Bike safety according to Reader's Digest

Every spring the main media wants to get in on bike safety. I was recently interviewed for my thoughts on bike safety for Reader's Digest. Here's some shameless self-promotion:

“Cyclists have a right to use a part of the roadway, and are allowed to take an entire lane when their safety requires it,” says Herb van den Dool, a Toronto-based cycling activist and blogger with ibiketo.ca.

Whether you’re feeling squeezed out by traffic or you need to make it safely around a pothole that’s in your way, don’t be afraid to claim the space you need, even it forces the traffic around you to slow down. He also recommends riding at least a meter away from parked cars to avoid being hit by car doors.