Most drivers are not looking for bicyclists, they are looking for other cars. Bicyclists cannot make themselves be seen, but they can make themselves as visible as possible. The most important point is to ride where drivers will look at you. If they don't look at you, they won't see you.

•  Wear light or bright colors

•  Ride where drivers will see you

  •  In the road, not on sidewalk

  •  On the right side of the road

  •  Don’t weave in and out of parked cars

•  Use a light and reflectors at night

Most drivers don't look to the extreme right at intersections, since they aren't expecting cars from that direction. Those turning right may not look to the right at all. A wrong-way bicyclist won't have a chance of being seen in that case.

Many bicyclists weave in and out of parked cars. Sometimes it is done just for fun, sometimes it is in an attempt to stay as close to the curb as possible. Unfortunately, when a bicyclist disappears from a driver's field of view, many drivers subconsciously "check the bicyclist off the list" of things that need attention. When the cyclists approaches the next parked car and has to move back to the left, the driver may not have allowed enough room and may be surprised. It is much better to ride a straight line out of the door zone of the parked cars. If the gap is very large, it is fine to move a bit to the right, but not too far.

The first photo below shows the situation faced by some students leaving Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto. The road along the playing fields has a bike lane with parking allowed next to the curb. Here is what it looks like from the bicyclist's point of view: a continuous line of parked cars filling most of the bike lane. Where should a bicyclist ride? The law says that bicyclists must use a bike lane, but allows them to leave the lane to pass vehicles if the passing cannot safely be done within the lane. In this case the door zone extends to the edge of the bike lane, so it is not safe to ride in the bike lane if there are cars parked there. In contrast, the bike lane in the second photo has plenty of room, and cyclists can stay inside the bike lane and outside the door zone at the same time.