Bicycling Safety Guide
Bicycling Safety Guide – Bicycling is a fun and pleasurable hobby or sport if you practice it safely or it could be deadly. While they is much debate about laws requiring helmet use, the most important thing to keep in mind is that avoiding an accident is the number one priority. This is easy to do if you follow basic traffic rules and make yourself visible to motor vehicles.
Bicycle Helmet Laws
The NHTSA – National Highway Safety Administration reported as of 2008 that head injuries were responsible for 70% of cycling fatalities. In 2009 573 people were killed or 91% of bicyclists killed weren’t wearing helmets. 21 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory helmet laws requiring riders to wear helmets while bicycling. 16 states allow local jurisdictions to create their own helmet laws and thirteen states have no laws governing the use of bicycle helmets.
Cycling Safety Guidelines
A. Bicycling Safety Guide – Follow the “5 Rules for Traffic cycling”
1. Always drive your bicycle on the right side of the road, never on the left side or even on the sidewalk.
2. When reaching a larger or busier roadway, yield to crossing traffic by waiting until it subsides.
3. When changing lanes always look forward and backwards before moving.
4. Its best to position yourself for all turns at intersections , by moving closer to the curb for right turns and closer to the centerline for left turns.
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5. While moving between intersections; position yourself according to speed, if moving fast keep near the centerline else position yourself near the curb.
Most accidents occur simply because the driver’s of motor vehicles don’t see you. It is very important to make yourself seen. Sometimes it requires you to travel more in the road than trying to hide on the shoulder ro bike lane. Most car drivers are overly concerned with trying to see whats in front them and not on the shoulder. A large amount of bicycle accidents occur after dark because the bicyclist simply failed to wear reflective clothing and place lights on their bike especially rear tail lights.
Here’s our list of necessary safety items for your bicycling protection.
1. Bicycle Helmet
2. Bright reflective clothing (Shirt, Jacket, shoes)
3. Headlamp
4. Tail light
5. Wheel reflectors
6. Bicycle Horn
Following basic traffic and safety rules in the bicycling safety guide will protect you from accidents occurring but staying visible should be your number one priority. Avoiding accidents will lengthen your cycling career and your life in general.
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