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And despite that, you're still more likely to be killed if you don't wear a helmet.
Great advice to give a friend you care about (unironicslly)
So.... let's build out better transit?
Yes!
I have found that if I hug the kerb, the overtakers driver side wheel barely kisses the centre white line. If I get in the middle of the lane, they generally wait until it's safe to pass and then get both sets of wheels over the line. Added bonus of some room between me and the kerb if I need to take evasive action.
That generally depends on the road width and how easy it is to see oncoming traffic etc. but is definitely a good strategy for certain situations. If a driver gets stuck behind me on a bendy road I will also try to signal them if I see no oncoming traffic around the bend, so they know when to do a safe wide overtake.
That's my intuitive experience also. This person's research found the opposite, ie passing distance was closer when the bicyclist was further from the kerb, but maybe the experiment didn't account for what you describe (drivers waiting for a safe chance to pass, bicyclists signaling or moving over to indicate a good time to pass).
On the other hand, i could believe that cars tend to pass closer if you ride further out, and still ride further out to be more visible, discourage unsafe (re: opposing traffic) passes, and avoid hazards on the edge of the road.
I've found that putting a camera on your helmet makes them much more careful. Also less likely to road rage at you when they see a recording light blinking.
The experiment found this also! They used a vest that said "POLICE recording in progress" or something like that.
Regardless of what they wore, 1-2% of vehicles passed within 50 cm
If you have a ponytail they're even more careful.
Solution = helmets with ponytails.
I've heard of it but haven't been willing to forego wearing a helmet in order to test it.
What I have noticed is that drivers are a lot more deferential when I'm riding my cargo bike with the kids in the back.
I remember ther was a thing with putting like a clown afro wig on the helmet so it looked like you were not wearing one.
Double edged sword if you ask me, but perhaps a rational choice in some contexts
I've found wearing a bright orange puffer jacket helps too, only really an option in winter though...
I've tied a pool noodle to my bike sticking out about a meter to the left and I choose to believe it helps. Put some reflective material or lightning on it and you're pretty visible in winter as well.
Definitely have a lot more close pass while wearing helmet than the one time i didn't wear it, but then this could be the amount of time i wear helmet vs the time i don't.
What about assholes in big trucks? Do they ever pass you safely?
According to the experiment, no. They are much more likely than anybody what to pass unsafely :(
this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2026
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