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Please post your safety tips for cycling/commuting that should help you get to your destination place in one piece.
I came across a nice printed guideline a few years ago when working as courier, it was posted on the wall in the base and covered many common road situations. Recently I tried to look it up on the web but with no luck, so I thought that placing a community wiki question here could be beneficial for many commuters.
A lot of cyclists promote vehicular cycling in which you act just like a car, obeying all of the rules of the road. This includes respecting all stop signs & lights, travelling in the same direction on the same side of the road as motorized traffic, and using the full lane (taking the lane), often ignoring marked bike lanes if they are too small or marginalized.
To me, vehicular cycling means acting like you belong on the road and that you have the legal right to be there (which you do). I think a lot of bicycle accidents happen because the cyclist is trying to stay out of the way of cars and in doing so becomes very difficult for cars to see.
This answer is community wiki - please feel free to modify
To give it a good start here are some main points that I normally follow:
There also a book called The Art of Urban Cycling, in which the author focusses on bicycling safety amidst traffic in many different situations. I have not read it, so I'm not sure if it's any good, but it could be worth checking out.
My top tip - as you approach junction, if there are drivers waiting to turn into or across your lane, watch their eyes. You should be able to tell if they see you, or if they are scanning only for large objects (i.e. other cars).
Here's a related awareness video which shows why its easy for people to not see cyclists if they are concentrating on other objects.
Some tidbits that have kept me safe over the years:
Over time you'll probably develop more intuition than can reasonably be explained here, mostly because it has very much to do with where you are riding.
As well as these great answers I think it's also important to set a good example when driving. Before I cycled on the roads (I used to be purely offroad rider) I never gave much thought to cyclists, just squeezed past like everyone else. Now I do the following:
It sounds like obvious stuff, but I've been watching the drivers behind me in my rear-view mirror and a lot of them will copy the same overtaking manuevoure as you. The more drivers we can get to overtake safely, the safer we'll all be.
Eye Contact is a very good way of making sure drivers have seen you - particularly for cars waiting to pull out of side junctions or at roundabouts. When coupled with a friendly nod once you're passing them (almost as if to thank them for waiting) you'll find that many of them will then give you a proper amount of space if they need to pass you afterwards.
Familiarize yourself with bicycle laws where you live and ride. In the US many (most? all?) states require cyclists to adhere to the same set of rules that apply to motor vehicles when riding a bicycle on public roads. Some additional rights and responsibilities may also exist depending on where you live (for instance, where I live cyclists are allowed to pass on the right).
Most importantly, once you know what the rules of the road are, follow them! The other day I was in the city and a woman on a bicycle passed me driving the wrong way on a one-way street. If you get into an accident doing something like that, most likely you will be liable!
Like Drew and others have said - I make sure i am visible and "take the lane". if the situation calls for it I make sure I take a lane so that cars do not put me at risk and try to squeeze by me.
I am courteous to cars and pedestrians. Thanking with a wave when people merge correctly or give me the right of way I deserve.
I have a two-mode approach:
be predictable (drive with the rules) or
be invisible (don't give time to react if you break the rules).
I tend to use the latter, when there is little traffic or in traffic jams.
You need a loud horn if you want to be able to travel fast. That makes your cycle more enjoyable, because people won't get in your way, and you can warn cars that aren't driving well. E.g. the Hornit electronic bike horn. Alternatively, a bell can help - it's just not as loud. I use both a bell and a horn, for the different volumes.
Cycle 1m away from the kerb if you don't have a flag that extends sideways. That way, cars don't take advantage of you as much as if you hug the edge of the road, and they often, but not always, overtake with more room. This relates to the "vehicular cycling" mentioned in the top answer. The first prize is to get a flag that you can flip vertically and horizontally, because then you can cycle close to the edge and cars will always be forced to give enough room when overtaking. For an example, see www.flipflag.co.za .
Your visibility is KEY. To be more visible use flashing front and rear lights even during the day; stand up on your pedals at intersections so that you appear larger; whenever possible ride in a group as the visibility of a large group is greater than even a car.
