Bicycle Safety Is The Most Important Thing

When riding a bicycle the rider has to be very careful about his or her safety. Not only bicyclers every person riding a vehicle should be careful and take all the necessary measures to stay safe. Compared to all other vehicles bicycle is the most dangerous vehicle and needs extra effort to stay safe. A person who is going on a ride should wear all the gear necessary like helmet, elbow pads, knee pads and good shoes. Lacking any of these things can result in major injury. Wearing a helmet will always keep your head safe even if you tend to fall down, in any scenario if you fall of the cycle your elbows and knees will be safe.

Other vehicles like a bike or a car have their own body bike is bigger and heavier and in case of a car you are safely sitting inside. If you are hit when you are on a bike, it is quite possible that your bike might take the brunt rather than you. In a car a normal hit will not even hurt the driver. But while riding a bicycle you are the one who will be hit directly as it has no much of its own body. Even if you are hit slightly and you are on your fastest speed you will be thrown in the air and will land up miles ahead.

Do not choose a place which is busy with traffic because while learning you will fall hundred times and you need to be sure that while one of your fall does not land below a running vehicle. Give more importance to safety.

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Tips for Safe Bicycling

Riding a bike is a great hobby and wonderful way to exercise, but it can be dangerous if you don’t take the necessary precautions, safety measures, and if you don’t follow the rules of the road. Other than the most obvious safety tip of wearing a helmet, here are some other tips for safe bicycling that will save your life and prevent you from getting into an accident.

Avoid Busy Streets
Whenever possible, don’t ride on busy streets. The less cars on the road with you, the less your chances are of getting hit by a car. And, if there are cars on these side roads, they will be driving a lot slower than a main road.

Light Up Your Bike
If you ride at night, or even late in the afternoon or early evening, you should put some lights on your bike. Bike shops sell rear red blinking lights for $15 or less. Or, you can probably find them online for even cheaper money. You’ll want headlights too. Buy LED lights because they will last a lot longer.

Be a Road Hog
Yes, that’s right. When on a bike it is safer to take up the entire lane. At the least, ride as close to the center as you can, instead of hugging the curb. This way you’ll be able to better see the cars at the intersections in front of you; cars won’t be able to pass to close to you on skinny roads, and the cars behind you will be able to see you well.

Hand Signals
If you let motorists know which way you are going, they will be less likely to hit you. Every time you are going to make a turn, use your arm signals before you start turning. Point your left arm out straight when you are going to be turning left and point your right arm out straight if you are planning to turn right. And, even when you signal, it is still vital that you look behind you to before you make your turn, to avoid a collision with a vehicle.

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3 Ways to Prevent Getting Hit by a Car When Cycling

Riding a bike is a great way to exercise, see the sites, get fresh air, and even release some stress. But, when you are out riding, you must be very careful so that you don’t get hit by a car. There are many precautions a cyclist should take when out on the road, like wearing reflective clothing, head lights, wearing bright clothes, and having blinking lights on your bicycle. But it never hurts to know as much as you can to prevent an accident. Here are 3 ways to prevent getting hit by a car when cycling.

The Rear End

Never move left, like to go around something in the road such as a parked car, trash, or road kill, without looking behind you first. If you must, come to a complete stop to make sure no cars are coming up behind you because when you swerve left, you’ll swerve right into the car. The car probably won’t be able to move quickly to get out of your way.

The Left Cross

When you are at a four-way intersection, going straight, and a car is coming from the opposite direction, and is taking a left turn, watch out. Be careful of these cars turning right in front of you, or right into you. To avoid crashes like these you should avoid riding on the sidewalk because when you come off, you are invisible to turning cars. Don’t pass cars on the right as it makes left-turning motorist unaware of your presence. If you are not able to make eye contact with the driver, come to a complete stop to be safe.

Red Light of Death

When there is a car or truck waiting at a red light at an intersection and you stop to the right of the car, the car can’t see you and you can’t see if they have their blinker on or not. When that car turns right, they will drive right into you. It is very important that you do not stop in the vehicle’s blind spot. Always stop behind a car, not next to it.

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Baltimore County Plans to Improve Bike Trails

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Baltimore County has drafted plans to improve biking and walking paths that will make it easier for people to reach cities, colleges, and train stations without relying on motor vehicles. The county gathered much of the information needed to suit the needs of residents by holding four meetings in the county’s residential areas.

