Bicis Eye Contact

Making eye contact with other road users is your MOST IMPORTANT skill for safe bike riding.

Eye contact helps us figure out who will go first and who will go next. Make sure you make eye contact with the other people on the road. 

Just like with driving, or deciding which side of the sidewalk you will take, making eye contact is crucial to being safe while riding your bike.  Once you have eye contact with a car driver, the two of you can decide what to do.  Keep in mind, making contact with one person might not be enough if you are at a bigger intersection, or at a busy street with drivers, motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists.  Be aware of your surroundings, keep making eye contact, and communicate with other users of the road to figure out your next steps.

Did you know that you don’t always have to wait for a driver to wave you through an intersection?  You can wave them through as well (tell them to go before you). You might do this if you are waiting for a friend or are at an intersection with multiple lanes in each direction. You can also wave a driver through if they seem impatient and you don’t feel safe going first.

In short, you can decide to let motorists (car, truck or motorcycle drivers) or pedestrians go first anytime you aren’t ready to go, and you should always do what feels safest while keeping those who are more vulnerable (such as pedestrians) safe as well.