Handouts 1 Overview 2 LCI Seminar Course Outlines 3 Manual Need to Know 4 2010 Traffic Skills 101 5 v 3.2 Traffic Skills 201 6 Traffic Skills Commuter 7 Cycling Skills Parent 8 Bicycling Skills 123 9 Safe Routes to School 10 Traffic Skills Motorist 11 Curricula 12 Smart Cycling Program: League Cycling Instructor Candidate Seminar Copyright © 2010 League of American Bicyclists 2/05/10 0-1 Handouts 1 LCI Seminar Manual 2010 v 3.2 Seminar Handouts You will be receiving a number of handouts during the Seminar. Please insert those handouts in this section and refer back to them when you get ready to teach your classes in order to refresh the learning experience. You should have the following handouts: Entry exercise: My First Bike Seminar Objectives Learning Styles Assumptions Communications Preparation Questioning Difficult Students Crash prevention Road Test Score Sheet My Reality Check 1-i 2/5/10 Overview 2 LCI Seminar Manual 2010 v 3.2 Copyright © 2010 League of American Bicyclists 2-i 2/05/10 Smart Cycling Program: League Cycling Instructor Candidate Seminar Overview of the LCI Seminar and Training Learning Objectives At the conclusion of this seminar, you will be able to: • Understand basic teaching principles and techniques as they apply to both children and adults, and will have demonstrated them through practice teaching during the seminar • Be able to evaluate the knowledge and skills of others and know how to offer constructive criticism; • Be able to demonstrate competence in principles and skills of the Smart Cycling program, including vehicular cycling, bicycle equipment, bike maintenance, specialized handling maneuvers, nutrition and specialized topics; • Be familiar with specific Smart Cycling materials and curricula and how cyclists will benefit from Smart Cycling classes; • Be able to plan and organize classes, including required equipment and supplies, audio- visual aids, course marking and the logistics of ordering materials and insurance; • Develop an understanding of the “need to know” principles and how they can be incorporated in customized presentations; • Know how to market classes, including using partners and marketing materials. • Possess an understanding of the organization, structure and mission of the League of American Bicyclists; Principles of Traffic Law Understanding the basic premises behind traffic laws will help you understand how to operate in any traffic situation. Operating your bicycle in accordance with these principles will decrease the likelihood of being involved in a crash. All road users expect each other to act in accordance with these principles to avoid conflict. First Come, First Served Each driver on the road is entitled to the space they are using, with reasonable clearance behind and to each side, and reasonable stopping distance in front of them. Drivers who want to use this space must first yield to the vehicle now using it. This applies both between intersections and at intersections. Drive on the Right-hand Side of the Roadway All across the United States, drivers of all vehicles operate in the right-hand side of the roadway. It is normal and understood as the basis for all other traffic laws. Bicycles are treated as vehicles and should obey the same basic rule. Operating with traffic is safer and more predictable to motorists and other road users. 2/5/10 2-1 Yielding to Crossing Traffic Drivers on less important roads, including driveways and alleys, yield to traffic on more important roads. Yielding means proceeding onto a roadway only when it is safe to do so. Yielding when Changing Lanes Drivers who want to move laterally on the roadway must yield to traffic in their new line of travel. Yielding means moving only after looking behind you to see that no traffic is coming and looking in front to see that the way ahead is clear. Speed Positioning Parked drivers are at the curb, slow drivers are next to them and fast drivers are near the centerline. Never overtake on the right, almost always overtake on the left. There are exceptions when the vehicle ahead is turning left or on multi-lane roads. The specifics of speed positioning will be discussed later. Intersection Positioning Approach intersections in the proper position. Right turners are next to the curb, left turners are near the centerline and straight-through drivers are between these positions. Always travel in the lane that the normal flow of traffic follows to your destination. Basic Principles of Smart Cycling These crash types identify significant causes that can be avoided by simply following ideas described by the term vehicular cycling. Riding with traffic instead of against it, using roadway position to communicate your intentions to other users and obeying traffic control devices affords cyclists excellent protection from crashes. Included