How To Keep Yourself Safe as a Cyclist on the Road

 

How To Keep Yourself Safe as a Cyclist on the Road

Being a cyclist means knowing your place on the road and always watching your

surroundings. Here’s how you can stay safe while cycling on the road.

There are so many benefits to choosing a bike for transportation, especially as

environmental concerns become more serious. Many people decide to switch to a

bike for an easier ride or to get some exercise while they commute. But cycling on

the road, especially where car traffic is heavy, comes with a host of risks that you

need to consider to protect yourself and others. Here’s how to keep yourself safe as

a cyclist on the road so that you can enjoy your bike rides free of worry.

Ride Like You’re Driving a Car

For the most part, you’ll want to treat your ride as though you were in a car when it

comes to the rules of the road. You don’t get extra freedoms just because you’re on

a bike. You still need to obey all signs and traffic lights, you still need to yield for

pedestrians, and you can’t hop up onto the sidewalk for a second to circumnavigate

an obstacle. Some classifications of e-bike even have speed limits that you need to

follow unless you want a ticket.

Wear Proper Safety Equipment

No matter how safe you are, you can only control your own actions—not the actions

of those around you. The best way to keep yourself safe as a cyclist on the road is to

wear proper safety gear every time you ride. At the very least, never ride your bike

on the street without wearing a helmet. In a worst-case scenario, a sturdy helmet can

turn a fatal accident into something much less serious.

Don’t Ride Distracted

Everyone understands how dangerous texting and driving is, and texting while biking

isn’t that much safer. Even being on your phone while on your bike might distract you

long enough to cause an accident. And even if you don’t sustain any injuries

yourself, your distraction might cause a driver to overcorrect and hurt someone else.

Keep your eyes on the road ahead of you and your surroundings; that way, everyone

gets home safe.

Stay Reflective at Night

Night cycling presents a few new challenges, but your primary concern will be to

make sure that drivers can still see you. Even in well-lit areas, cyclists can disappear

into pockets of darkness faster than you might think. Wearing reflective or bright

clothing at night can help a lot, but if you don’t have any, at least make sure you

have reflectors on your bike to help drivers see you.