. Reduced stress from wondering what the cars behind you will do next.

Admit to a degree of laziness in trying to get the key points of a 62 page guide in more condensed form, but think a compendium of things to prioritise watching out for is no bad thing, particularly in that the guide has a generally ELI5 approach which I am assuming the sort of person to participate in a forum like this may not want to read in detail.

You've read it?

It doesn't assume how others behave, it's totally about what a rider can do to mitigate others behaviour good or less so

Like tge points you made

(Have edited the post above when I realised my error after reading a few more pages.)

If you're unable to look back, fit a mirror. Looking back let's drivers know you've seen them and you get to see more than in a mirror

the key points

are:
Road positioning (When to ride in primary position)
Awareness
Communication
Know the rules of the road

Something I've noticed that works for me is when I'm approaching an intersection, going straight through, and the driver coming in the opposite direction is waiting in the middle of the road to turn right, if I change my trajectory just slightly to aim more straight towards them, they don't try nip in front of me. If you stay on the same line parallel to pavement there's a greater chance of the driver trying to just quickly get past in front of me. Works when I'm in a roundabout with people waiting to enter too. Aim for the space they intending to enter. Not sure why it works but it does, seems to make people back off.

If you're unable to look back, fit a mirror.

Whenever I mention mirrors, people always say it's better to look over your shoulder. It's simply not true. I never see any other cyclists with mirrors. I don't think anyone else has a clue what a difference they make. A good mirror, adjusted correctly, is as beneficial as it would be on a car or motorbike.

, is as beneficial as it would be on a car or motorbike

So long as you also look back like motorcycle riders are trained to do.

It's good to show people behind that you have seen them (and that also humanises you too I would think)

Only works if they see you

I think I get seen more when in the position of a car, as that's where they looking.

Let's not debate the research which found that not wearing a helmet causes drivers to increase their distance from you.

Observe red light jumping protocols
Never filter on the left
Lights please
Hi Viz is ok
Helmets are a matter of personal choice
Don't get angry when people do as people do
Pull over and let other traffic past in the country (when safe to do so)

Don't do this..

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-cyclist-filmed-shouting-abuse-27826157

We are, and I had to do it (unwillingly) on my advanced test. But I'm fairly certain that the rule was brought in decades ago as a failsafe because some motorbikes have useless mirrors. A few years back they were all rubbish, except the BMW ones.

If you have a motorbike with car-quality mirrors, and you check them often, it's not possible for anything to get into your blind spot without you seeing it on its approach. Mirrors need to be used well.

I find that a bike without a mirror is as awkward as a car without a mirror. (I mean the centrally mounted mirror, paired with a clear rear window.)

Round the world cyclist Heinz Stucke, the world's most travelled man (or something) used to say that a mirror is more important than a helmet. But mirrors will never be something that the cool cyclists use. I've never seen a full size mirror on a posh racing bike. Not once. Except on my bike. They go in the same category as the reflectors and pie dish on a Halfords kids' bike.

Mirrors are a terrible idea on a cycle. They breed a false sense of security as you think its clear, but they dont provide a complete view of the road behind. As such you must always look and shoulder check, you're trained to do that in a car which has 'car quality' mirrors, you fail your driving test (for good reason) if you only use mirrors, so why bother having them on a cycle?

Balls. What a waste of keystrokes.

Try and stay away from hgv and coaches at junctions would be my tip, hang back. Go when they've done what they have to.
Disproportionate amount of fatalities involve them.

This 100%.

Also just assume every driver is trying to kill you and adjust accordingly, right of way means fuck all

Absolutely, right of way and all general highway code rules are irrelevant, cyclist will always come out worse off in any collision with a motorised vehicle, it's just not worth putting your self at risk.
A few common sense habits can see you safe and enjoy your ride, taking those risks hardly save any time anyways.

• Try to make eye contact with drivers waiting to pull out of minor roads, if only to get some idea if they're completely oblivious to you
  
• Learn the 'tells' of a driver who's about to left hook you - it's a bit of a sixth sense, but it's usually changing road position/slowing down slightly but not indicating as a junction approaches
  
• Be really vigilant of drivers and pedestrians turning across you when filtering down the middle. If a driver has waved them through they'll often not be paying attention and won't expect you to be there
  

right of way and all general highway code rules are irrelevant, cyclist will always come out worse off in any collision with a motorised vehicle, it's just not worth putting your self at risk.

Whilst I get this, I think the reality of being safe in the real world is that you must be assertive, not defensive.

I believe that the majority of fatalities for cyclists is from less experienced people actually trying to be 'safer', more cautious people that follow the rules to a tea, which end up being killed because the highway code/system isn't actually designed to protect cyclists.

All you need to do is look at any junction in London at rush hour, bike boxes and feeder lanes. New, cautious, cyclists will always wobble up the bike feeder lane and queue down the inside, in the blind side under the side of cars and lorries. Confident and experienced cycles will overtake on the right and wait up front in clear, safe view. A behaviour that most non, and inexperienced cyclists would deem as 'dangerous' but is actually safer.

Similarly I've seen new cyclists do hard stops in the middle of the highway because a motor vehicle is indicating to turn right. So dangerous. Because they were riding too defensively.

TLDR: Ride assertively and predictably, but expect everything and cover brakes at all junctions.

Stay the fuck out of the door zone. That includes you Regent's Park cyclists.

Also just assume every driver is trying to kill you

is ridiculous. They don't. They may be lazy or tired or on the phone. Most are aware and try not to harm, impatient occasionally

Make sure they've seen you with good road position and observation, if they've not, ride accordingly