BICYCLE

How to Stay Safe While Bicycling in America – 7 Things You Must Know

Cycling Safe: What you need to know before hitting the road

With so many scenic canyons, riverside trails and charming neighborhoods to enjoy, cycling is an immensely popular activity among America’s residents and visitors. Sadly, each year thousands of people are injured in bicycle collisions. So, whether you tread the town on a commuter bike, hit off-road trails on the weekend, or just pedal through your neighborhood every now and then, it’s vital to implement safety precautions.

For many people, “bicycle accident” has a less menacing sound than “auto accident.” But cycling injuries are serious business. Bicycle collisions should be avoided with the same care – and occurrences treated with the same gravity – as automobile accidents.

Curb appeal – should you really ride in the street?
While it’s not exactly an extreme sport, street cycling comes with countless dangers. For those who commute on bike to work or school, it may be hard to take account of all the rules and safety tips when you’re on-the-go (and you’ve been cycling on-the-go so long that you don’t give it much reflection anymore).

The bike lanes that parallel a growing number of America’s roads give cyclists a bit of false comfort. Certainly it’s better to stick to areas with bike lanes, but these designated shoulders don’t provide automatic safety. Some automobile drivers are oblivious to the white lines and diamonds that designate the cycling zone; aggressive drivers may deliberately violate them. In the bike lane one must also juggle with other cyclists who may pass recklessly or silently, as well as debris pushed from the road toward the curb. And we don’t need to tell you that intersections pose a particular challenge to bikers, especially where bike lanes temporarily disappear into right-hand turning lanes.

1. For streets without bicycle lanes, the law of many U.S. states mandates that motor vehicles may not come within three feet of a moving bicycle. Indeed, many motorists will leave a generous amount of room between their vehicle and a bicyclist. Yet some don’t, or can’t. With the large trucks, trailers and SUVs common to our nation, sometimes there isn’t three feet of road to spare.

2. When riding at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic and there is no bicycle lane, cyclists should try to stay as close to the right-hand curb as possible.

3. If you need to stray from the bicycle lane or curb, use these standard hand signals:

Left turn: hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side of the bicycle
Right turn: left hand and arm extended upward beyond the side of the bicycle, or right hand and arm extended horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.
Stop or sudden decrease of speed signal: left hand and arm extended downward beyond the side of the bicycle.

4. Steer clear of injury. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes. The single most effective way to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is to wear a helmet. No amount of precaution or good fortune will make you 100% safe from a bicycle accident, so accept it as a possibility. Prevent fatal injury with a well-fitting helmet worn on the center of the head. Currently, all but 13 states have state or local helmet laws for bicyclists.

5. It’s critical to assess the safety of your bicycle equipment. The law of all American states requires that all bikes are equipped with working brakes, but you should also ensure that your bike is in good working order, and that it’s the safest bike for you. Consider whether the frame suits you comfortably, and whether the handle bars and seat are at the right height.

6. Avoid riding a bike during non-daylight hours, and if you must, then take necessary precautions. Cyclists riding a half-hour after sunset or before sunrise should be equipped with a white lamp on the bike’s front, red reflectors at the rear, and reflective materials on both sides of the body.

7. American bicycle laws state that every person riding a bicycle upon a street or highway shall abide by the same laws as motorists. The cyclist has all the rights and is subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle. This means stopping at stop signs, signaling when turning or changing lanes, riding with the flow of traffic, minding pedestrians and yielding when appropriate. And, yes, you can get a DUI on a bicycle.

About the Author

Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For information on personal injury issues visit his website: Salt Lake City Car Accident Attorney

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