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Treat others as you would like them to treat you. When riding on any shared-use path, pass pedestrians cautiously, the same way you expect drivers to pass you. Bicycles are fast and quiet, so to avoid startling people and causing animosity, notify them of your presence well in advance.
Watch for surface hazards such as potholes, sunken drainage grates and utility covers, slots, wet metal and painted surfaces, sand and gravel, and assorted debris and irregularities. Inform your town's maintenance department of problems.
If you obey traffic laws to eliminate the collisions that you may cause when disregarding them, remove collisions to which you largely contribute, like riding on the sidewalk, and know how to avoid and reduce the likelihood of collisions that motorists primarily cause, you'll never be in an "accident."
RIDE BIG and think big; project an immense image. Be cautious not timid; assertive not aggressive. Be predictable, and a legal and lawful user of the roadways. Don't ride within a door's width of parked cars, in the gutter pan, near the extreme edge, or on the sidewalk.
It is a necessary and legitimate technique for bicyclists to control overtaking motor vehicles. RIDE BIG -- USE MORE LANE and sometimes USE FULL LANE. It may seem dangerous or illegal to make motorists slow and be cautious for you, but it's not; it's safer (provided drivers are given ample time to react to your presence). Don't overdo this right though. Be courteous by pulling off the road to let a line of motorists pass if you've held them up for a spell.
Getting passed by fast moving, large, and loud motor vehicles can be intimidating. And, the rare driver will purposefully pass too closely to torment you. Still, actually getting hit from behind is not a likely collision, unless you ride without reflectors and a rear light at night. Vehicular cyclists are almost never involved in an Overtaking crash, or any other type crash for that matter. So don't fear a near non-existent problem or create new ones with fearful riding practices!
Wayne Pein lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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