Bike Commuting: Staying Safe on the Road
While on the road, it’s important to stay safe. Yes, cycling can be dangerous but so can just about everything else. (I somehow managed to wind up in the hospital when my hand was mauled by a drum kit. Life’s just crazy like that.) Fortunately, by knowing how to ride safe you decrease your chances of getting injured. As a courier friend once quipped “Blood doesn’t go with my outfit.”
To Reiterate
Helmets are good. So are lights and reflectors and being just about as conspicuous as possible. I’m too cheap to shell out for a bike jersey, but my almost painfully bright yellow “I <3 Techno” shirt fills in nicely and my rear light is so bright I’m a little concerned it’ll burn my retinas. By their powers combined, I’m pretty darn visible. Just in case, mirrors also help you know where cars are around you.
Signals
Learn your hand signals and then use them. Unless you want to put indicators on your bike or jacket.
Take a course
As Regan noted, you can check out the availability of a bike safety training course around you. Or, join a training ride through your LBS. Mine offers a ride every Tuesday to get people on the road and comfortable riding. Check your LBS for details.
If you have a bike bell–and you should–use it. Let people (and critters) know where you are.
Be Prepared
If it weren’t for the whole being female/lesbian thing, I’d be the best damn Boy Scout in the area (I tried though). Being prepared means you’re ready to deal with anything that can potentially go wrong while riding, including flat tires and inclement weather. Also, make sure your bike fits you and is well tuned.
Remember Right Angles
If you’re crossing railroad tracks or any sort of elevation change in the road, do so at a right angle. This goes for “snakes”, those long cracks that can appear in the road, as well.
Above All
Use common sense. Follow traffic laws. Don’t hang out in cars blindspots. More than anything else, being smart will keep you safe.
That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for next week’s episode on keeping clean.
Photo Credit: Bike Safety Tips
Yesterday, I saw a girl who works in our building pick up her vegetables (we get organic vegetables delivered on Wednesday), put them in the basket of her bike, ride off with no helmet and run a stop sign. I literally stopped where I was walkind down the street to gape at her. How impervious could a person believe themselves to be?
Whenever I talk to anyone who says that they don’t need to wear a helmet because they know how to ride a bike, I ask if they also trust all other bike riders, car drivers, and stray dogs.
I live in Boston where there is no shortage of bikes but where drivers have no clue. The city is just now starting to promote biking. I still don’t feel it’s really safe to bike commute.
I believe biking, as a form of transportation, is still undeveloped in a lot of areas around the world, and because of that bikers must do all the necessary things to get some RESPECT on the road.
Debra, I am equally baffled by people who seem so determined to self-select out of the gene pool. I can’t even ride across the street without a helmet it just seems unnatural.
Rhea, good point about cities. I’m pretty sure that the people I know biking in cities are just a little bit crazy (it’s why i love them, but they’re super brave for doing so). It’s a shame though that biking, with so many positives and so few negatives, just hasn’t yet reached the level of respect and consideration it should have.