In 1817, Baron von Drais invented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster: two same-size in-line wheels, the front one steerable, mounted in a frame which you straddled. The device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, thus rolling yourself and the device forward in a sort of gliding walk. The machine became known as the Draisienne or hobby horse. Von Drais' invention was the embryonic phase of what came to be known as the bicycle through its many variations.

The bicycle has played a prominent part in our childhood, youth, and even adulthood. It was through learning how to ride a bicycle that many of us first felt an exhilarating feeling of operating a moving mode of transportation. It propelled us to make friends, get good exercise, and appreciate the outdoors. In communities across the world, there is a growing need and responsibility to provide options that give people the opportunity to bike more often, and to bike to more places. The benefits of riding a bicycle - whether for utilitarian or recreational purposes—can be expressed in terms of improved environmental and personal health, reduced traffic congestion, enhanced quality of life, economic rewards, as well as others.

Nevertheless, there are risks involved when bicyclists do not follow bicycle safety tips and break traffic laws. In 2008, 716 bicyclists were killed and an additional 52,000 were injured in traffic crashes. Bicyclist deaths accounted for two percent of all traffic fatalities, and bicyclists made up two percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year. Even though many of those were caused by motor vehicle driver error, a bicyclist must always be in tune to the defensive side of riding a bike. It's not always as easy as it seems, and maybe its not like "riding a bike" or maybe it is if you get in the habit of riding safely.

The following are some bicycle safety tips from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) that should be followed in going through and continuing the cycle of bicycle safety.

Protect Your Head; Wear a Helmet - Never ride a bicycle without wearing a properly fitted helmet. Helmets are proven to be 85-88 percent effective in preventing traumatic brain injury, the primary cause of death and disabling injuries resulting from cycling crashes.

Assure Bicycle Readiness, Ensure Proper Size and Function of Bicycle - Use a bicycle that fits you, and check all parts of the bicycle to make sure they are secure and working well.

Ride Wisely, Learn and Follow the Rules of the Road - Bicyclists are considered vehicle operators on the road and must follow traffic laws that apply to motor vehicles. Always ride with traffic and obey traffic lights, signs, speed limits, and lane markings. Know your traffic laws found in the state drivers’ licensing handbook. Signal in advance of a turn, use correct hand signals so others can anticipate your actions. Yield to pedestrians and other vehicles, as appropriate. If you choose to ride on a sidewalk, take extra caution at driveways and other intersections. Check for traffic by looking left-right-left before entering a street. Control your speed by using your brakes. If your bicycle has hand brakes, apply the rear brakes slightly before the front brakes.

Be Predictable, Act like a Driver of a Vehicle - Always ride with the flow of traffic, on the right side of the road, and as far to the right of the road as is practical and safe. Motorists do not expect to see traffic coming in the opposite direction or on the sidewalk. When motorists don’t expect to see you, they may pull across your path or turn into you, causing a crash. Ride straight and do not swerve in a lane or in and out of traffic.

Be Visible: See and Be Seen at All Times- Always assume you are not seen by others. To enhance your visibility at night or in low-visibility conditions: wear neon & fluorescent colors, wear special clothing from reflective materials, and install bicycle reflectors on both the front & back of your bicycle. Remember that young children should be discouraged from riding at night.

"Drive" with Care, Share the Road - Choose to ride in the bike lane, if available. If the roadway or bike lane is wide, ride to the right; if the lane is narrow, you may choose to ride in the middle of the lane just like a motorized vehicle. Take extra precautions when riding on a roadway: make eye contact, smile, or wave to communicate with motorists; be considerate and aware of motorists and pedestrians, learn to anticipate their actions, and remember that pedestrians do have the right of way; ride far enough from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars; keep control of your bicycle, look behind you while maintaining your bicycle in a straight path; always look over your shoulder, and if possible, signal before changing lanes; use bells, horns, or your voice to alert pedestrians and bicyclists that you are approaching or passing.

Stay Focused, Stay Alert - Never wear headphones or use an I-Pod while riding, they hinder your ability to hear traffic. Always look for obstacles in your path (potholes, cracks, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you fall). Be aware of the traffic around you, ride defensively. Use extra care when riding in wet weather, slow your speed and allow extra time to stop. Use caution when crossing a railroad track; cross tracks at a 90-degrees angle and proceed slowly.

By constantly following & applying the magnificent seven bicycle safety messages on the "cycle of bicycle safety", you can play an imperative role in reducing fatalities & injuries to bicyclists and be breaking away from danger.

Labels: bicycle safety, bicyclists, bike safety, traffic safety

The first recorded traffic collision in the US occurred in May 1896 when Henry Wells, driving a Duryea motor wagon, struck and injured a cyclist. The cyclist wound up with a broken leg and Mr. Wells spent the night in jail. Things have changed since that time. In 2008, 716 cyclists were killed in traffic crashes and 52,000 were injured. Florida, the fourth largest state, led the nation with 125 bicycle deaths followed by California with 109.

