Promote Bike Safety and Awareness through the visual aid of this clear vinyl cling (1 7/8-inch diameter image on a 2 inch square) on the inside of your car window.
We have installed them in upper left portion of
the windshield near or below where oil change reminders are typically placed. We designed them as a warning for drivers opening their door into bicycle traffic and “dooring” a rider.
These clings promote awareness to drivers to share the road with cyclists.
As a vinyl cling it can be easily removed or repositioned as desired.
Although it is mounted on the interior, the graphics on the clear vinyl cling can be seen and 
understood when viewed from the exterior. See the reverse of the image here
¿Hablas Español? Know someone who does? Order these “Check for Bikes” clings and bumper stickers in Spanish to pass on the message of safe driving to everyone!
Put the clings on the front and rear windshields to help spread the word to drive safely, checking for bicyclists!
Are you involved with a kids’ organization such as a school, team or scout group? Pick up the Youth Version of our clings and bumper stickers!
I love this little sticker! As one who has been doored, i’m all for anything that helps folks get reminded to watch out for each other!
Sherie and others – this seems to help and motorists truly seem to be open to the idea. I was riding down Solano Wednesday when a motorist in front of me didn’t signal, stopped short and pulled into a parking spot. I stopped and after she got out of the car I asked her if she’d seen me. She sheepishly said no and asked what she’d done. I told her and said that it could have had serious consequences, then showed her a Cling. She thanked me, promptly put it on her windshield and introduced herself. Claudia had been thinking of other things (looking for a parking spot being one of them) and wasn’t looking for me. Now she will, and I think there are lots of others like her.
Carry a few Clings with you when you ride and report back on what happens! Thanks!
I picked up ten of these fab stickers immediately. I was doored badly (by someone in a pickup with one of those one-way decorative designs—I’ll never forget it, it was Hawaiian-themed—on their rear windshield that made it impossible to see inside to try to watch out for movement from the driver’s seat) 20 years ago. Even so, I’ve since opened my door more than once in a hurry without looking, and a couple of times almost hit a bicycle rider. I’m not gonna let myself become the same kind of schmuck who hit me! (It was a kid, and he looked down at me, said “C’mon, you’re fine”, and walked off as I was writhing in pain in the middle of the street. Someone called the police, and I filed a complaint and had him arrested.)
This educational and clever little sticker made a great end of the school year gift for my son’s preschool friends and teachers. We bundled 5 stickers each with the Check for Bikes info booklet in small bags. We signed each booklet with a note to friends and teachers to have a fun and safe summer! The thoughtful gift was a big hit. Parents liked the idea that their kids could spread the word by displaying the clings in their cars and/or sharing the clings with friends and family.
Thanks for the great idea, Nora, and I’m glad it went over well! A mom at an elementary school in Berkeley handed them out to the parents in conjunction with Traffic & Safety Day. We supplied them with templates for flyers and inserts, which they can customize as they like. Parents or teachers, if you want some ideas on how to distribute to parents and staff in order to keep cyclists out there safe, contact me at contact@checkforbikes.org ! Thanks!
Such a brilliant idea! I have a Share the Road bumper sticker on the back of my car bumper. But, I love that I have a reminder for myself, too, to Check for Bikes when I am in my car. These clings benefit everyone. If I ever accidentally doored someone, I would feel awful – although I’m sure the cyclists would feel worse. The more awareness there is, the safer the roads will be for everyone!
I read somewhere recently that in some countries drivers are trained to always reach across their bodies to open their car doors. In America, this would mean we reach with our right hands to open the driver door. This helps to remind one to look for bicyclists, etc. I plan to teach my children to do this when they learn to drive.
Yes, Jeanne, you’re right. I know that in the Netherlands and Germany they do that. Then the driver physically turns in order to open the door so faces the street in order to look for cyclists.
Since we have a long way to go before that is taught in the U.S. Drivers’ Ed classes, I hope you will order some of these clings to remind people to Check for Bikes!
In addition to serving as a warning before drivers open the door, the clings help remind people to check before turning right or into a parking space, as those are often situations in which cyclists are often right-hooked.
It sounds like a good idea to me, too.
But be sure driver knows where to LEGALLY place the sticker on the windshield.
I pledge to do my best to help keep bicyclists safe and by the same token I ask them to do the same. I am amazed how many bicyclists do not have a front light at night. Today, at 6pm, a bike, with a child on the back!, flew into the crosswalk at a stop sign. The rider was wearing dark clothing and I saw him just in time. Once he was passed I saw his rear light but that wasn’t doing him any good at a cross walk. Lights on the front of your bike and light clothing or those yellow thingies at night please!!
Bridget, good points.
Many of us have been in both of those scary situations. I’ve been out on my bike and have gotten caught without a light after dark… either I didn’t think I’d be out late or my battery ran out and I was in the dark. I’ve also been the driver who has seen the unlit cyclist (or very often the unlit pedestrian) at the last minute.
Albany Strollers & Rollers realizes how important lights are for bike safety. We’ve had an ongoing program through which we’ve installed over 1000 free lights on bikes, more than half of them on kids’ bikes. That was our first bike safety initiative and this is our second one.
I hope you’ll order some Clings to give to friends who may not be as aware as you are. Put a few on your windshield and/or windows as a good example of safe driving. Please spread the website and the clings and we’ll all be a little safer – thanks!
Being doored is dangerous. Its an avoidable road hazard that can easily be overlooked by motorist who don’t have cyclist in mind. These window clings are a friendly way to remind motorist to “watch for bikes!”
Thanks for your comment, Najari.
They definitely are a “friendly” reminder.
Case in point: I was riding down Solano last month and a driver pulled into a parking spot, not noticing I was on his right, so I had to squeeze my brakes hard and pull into the parking spot myself to avoid running into him. Instead of yelling at him, I spoke to both him and his wife about what happened. They apologized, I gave him 2 clings and watched as they placed one on the upper left of his windshield and one on the lower right.
Fast forward 4 days later. I was riding on Buchanan and as I reached Pierce St someone gave me a friendly beep. It was them! He waved and shouted out the window, “Hey, I’m checking for bikes!”
That’s exactly the point! We were now people, neighbors, that they cared about. I was so happy!
Pass ’em on!!
Hello,
We are designing an intervention to reduce car doorings associated with taxis in Melbourne, Australia. We are trying to find evaluated interventions from around the world to support the use of stickers. Have you evaluated this intervention and would you be willing to share that information?
Regards
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – nice to hear from you.
We haven’t evaluated the stickers or clings, but we have had very positive responses from drivers. They have told me personally that they THINK they check for bicyclists when they open their doors or drive but they need this little reminder to slow them down and ENSURE THAT THEY LOOK.
I’ve also had parents tell me that they put them on their back door windows so their children look before they open their doors. In this aspect, children are very similar to taxi passengers, since normally both just tend to throw their doors open into traffic without looking. I will also send you a direct email in the next few days.
Thanks again for contacting us.