The current draft includes plans to create paths specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists. This would create a safe option for those who do not want to use roads that used by motor vehicles. The plans will also increase the number of designated pedestrian and bike paths, making it possible for individuals to travel throughout the county without using cars, trucks, or other motorized vehicles.

Baltimore County also plans to install more bike racks and improve sidewalks.

Making the area friendlier to pedestrians and bikers will require a consider amount of effort. Residents have already started pitching in to make plans a reality. Volunteers currently remove trash and other debris from existing trails.

There is some concern about pedestrian safety on trails that also allow bikes. Some residents have complained that the bicycles present a danger to those walking along the paths, especially during darker times of the day such as early morning and dusk. Complaints are most commonly directed at heavily trafficked trails, such as the Trolley Line No. 9 trail that stretches from Edmonson Ave. to Oella Ave.

Regardless of what planner decide to do about traffic problems on trails, one thing is certain: encouraging more people to use bikes will improve congesting on city roads. Many people in the area drive to train stations, park their vehicles, and then commute to work via rails. An improved system of bike trails would make it easier for commuters to leave their cars at home. This would not only relieve congestion on the streets, but also require fewer parking spaces at the stations.

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Basic Rules for Cycling Safety

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It’s important to wear a helmet while riding a bike, but there are plenty of other safety rules that you should follow. . If you are ever hit by a car moving at a high speed, then chances are the helmet won’t save you. The best thing to do is avoid getting hit in the first place. Your helmet then becomes a back-up plan for safety. Knowing where to ride could is as important as reliable safety gear.

Always Ride on the Correct Side of the Street

Bikers who ride on the wrong side of the street are taking serious risks. Many cyclists feel uncomfortable riding with the flow of traffic because they can’t see the cars behind them. Putting a mirror on your helmet or handle bars will solve this problem.

The worst thing about riding on the wrong side of the street is that you increase your chances of getting seriously injured when you have an accident. Say, for instance, that you are hit by a car from behind moving at 35 mph while you’re moving at 10 mph. That’s like getting hit by a vehicle driving at 25. If you had the same collision with an oncoming car, though, it would be like being struck by a car moving at 45 mph.

Avoid the Far Right Side of the Outer Lane

Most cyclists stick to the outer lane whenever possible. Doing so reduces the amount of auto traffic that you have to deal with. Riding on the far right side of the outer lane, however, can be very dangerous. If you are right up against the curb, then chances are that vehicles approaching perpendicular intersections will not be able to spot you. They’ll pull out without ever seeing you, which means that the two of you could easily collide.

Riding on the far edge is also dangerous when there is a parking lane for cars. Hugging the curb makes it much more likely that you’ll be struck by a car door. Floating along the left edge of the lane will make you more visible to parked cars.

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St. Charles County, MO May Ban Bikes on Some Roads

Atlantic coast bike path
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A controversy over bicycles has exploded in St. Charles County, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis. Some residents argue that bikes should be banned on the county’s most dangerous roads. This, of course, has been met with strong opposition from riders who enjoy using the area’s hilly, windy roads.

Supporters of the ban argue that using bicycles on certain roads create a dangerous situation for everyone, including those driving cars. One woman at a recent meeting says that her daughter died in an accident that occurred when the young driver turned a curve only to find a bike rider right in front of her. The woman’s daughter swerved to avoid the rider. She then hit a tree and was thrown from the vehicle.

There are some obvious dangers to riding bikes on winding roads, but this does not necessarily mean that bikes should be banned. Alternatives include banning bikes from specific stretches of the most dangerous roads, requiring bicyclists to take certain protective measures, and lowering the speed limit for motorists.

News reports have not even mentioned the possibility of creating bike lanes that would make it easier for motorists and bicyclists to share the road without endangering each other.

The legal issue goes beyond whether the county should ban bikes. There is also a question of whether the county even has the authority to ban bikes on its roads.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, state law gives them control over roads built using state funds. That would include the major roads in St. Charles County. Melissa Anderson of MoDOT adds that the ban is unenforceable and that MoDOT will refuse to give the county permission to post signs preventing bike travel on state roads.

Supporters of the ban argue that the county’s home-rule charter gives it authority to ban bikes.

Bikers in the region have quite a lot to lose with this ban. The ban would prevent them from traveling freely without motor vehicles while eliminating some of the most challenging roads in the area from their training schedules.

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