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2.B - RidinG safety
. You are sharing the road or the path with
others — motorists, pedestrians and other
cyclists. Respect their rights.
. Ride defensively. Always assume that others
do not see you.
3. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
• Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road
or your lane ahead of you, or coming up
behind you.
• Parked car doors opening.
• Pedestrians stepping out.
• Children or pets playing near the road.
• Pot holes, sewer grating, railroad tracks,
expansion joints, road or sidewalk construction,
debris and other obstructions that could cause
you to swerve into traffic, catch your wheel or
otherwise cause you to lose control and have
an accident.
• The many other hazards and distractions
which can occur on a bicycle ride.
4. Ride in designated bike lanes, on designated
bike paths or as close to the edge of the road
as possible, in the direction of traffic flow or as
directed by local governing laws.
5. Stop at stop signs and traffic lights; slow down
and look both ways at street intersections.
Remember that a bicycle always loses in a
collision with a motor vehicle, so be prepared
to yield even if you have the right of way.
6. Use approved hand signals for turning and
stopping.
7. Never ride with headphones. They mask traffic
sounds and emergency vehicle sirens, distract
you from concentrating on what’s going on
around you, and their wires can tangle in the
moving parts of the bicycle, causing you to
lose control.
8. Never carry a passenger, unless it is a small
child wearing an approved helmet and secured
in a correctly mounted child carrier or a child-
carrying trailer.
9. Never carry anything which obstructs your
vision or your complete control of the bicycle,
or which could become entangled in the
moving parts of the bicycle.
0. Never hitch a ride by holding on to another
vehicle.
. Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. If you intend
to do stunts, wheelies, jumps or go racing
with your bike despite our advice not to, read
SECTION .F, Downhill, Stunt or Competition
Biking, now. Think carefully about your skills
before deciding to take the large risks that go
with this kind of riding.
12. Don’t weave through traffic or make any
moves that may surprise people with whom
you are sharing the road.
3. Observe and yield the right of way.
4. Never ride your bicycle while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.
5. If possible, avoid riding in bad weather, when
visibility is obscured, at dawn, dusk or in the
dark, or when extremely tired. Each of these
conditions increases the risk of accident.
