While the roads should be safe for you to ride a bicycle on, they often are not. Sometimes it is down to poor road design or maintenance, but mainly it is down to drivers failing to exercise appropriate caution.
Here are some of the key dangers:
1. Doors opening into your path
A lot of people fail to check that it is safe to open their vehicle door before doing so. Some are in a rush, some are too busy on their phones or talking to their passengers, and some have just never gotten in the habit of checking first. Give parked cars a slightly wider berth, especially around places like stores and schools, where there is a high chance someone might get out.
2. Getting hit while making a left turn
Left turns are more dangerous than right turns because you need to cross the flow of traffic. Even if lights are indicating when it is safe to move, there is always the possibility that a driver ignores their stop signal and hits you mid-turn. Adjusting your route to minimize left turns often proves quicker due to reduced waiting times, as well as safer.
3. Not being seen
Some drivers will not see you, no matter how brightly you dress and how many lights you have on your bicycle. Too many drivers are distracted, half asleep or simply not looking. There is also a phenomenon called inattentional blindness to consider, whereby people can fail to see what is in front of them because they are not expecting to see it. All this being said, it is still worth making an effort to stay visible through careful road positioning, and adding some lights, reflectors or color to yourself or your bicycle.
You can take all the precautions in the world and still be unlucky. If you do get hit by a driver, be sure to learn about your legal options.