Understand your weight advantage
A car weighs 2 tons or so, while the average bike is a mere 20 pounds, says Tim Blumenthal, president of People for Bikes. "In any collision, any physical interaction between car and bike, the bike always loses," he says. "I've never seen a collision where the bike rider came out less injured," he says.
Know Bicyclists' Rights
Bicycle Colorado has great information about rules of the road, as does the Colorado Department of Transportation. Cyclists don’t usually have the legal right to ride on the sidewalk, so it doesn’t help to tell them to get off the road.
Think of bicyclists as people
When you get impatient with a cyclist you think is in your way, take a breath and picture them as a family member or friend of yours. Feel calmer? Good.
Spare Them the Right Hook
Signal your right-hand turns, and watch for hand signals from cyclists
Beware the Left Turn
Exercise the same caution you would for an oncoming motor vehicle: many crashes happen when drivers making left-hand turns underestimate the speed of an oncoming cyclist.
Look Before You Exit Your Car
Cyclists are terrified of being "doored." Imagine a rider pedaling along next to a row of parked cars. Suddenly, a driver flings her door open. The impact can send the cyclist flying, and riders have died when they've been thrown into traffic.