1 You are sharing the road or the path with
others – motorists, pedestrians and other
cyclists. Respect their rights.
2 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, drain gratings, tram tracks,
expansion joints, road or pavement
construction, debris and other obstructions
that could cause you to swerve into traffic,
catch your wheel or cause you to 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 laws.
5 Stop at stop signs and traffic lights; slow
down and look both ways at road junctions.
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. When carrying a child
in a child seat, ensure that any saddle coil
springs are covered to eliminate the possibility
of the child’s fingers becoming trapped.
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.
10 Never hitch a ride by holding on to
another vehicle.
11Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. If you
intend to do stunts, wheelies, jumps or go
racing with your bike read Section 2.F,
Downhill, Stunt or Competition Riding
,
now
.
Think carefully about your skills before
deciding to take the significant risks that go
with this kind of riding.
12 Don’t weave through traffic or make any
moves that may surprise the people with
whom you are sharing the road.
13 Observe and yield the right of way.
14 Never ride your bicycle while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.
15 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.
B. Riding Safety
9
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