What Every Driver Should Know About Sharing the Road

The close passes, the honks, the cars stopped in bike lanes — we’ve all seen some behavior by drivers who could use a better education about what it means to share the road.

Too often education efforts for bicycle safety are aimed exclusively at bicyclists. We even compiled a report on what states require about bicyclist safety in their driver education handbooks. Check it out »

In 2018, the League took the Fort Collins, Colorado-developed Bicycle Friendly Driver training national by giving our League Cycling Instructors across the country access to the curriculum. Now, we’re making Bicycle Friendly Driver education available to even more people, thanks to our partnership with DoorDash. 

Through our series of videos (and soon through our online learning platform), people can learn how to drive more safely and respectfully around people biking. These videos cover topics such as rules of the road for both drivers and bicyclists, how drivers can avoid common crashes, and what drivers can do to keep bicyclists safe like never parking in a bike lane. The videos are available in both English and Spanish. 

Know some drivers in your social networks that could use a refresher on sharing the road? Here are five of our new Bicycle Friendly Driver videos you should consider sharing far and wide!

• Bike lanes are not for cars

Stay in your lane! Not only is it illegal in most places to stop or park in bike lanes, but bike lanes are what help most bicyclists feel a little bit safer traveling with traffic and it’s important for drivers to follow the law and let bike lanes serve their purpose.

• Why are bicyclists in the middle of the road

It’s not just for kicks! Sometimes the safest way for cyclists to ride is by positioning themselves in the middle of the road. Here’s what you do when bicyclists “Take the Lane”. 

• Speed limits

Here’s the easiest way to make the roads safer for everyone: slow down. Your speed is something totally within your control. Slow down!

• Traffic laws for drivers

Responsibly sharing the road is more than a courtesy, in many ways it’s the law. Familiarize yourself with traffic laws in your state by visiting data.bikeleague.org/show-your-data/state-data/topic-viii-states-traffic-laws-training-for-pedestrian-bicyclist-safety/.

• Dooring and the Dutch Reach

You’ve reached your destination…but your responsibility as a driver isn’t over. Learn how to adopt the Dutch Reach to avoid opening your car door onto the path of a bicyclist. 

The League’s Smart Cycling program has a lot of other videos to bring you up to speed on how, where and why bicyclists ride. Check them out, share them with friends, and keep an eye on your local bike advocacy organizations for online resources about riding in your area. Use our map to find your local groups.