Are Drivers Less Courteous to Cyclists in Winter?

[Artista]

I've been a "fair weather cyclist" for many years. That means that almost all of my riding has been on sunny days when lots of other people are riding their bicycles. Drivers around here are usually very courteous to cyclists.

So... today was the first time I've ridden in conditions that are keeping most cyclists off the roads. There is still lots of snow on the ground, but the roads are generally clear.

I encountered more rude drivers today than I've experienced in the last couple of years. I was honked at twice, rudely saluted once, & buzzed three times. All of that on a 45 minute ride!

I wore a high vis jacket & rode on a lightly traveled, neighborhood thoroughfare, with two lanes in each direction. I had to take up more of the right lane than usual due to occasional ice & lots of gravel on the side of the road. Still, there was ample opportunity to safely pass me in the left lane without even having to slow a car down.

I wonder if so many drivers were rude because they didn't expect to see a cyclist on the road today.

What is your experience? Are drivers less courteous to cyclists in the winter when the drivers may not expect to encounter people riding? And, are they more courteous during nice weather when drivers pretty much expect to deal with lots of people on bicycles?

[malkin]

We always joke that driving rules and courtesy conventions are suspended here in the winter. My other theory is that drivers are generally grumpier when the weather is lousy and cyclists are such a nice vulnerable convenient target.

[jessmarimba]

With the amount of snow and crud left on the side of the roads in Denver right now, drivers likely perceive the road as narrower and you as taking up more space on it. Even if they have a lane to pass, it doesn't mean they want to. My neighborhood, which gets no snow treatment unless we get over 6 inches at once, is still only wide enough for one car to safely drive. Hopefully the rest of this stuff will melt tomorrow.

I'm honestly surprised you didn't end up drenched on top of what they did. I completely soaked some poor guy waiting for a bus when I drove by in my car b/c of the amount of snow that melted today.

[marni]

or possibly it's because the drivers are concentrating hard on staying safe themselves, not slipping, sliding, avoiding obstacles etc and bikers are just one more obstacle?

[PamNY]

or possibly it's because the drivers are concentrating hard on staying safe themselves, not slipping, sliding, avoiding obstacles etc and bikers are just one more obstacle?

That probably explains a lot. And cyclists are just as bad as auto drivers if two bikes are approaching a place narrowed by snow. I try to be polite, but if there's no room it's hard sometimes.

I thought a guy was going to hit me today, but could easily see he was just concentrating on the ground, not looking at me at all.

[redrhodie]

My best friend has recently said things like the roads are too narrow because of the snow banks. Cars can't get by you. You shouldn't be riding. I think her attitude is what you're getting. They think they have more right to the road since their car can hurt us. Since we're being "unsafe", they're entitled to show us their displeasure at our recklessness. They're actually doing us a favor. We should be giving them a big fat hug. I'm being sarcastic, of course.

Don't stop riding because they're annoyed by you. They're probably equally annoyed by pedestrians and cars that go slower than them. It's par for the course. Keep at it. I hope it was still fun.

[Bike Chick]

I hadn't thought of the roads being narrower because of the snow banks. My initial thought was the same as Malkin's: It's winter and people are just grumpier. It's amazing how much difference a little sunshine and warm temperatures can make in your mood.

[Artista]

These are a lot of good points. When I returned from my ride yesterday, I was so surprised by being treated rudely that I forgot about all of the other times I've ridden this winter when the drivers around here were their usual, courteous, selves.

I think that yesterday was just a culmination of Denver-ites' frustration with a few weeks of bad driving conditions. Besides, it must be far more satisfying to honk at, or flip off, a cyclist than it is to be rude to snow banks & ice patches.

Thanks for helping me put this experience into perspective. Hubby & I are going to try riding the paved trails today, (they were still too snow packed yesterday). We'll wait to get back on the roads until drivers find their good manners again.