Biking is a great way to stay in shape and feel good about protecting the environment. With biking, you can get to work, visit local places and enjoy your time away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
One thing you do have to worry about, though, is a potential for an accident. A driver who isn’t prepared for cyclists being in the road could open their door into your path, turn into your path or otherwise get in your way and cause a collision.
Biking doesn’t always have to be dangerous, though. You can take steps to make sure those around you see you and avoid getting too close. Here are some ideas that may help.
1. Wear bright clothing and use lights
No matter what time of day it is, it may help if you wear brighter colored clothing along with using lights on your bicycle. If you can take steps to stand out, then it is more likely that others will see you. Lights reflect and help you become easier to see. Reflective clothing (or bright clothing) also makes you more visible.
2. Get loud
Another way to help prevent accidents is by giving yourself the opportunity to be heard. Use bells, horns and other devices to make sure you can alert others to your presence, especially if it seems like they don’t see you or might pull out in front of you.
3. Use bike lanes
If you can find them to use, use bike lanes to get where you need to go. The best bike likes have a physical barrier between the lane and the road, but any bike lane is going to be safer than riding in the road itself.
4. Choose your route carefully
Finally, choose your route carefully. If you plan to ride to work, for example, take residential roadways or areas with less traffic. If you are around fewer vehicles, the likelihood is that your risk of being involved in an accident will also decrease.
It’s not solely up to a cyclist to stay safe on the roads. It’s also up to the drivers who should be aware of cyclists and be prepared to follow traffic laws to keep them safe. If you are traveling on the road and following the rules, there’s no reason that you should be in danger. If you are hit, then you can look into your legal options for seeking compensation from the driver who hit you while you were riding.