Ladies, stay safe by "cycling like a man"

Sorry for the London-centric post here but this one caught my eye.

Thursday's Evening Standard tells us that there are twice as many male cyclists as female cyclists in London but 10 out of 13 cycling fatalities in the capital last year involved women. 

So how can women reduce that risk? The article recommends "behaving more like a man". Katie Law, author of the article, goes on to say: "It's the men who park themselves squarely out in front of the waiting traffic; it's the men who fly ahead at top speed; it's the men who get into arguments with drivers... I'm not saying that women don't — but they are less likely to."

Having recently been out on the road with Veronica Pollard, one of Life Cycle UK's cycle trainers I witnessed this behaviour for myself. In a 20 minute observation I noticed that men tended to be more assertive on the road, taking up primary road positions (the centre of the road) and taking control of their space. Women tended to take up secondary road positions, which allow cars to squeeze through narrow gaps to get past cyclists. Secondary positions are closer to pavements or parked cars and the obstacles they present (see pic right), whereas primary positions allow cyclists to be visible, give them the space to react, and are usually where the smoothest road surface can be found.

(For more about Primary and Secondary road positions read this Bikeradar article or book a cycle training course with Life Cycle UK).

So what should women do to stay safe on two wheels? Following Katie Law's advice might be a good start...

"Since then I have become a veritable road hog in a fluorescent jacket, perfectly happy to pull right ahead and claim the middle section of the middle lane whenever I go round a roundabout, even if it means making the cars and lorries behind me slow down. They can honk all they want to, but the point is that they can see me.

Nor do I have any hesitation in pulling out to cross a lane, having made eye contact with the driver behind me, holding out my right arm, to slow him down with imperious confidence. I've even started rapping boldly on the car windows of drivers who drive and talk on their mobiles."

Do you agree with Katie's advice? Have you had an accident in the secondary road position? Do you feel safer when you take control of the road? Do you worry about holding up traffic? Let us know below...