Safe riding tips
Safety is your number
one priority when riding Envirobikes electric bicycles to school,
work, the grocery store, the local shopping mall or just to visit one of your
friends. You probably travel less than 10 or 15 miles on most daily trips.
During that trip you will come into contact with other vehicles..
Let's cut to the chafe, the number one cause of accidents involves crashes with
an automobile. Most times it is because the car driver simply did not see
you. The following tips will help you to stay safe and avoid
some of the most common accidents that bicyclist's encounter.
Open the Door, it's Domino!
Well, not exactly. A driver opens his door right in front of you. You wind
up running into it if you can't stop in time. If the driver exits the car before you hit the door, you will end up smashing them too when you hit their car door. You both end up getting hurt..
How to avoid this collision:
Ride to the left. Ride far enough to the left that you won't have the
driver's door open in your face unexpectedly. You may be wary about
riding so far into the lane that cars can't pass you easily but, you’re
MUCH more likely to get doored by a careless parker than you are to get hit
from behind by a car which can clearly see you.
Blind at the Light:
You stop to the right of a car that's already waiting at a red light
or stop sign. They can't see you while they are talking on the cell phone.
When the light turns green, you begin forward and then they turn right,
right into you. Even small cars can pinch you in this way, but this
scene is especially dangerous when it's a bus or a semi-tractor that you're
stopping next to. Always assume that the driver to your left can NOT see you.
How to avoid this collision:
Don't stop in the car's blind spot. Simply stop BEHIND a
car., instead of to the right of it. This makes you very visible to
traffic on all sides. It's impossible for the car behind you to avoid seeing
you when you stop right in front of him.
Rightie
Tightie .
If a car passes you and then tries to make a right turn directly in front of
you or, right into you. They think you are not going very fast just
because you are on a bicycle, so it never occurs to them that they can't pass
you in time. Even if you have to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting
them, they often won't feel they have done anything wrong. This kind of
collision is very hard to avoid because you typically don't see it until the
last second and, because there's nowhere for you to go except straight into the
car.
How to avoid this collision:
a)Look in your mirror before approaching an intersection. Be sure to look in your mirrors before you get to the intersection. When you are actually going through an intersection, you'll need to be paying very close attention for autos that may make a right hand turn right in to you. Ride defensively through an intersection.
b) Ride to the left. Taking up the whole lane makes it harder for drivers to pass you then, cut you off or turn into you. Don't feel bad about taking the lane: If motorists didn't threaten your life by turning in front of or, into you or passing you too closely, then you wouldn't have to. If the lane you're in isn’t wide enough for a car to pass you safely, then you should take the whole lane anyway. Lane possession is discussed later on.
c) Don ride your bike on the sidewalk then drive directly in to the street. When you come off the sidewalk to cross the street you are invisible to a motorist who is looking over the street for other cars. You are begging to be hit if you do this.
Leftie
Loosie.
You try to pass a slow-moving car (or even another biker) on the right, suddenly they make a right hand turn into you, trying to turn onto a side street or an available parking spot.
How to avoid this collision:
Always pass on the Left. This contact with another vehicle is easy to avoid. Just get into the habit of passing on the Left side. If a car in front of you is going very slowly then assume they are looking to make a sudden change in direction. Stay a safe distance behind them until they make a clear indication as to what they are doing.
b) If you are passing a cyclist on the left, announce “on your left” before you start passing, so they do not suddenly move left into you. ( a cyclist is much less likely to move ‘left’ without looking where they could be hit by traffic, than to suddenly mover right into a destination.) If you are riding behind and center to the cyclist in front of you and they are in the left lane, to safely pass on the right ,look to your right first ,then move right. Announce ‘on your right’, before passing on their right.
c) If several cars are stopped at a light, then you can try passing on the right with great caution! Remember that someone may open the passenger door unexpectedly as they exit the car. Also remember that if you pass on the right and the traffic begins moving, you may find yourself getting pinched by someone making a right hand turn.
d) When you are following behind a slow-moving vehicle always ride behind it, not in it’s ‘blind spot’ off center to the right or left. Even if you are not passing a car on the right, you could still run into it if they turn right while you’re to the right of the car. Give yourself enough room to brake away if the vehicle in front of you decides to make a turn.
e) Always check to see if someone is behind you before making a right hand turn. You can easily avoid cyclists who try to pass you on your right without signaling their presence just by looking over your shoulder. Even if it’s their fault for causing the accident, it will still hurt and bang up your bike. Simply look before making a turn is a good practice to get into; it’s also good exercise for your neck, back and shoulders.
Hit
from behind
You are traveling along and there is an obstruction in the lane ahead. As you move over to the left you see a car coming up from behind.
How to avoid this collision:
a) Before attempting to ride in heavy city traffic get some practice holding a straight line while traveling on a less crowded street. Just like a new driver learning to drive a car, check your side mirror well in advance of moving to the left. of the obstruction.
b) Use your turn signal or hand signal to let the car driver know you intend to move over. Courtesy can go a long way when you venture onto the street.
c) Do not weave in and out of your lane. No one appreciates a bike that has little regard for the rules of the road. If you are traveling in the parking lane use that lane, if there is an obstruction, begin to move to the left when it’s safe to do so.
d) If the lane gets too crowded, Stop and let traffic go by. It is a lot less painful to wait for a break in traffic, than it is to get clipped either by a moving vehicle or a parked car mirror.
