Rs Law Offices/Our blog/Basic Bike Safety

Basic Bike Safety

03/04/2022

Since 2014, in Los Angeles, more than 180 bicyclists lost their lives when colliding with motor vehicles in and around Los Angeles. More than 50,000 bicyclists suffer serious injuries in such collisions nationally. Understanding some basic bike safety might help you better avoid accidents in the future.

As bicycles increase in daily use for Americans, it is incumbent on bike riders to not just know their rights, but how to be a part of the traveling ecosystem, along with motor vehicles and pedestrians. Bicycle riders have the same responsibilities as motor vehicles, as well as the same rights. Making safer choices is always an option when riding a bike.


Avoiding Accidents

Most bicycling deaths occur, statistically, between 6 and 9 PM, and more often in urban areas. One in four fatal bicycle crashes in the year 2019 involved an inebriated cyclist (one who had been drinking alcohol). A few tips to ride safely:

  • Make sure the bike is your size, and therefore
    easy to control
  • Wear visibility and protective gear
  • Don’t carry anything in your arms while riding –
    use a backpack or strap it to the back of the bike
  • Tie your shoelaces
  • Plan your route

Wearing a Helmet

Helmets might seem an obvious choice, but many people forego them for personal reasons, putting them at risk of severe injury or even death in an accident. Most important about a bike helmet is that it should fit you – the better it fits, the more it can protect you. Sizes can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so be sure to assess your proper size before buying one.

Driving Defensively

Driving defensively is just as it sounds – staying alert and focused so that you can be the first person to avoid or pull yourself away from an accident. Anticipating the moves of those around you is key – other bikers, motor vehicles, pedestrians, animals, faulty roads – there are countless potential obstacles on the road for bicycles. A few good general guidelines:

  • Drive in the same direction as traffic
  • Obey all street signs and lights, road markings and signals, just as you would if you were driving a car
  • Don’t get distracted – listening to music or anything else that keeps your ears, eyes, or mind off the task at hand will distract you. You need to keep all senses on the road and analyze traffic
  • Always assume the other person cannot see you
  • Keep an eye out for obstacles that can get in your way

Becoming a Better Bike Rider

If you’re just learning how to ride a bike, or even if you want to up your skill level, driving in a park or somewhere else away from traffic can help. There may also be classes you can take to get better and safer at riding a bike.

Conclusion

Bicycles are often an afterthought for distracted drivers. They don’t think about them until they see them, which is often too late. As a bike rider, it’s your job to stay alert and keep yourself and those around you safe.

blogs

You might like

Lemon Laws for Defective Hyundai Vehicles in California

If your newly acquired or leased Hyundai car has repeated problems that require repair, the vehicle manufacturer or its licensed representative owes you a refund, repair, or replacement.  If you wind up with a lemon car and the manufacturer is not willing to take care of the vehicle, you will need to seek the counsel […]

07/09/2020
Read more

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

The pedestrian fatality rate in Arizona is more than double that of the national average, at 1.61 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. Most of these are male pedestrians, killed at a rate of almost three times as much as female pedestrians. Keeping pedestrians safe is everyone’s job, but as a pedestrian, you should understand the […]

26/09/2022
Read more

What to Know About Arizona’s Lemon Law

Like many other states, Arizona has a Lemon Law in place to help protect consumers who buy faulty vehicles from being stuck with them with no recourse. Arizona’s lemon law, though, is a little different from other states, with certain restrictions in place that are specific to Arizona. Here are a few basic guidelines to […]

16/05/2022
Read more

Five Apps Every Trucker Should Have

Driving a tractor trailer or any other large vehicle isn’t just about long hours, lots of miles and making sure you’re still driving safely after those lengthy days. It’s a lifestyle, and like any other connected lifestyle in the 21st century, there are plenty of apps to go around designed to help make a truck […]

16/02/2023
Read more

Car Crashes and Pedestrians in LA

Every year, we check over grim statistics about car accidents, fatalities, damages, and injuries. We always hope that the number will go down, that we will have learned something from the previous years. Unfortunately, though, that is not always the case. But that doesn’t mean that it is not worth it to try. Just knowing […]

03/10/2021
Read more

Hit by a Police Car? Here’s What You Need to Know

Although car accidents are pretty common on Californian roads, car crashes involving law enforcement officers are quite rare. However, this is not to mean they do not happen. A police officer might cause an accident during a police chase against a suspect, or even due to negligence. What do you do when you are injured […]

15/03/2021
Read more

Five Products for Increased Pedestrian Safety

While pedestrians typically have the right of way in most places, that doesn’t automatically make everyone around you a better or safer driver. As pedestrians, we have to activelypractice safety in order to make sure that we are the ones most responsible for our personal safety. Staying aware of our surroundings is always step number […]

21/10/2022
Read more

Five Things to Know About Bike Accidents in Arizona

Bicycling may be the way to go for sustainable transportation, but that’s all the more reason why anyone in Arizona should make sure to practice basic bicycle safety. Over 47 million people in the United States ride bicycles, and that number will likely increase as some urban centers move away from fossil fuels and even […]

25/07/2022
Read more

Courtroom Movies for the Holidays

As winter sets in, the holiday season has truly begun. Many of us are looking forward to seeing our loved ones, some of us for the first time in a long time. Besides feasts and fireside chats, a lot of families have a tradition of gathering together and watching a holiday classic. Through the years, […]

06/12/2021
Read more

Driving Tips for Warm Weather

As winter thaws and we move into spring and summer, the roads will soon begin filling up with road-trippers and people moving cross country. The more cars on the road, and the more freedom we have in that nice, warm weather, the more risk we’re at of some kind of accident. Here are a few […]

09/05/2022
Read more

contact form

Get in touch

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.