Bicycles will always remain close to our hearts because they are mostly the first vehicles that our parents trained us to ride by following various useful tips. Nowadays, the usage of bicycles has been limited to fitness enthusiasts and professional racers, but they have considerably evolved over the years in terms of safety features.
However, the number of deaths caused by bicycle accidents is recorded to be higher than car accidents in the US, which is indeed a surprising development. Therefore, we have discussed here seven useful ways to stay safe while riding a bicycle so that you do not have to bear the cost of hiring local bicycle accident law firm after getting involved in a deadly accident.
- Wear a helmet:
It may seem an obvious suggestion, but a lot of riders do not pay heed to this advice as it is reported that around 97 percent of the injured cyclists have not been wearing helmets at the time of the accident. Moreover, it must be understood by all the riders that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a severe injury by 70 percent because head injuries are the most common consequence of bicycle accidents.
- Maintain your bicycle:
Bicycles become quite dangerous when they are not adequately maintained because their equipment, including tires, gears, and lights, can malfunction any time to cause serious accidents. Therefore, it must be made sure that your cycle is well maintained and oiled before you leave for the road.
- Lace your bike with reflectors:
Bicycles are quite hard to identify, especially during the night time because of obvious reasons. Therefore, lace your bike reflectors so that you become visible when light falls on you. Moreover, it would also be advisable to wear bright colors because they will be easier to spot during night time.
- Keep all hands on deck:
You may feel that you can ride comfortably without putting your hands on handles. But, this arrogance may land you in a lot of trouble as you will be significantly less time to respond to unforeseen contingencies like a vehicle coming to a halt suddenly or a pedestrian coming in your way. Therefore, keep your hands on the handle all the time so that you can save yourself from such incidents.
- Be careful at intersections:
It has been reported that most of the bicycle accidents happen at intersections because bikers do not adequately communicate that in which direction they are going to move. Bikes do not have sparkly turn signals, which is why bikers use hand signals to demonstrate which side they are going to move. Therefore, use these signals properly by giving them some time before the incoming transaction so that the other vehicles on the road can adjust accordingly.
- Enjoy the ride:
Biking can be an enjoyable experience because it gives you some time off from the worries of the world. Therefore, keep all the electronic stash in your pocket and enjoy the ride through various neighborhoods.
- Stay in dedicate bike lanes:
Bike lanes are not available on all the roads in the country, but do not hesitate to use them when you locate them on the way. If more and more cyclists start using them, local municipalities across the country will be more urged to sketch these lanes as consistently as motor vehicle lanes.
In a nutshell, bikes can easily trap you into thinking that they are not dangerous because of lower speeds, but they cause more deaths than motor accidents annually. Therefore, it is high time that you start paying heed to the safety mentioned above, and enjoy safe and memorable bike rides.