| Beep Beep! Honk Honk!!!! Biking on main roads or in traffic can be dangerous (and scary!). It’s crucial to stay alert and be cautious. Remember, you may be riding a bike—but you’re actually driving’ the same way you would if you were in a car. Always follow traffic signals and road signs, just like cars do.
How can you make biking in city situations as safe as possible? Well, let’s find out. How many of these rules do you already follow?
- Always ride on the RIGHT. Remember to ‘go with the flow’. Never, ever ride against traffic. Cars will not be expecting to find a biker when they round a corner or go over a hill.
- Ride single file. When passing other bikers or pedestrians, let them know your position by shouting out something like, ‘On your left!’
- Always check behind you when changing lanes.
- Watch out for dangerous things in the road way. Road litter, potholes, gravel and storm gates can all cause you to lose control.
- Stop at all stop signs and at all street lights. Be extra careful at crossroads.
- Always signal before making a left or right turn. To make a left turn: look behind you, hold your left arm straight out and proceed carefully. For a right turn hold you left arm out and up in an ‘L’ shape.
- Keep control of your bike. Don’t swerve or make sudden turns. Drivers may not be able to react fast enough to avoid colliding with you.
- Ride at least 3 feet away from parked cars. Someone could open their door unexpectedly and well, yikes!
- Listen for cars approaching from the side or behind you.
- Don’t follow cars too closely (you may be in their blind spot).
- Know your road signs (ROAD SIGNS TEST) and obey them. A smart biker follows the rules of the road.
- (And finally!) Always be prepared to stop. Keep your hands on or close to the brakes.
Whew! That’s important stuff! Let’s head to the What To Wear and find out about some cool clothes for biking! On to STATION #4.
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