Biking safety tips: how to avoid the right hook

Published on November 08, 2022

The right turn hook is when a car turns right into a cyclist and is one of the most common collisions between cyclists and vehicles. You can do a few things to predict a driver's behavior and avoid being caught in the right hook. You can be better prepared to avoid collisions by being a defensive driver and cyclist. This type of collision involving a vehicle and a bicycle can be scary. Here are a few ways you can avoid it.

For cyclists

• Slowing down and making eye contact with drivers is a great way to ensure they see you.
• The larger the vehicle, the larger the blind spot, be sure to stay in front of or in the car's rear view. By staying in front of or behind the car, you are increasing your visibility and personal safety.

For drivers

• The guiding law is to always make a right turn from the right lane, or turn from the curb.
• Turning across lanes is dangerous and can result in fatal or more serious crashes.
• When merging into a bike lane with a dashed line, then it is legal to merge or zipper into the bike lane. It is important to allow the cyclist to move safely in front of or behind your car.
• Waving or giving a thumbs-up to the cyclists is a great way to ensure they know you see them.