in these crash types is cyclists being visible to motorists. Vehicular cycling Vehicular cycling asserts that bicyclists should act as any other vehicle on the roadway, with some exceptions. Although bicycles are considered vehicles, they are allowed to operate on the shoulder of a roadway, unlike trucks or cars. Also, bicycles and motorcycles are permitted to ride two abreast in many cases. Predictability and Communication Following the rules of the road minimizes conflict on the roadway. When other road users can predict what you are going to and where you are going to be in the next few seconds, they can react in a positive and safe way. Being predictable – scanning, signaling, riding straight, obeying traffic control devices and proper lane positioning – decreases the likelihood of a crash. Riding in a predictable manner will communicate your intended actions to others around you. Riding in a straight line past parked cars, for example, lets motorists know that you are continuing straight and not stopping. Scanning over your shoulder is not only the best way to make sure that any move that you make on the roadway is a safe one, but it also lets other users know that you are aware of them. They understand that looking over your shoulder means that you are preparing for a change in direction or speed because motorists do it as well. This allows them to predict and prepare for your movements. 2-2 Smart Cycling Program: League Cycling Instructor Candidate Seminar Lane Positioning Ride just to the right of traffic. If the lane is too narrow for a vehicle and cyclist to share, the cyclist should ride in the center or right of center of the lane as passing in a narrow lane is unsafe. Lanes may be striped to narrow or a hazard may narrow the usable width of the lane. On roads where other vehicles on the roadway are traveling above 45 mph or the sight lines are poor, riding on the shoulder is recommended. Lane Choice Always ride in the right-most lane that travels in the direction you are heading. Crash Types To understand the rationale behind the League’s Smart Cycling program, explain the crash types and relative frequencies. First of all, 83% of crashes do not involve cars. Falls due to loss of control, flats, mechanical failure or hazards constitute 50% of all crashes, bike/bike crashes 17%, dog/bike crashes 8% and other crashes 8%. The breakdown of the 17% of cyclist and motorist crashes is listed below. Collisions – Who is at Fault? WHO IS AT FAULT Action Motorist Left turn in front of the bicyclist 13% Motorist Right turn in front of the bicyclist 11% Motorist Running stop sign or signal 8% Motorist Opening car door into path of the bicyclist 7% Motorist Failure to yield from driveway 6% Cyclist Wrong Side of the Street riding - facing traffic 14% Cyclist Left turn from the right side of the road 11% Cyclist Failure to yield from driveway 9% Cyclist Running a stop sign or signal 8% All others 5% The remaining 8% of all collisions are a result of errors in overtaking. 5% were caused by a bicyclist swerving in front of a car. The remaining 3% are the result of a motorist not seeing the bicyclist. The League stresses the importance of on-bike education for all classes. It is important to develop your personal riding skills along with your understanding of how to interact with traffic. Many times, good handling skills will be your only crash avoidance choice. Our Instant Turn, Quick Stop and Rock Dodge maneuvers, along with the Bike Split, Track Stand, Bunny Hop and High Speed Dodge, provide students and instructors with a good foundation for practicing specific, isolated 2/5/10 2-3 drills. Watching others ride and execute these drills should not be discounted as a learning experience for students as well. NHTSA The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiles crash data for all different modes of travel. The interpretation of this information for pedalcyclists reinforces the nature of the League's Smart Cycling program. NHTSA’s pedalcyclist Factsheet compiles the most recent crash statistics for bicyclists. Your county, city or state may have different percentages for each crash type. Data on local crash types is available from public safety or transportation agencies. Basics of Bicycle Education There are many aspects of traffic flow and roadway positioning that need to be outlined in a classroom setting. Using a flip chart or chalk board to illustrate different intersection and roadway positions allows the students to visualize and prepare for what they will be expected to do on the road. The classroom setting allows you to deal with fears and concerns that your student may have about riding in traffic and on busier roads. There is more to bicycle safety than wearing a helmet. Crash statistics tell us that 50% of all crashes are falls.