Tag Archives: bike safety

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

CYCLING ON THE SAFE SIDE: BIKE LIGHTS (GUEST POST)

This article is brought to you by Batterymax.

There’s nothing that can really compare to the exhilarating feeling cruising the roads and streets on your bike.  The cool refreshing wind is blowing on your face.  You’re working on the pedals and with every motion; you get closer to your destination and healthier body.  Cycling in the daytime and in the evening provides distinct experiences.  Mostly with night cycling, there’s an added element of risk.  This is mainly why you need to have essential tools on your bike like bike lights to lower the risk of getting into an accident.

Bike Lights:  What These Mean for You

Bike lights or mountain bike lights can make a huge difference with your experience for night cycling.  It can keep you away from danger and it lessens the risk of you getting into any kind of accident while you’re riding around at night.  In a word, bike lights translate to safety.

How Bike Lights Protect Your Safety from mountain bike lights is a general idea.  You might be thinking about how these can really work to protect you.  Whether you’re using the 900 lumen bike light headlamp set or the Cree 1400 lumen bike light, these tools will give you the light you need so you can see more clearly in the dark – and also it makes you visible to other motorists.

It isn’t hard to imagine how you can get into accidents when it’s pitch black while you’re riding your bike.  There might be a hole on a paved road that can trip you over if you can’t see it.  You would never know how close you are biking on the edge of a ditch if there’s nothing but darkness around you.  What if just as you were riding under a street lamp, it goes out?  When you have bike lights on the handlebars of your bike and a light that’s affixed to your helmet, you can see where you’re going, avoid potholes and stay right on track with safety.

Visibility in cycling is always equated with the bike reflectors.  As useful as these are, they can sometimes fail as it doesn’t reflect light back so that other motorists in the road can see you.  Perhaps if you had your bike covered with reflectors, it might do you some good.  But clearly, you would still need the help of tools like mountain bike lights.  Attached at the back of your bike, and on the sides, you’ll less likely get into a collision with cars and even pedestrians.

If you like cycling, you have to think seriously about getting your bike equipped with safety features.  Whether you’re riding in the daytime or in the nighttime, it’s always better to be on the safe side – and always away from harm’s way.
 
Visit their site  http://www.batterymax.com.au/

P.S.  It’s always a good idea to wear a hi-vis safety vest that shows up well during both day and night.  pb

 

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Head Protection, High Visibility Safety, Protective Clothing

SAFETY TIPS FOR TWO-WHEELERS!

 

The Month of May recognizes two types of riders: first, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and second, Bike Month.  We felt that this would be a good time to feature both forms of riding,  and the safety factors involved to keep all cyclists safe on the roads. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) supports Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  Temperatures are on the rise and motorcyclists and bicyclists are taking to the roads.  This is the time to remind all drivers to share the highways and streets.  The League of American Bicyclists sponsors Bike Month. This year Bike to Work Week is May 14-18, (so think about it), and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18th.  The inaugural Bike to School Day is May 9, 2012.  This is a chance to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride.  Regardless of your reason to ride – commuting to work or school, saving money or time, preserving your health or the environment, exploring your community –  get involved in Bike Month, and possibly recruit more people in your community to ride bikes, as well! 

First, we want to furnish safety tips for bicycle riders; however, many of them apply to motorcyclists, as well. 

  • Follow the rules of the road.
  • Ride with traffic and obey the same laws as motorists.
  • Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction that you are traveling.
  • Always look back and use hand and arm signals to indicate your intention to stop, merge, or turn.
  • Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs, lights, and lane markings.
  • Be visible.
  • Ride where drivers can see you.
  • Wear brightly colored clothing at all times.
  • At night, use a white front light and red rear light or reflector.  Wear reflective tape or clothing.
  • Be Predictable.
  • Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars.
  • Do not ride on the sidewalk.
  • Make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there.
  • Anticipate conflicts.
  • Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to take evasive action.
  • Be extra alert at intersections.
  • Learn braking and turning techniques to avoid crashes.
  • Wear a helmet.
  • Make sure that the helmet fits on top of your head, not tipped back or forward.
  • After a crash or any impact that affects your helmet, visible or not, replace it immediately. 

Are you aware that over two-thirds of vehicle-motorcycle accidents are caused by drivers, not motorcyclists, and lead to more serious injuries and deaths?  The main reason is that drivers tend to look for other vehicles and don’t notice cyclists until it is too late.  There are no seatbelts on motorcycles, of course, so a rider can easily be thrown off in an accident.  Here are some safety tips for motorcyclists:

  • Practice defensive riding.  Avoid riding in blind spots, use turn signals, and extra caution when passing a vehicle.
  • Position yourself to be seen.  Lane placement will help you see further and others see you.
  • Protective eyewear and protective clothing will serve as a buffer from the impact of an accident.
  • Wear a helmet even if it is not required in your state.  Generally speaking, those who wear a helmet suffer far less head injuries and/or are less seriously injured. 

Last, but not least, here are some safety tips for drivers of automobiles and trucks:

  • Be aware of motorcycles and bicycles at intersections and when they may be making a left turn or changing lanes.
  • Anticipate a rider’s maneuver: obstructions that you do not notice may be deadly for a rider.
  • Don’t follow too closely behind a motorcycle; allow plenty of room. 
  • Be courteous to bicycle riders.
  • Be mindful that motorcyclists and bicyclists have the same rights and privileges as other drivers. 

Increased safety will result in increased awareness.  Drive friendly!  Let’s make it a safe summer for everyone.

 

Source: League of American Bicyclists; NHTSA