Cycling has become a popular form of exercise and cyclists are appearing more and more on America's roads. More and more, cities are trying to make their roads friendlier to cyclists by creating cycling lanes but, for the great majority of roads, cyclists must share the same lanes with other traffic. All states have laws giving cyclists a right to use the road and requiring them to follow all the same laws and regulations that apply to motorists. Unfortunately, in many regions of the US where cycling is growing in popularity, tensions are growing between cyclists and motorists. When it comes to sharing the road, both motorists and cyclists need to understand the rules and exercise a little common sense.

Right-of-way

When it comes to who has the right-of-way, both cyclists and motorists need to understand that no one can take the right-of-way; they can only give it up to someone else. Courtesy on the road- even when it isn't returned - is critical to preventing conflicts and saving lives.

Motorists

• Motorists need to understand that cyclists have a right to the road and need to be alert to their presence. To avoid conflicts with cyclists, there are a few things that motorists need to know and understand.


• Cycles, whether motorized or not, have a small profile and can be difficult to see. Most of us expect to see cars but we don’t tend to look for or anticipate that there might be a cyclist in the area.


• Speed is a major contributor to collisions between motorists and cyclists. Speeding doesn't give you time to react if you encounter a cyclist around a curve or over a hill.


• Anticipate that there might be one or more cyclists over the next hill or around the next curve.


• Before making a right hand turn at an intersection, check for cyclists coming up in your right side blind spot.


• Before entering an intersection after a stop, check for cyclists approaching from the left. Look left, right, then, left again, before pulling out into the intersection.


• Be especially watchful for cyclists when making turns, either left or right.


• Allow at least three feet clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road.


• Look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space.


• Yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals.
  
• Cyclists can stop much faster than a car; allow a greater following distance behind cyclists.


• When it appears that you will meet an oncoming vehicle and a cyclist at the same time, slow to let the other vehicle pass before attempting to pass the cyclist.
  Do not drive in a bicycle lane unless you are turning across it.

When the lane is too narrow to pass a cyclist safely, wait until the next lane is clear and give the bicycle all the rights of any other slow moving vehicle.

• Be especially careful around children riding bicycles.


• When encountering debris, potholes, or other obstructions, cyclists may need to "command the lane", meaning, they will need to move over into the center or left hand portion of the lane. Exercise patience and wait for a safe opportunity to pass.


• When roads are wet, they can be very slippery for a cyclist. Allow them extra room.

Cyclists

• All cyclists should wear properly fitted bicycle helmets whenever they ride. A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash.


• Always ride on the right hand side of the road with traffic.


• Cyclists are subject to the same rules of the road as any other vehicle operator. Obey all lane markings, signs, and signals.


• Cyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, dawn, and dusk.


• When riding at night, increase your visibility by using a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light, and use retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment or clothing.


• Be courteous to motorists, even if the courtesy isn't returned. It can help keep you alive.

Although you have a right to the road, if there is a conflict with a motorist, it is better to pull over and stop than to risk a collision.

• Don't try to force the issue of your "right to the road" by commanding the lane to slow down traffic. Pull to the right and allow traffic to pass whenever practicable.


• If you encounter an angry motorist, don't add fuel to the fire by making gestures or responding in any negative way. Your actions could push a motorist over that psychological edge into a "road rage" situation. Concentrate on your own safety.

Labels: bicycle safety, blind spot, driver safey, helmet, motorist safety, right-of-way

Spring has sprung and that means road conditions will be changing. One of the primary issues drivers will face as the weather warms is the increase of pedestrians and bicyclists on the road. According to the Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHSA), pedestrian fatalities make up about 11 percent of all traffic fatalities and there are approximately 4,600 pedestrian deaths and 70,000 injuries in roadway crashes every year. The states with the highest pedestrian fatality rates in proportion to their population are:

1. District of Columbia
2. Florida
3. New Mexico
4. Louisiana

One thing D.C. and these states have in common is a high tourism rate and, with the possible exception of D.C., these states also enjoy a longer warm weather season, bringing more pedestrians and bicyclists out onto the road. That isn’t to say that other parts of the country that don’t enjoy such warm weather have nothing to worry about. Pedestrian safety is an issue nationwide. At this time of year, with more pedestrians on the road, it’s time to review some of the safety issues regarding pedestrians and bicyclists.

A common reason for collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians is that the driver didn’t see the pedestrian in time to avoid hitting them. While this may sometimes be the fault of the pedestrian (due to lighting conditions and dark clothing) it doesn’t relieve the driver of responsibility. A common rule of law is that drivers must do everything in their power to avoid a collision, even if they had the right-of-way at the time the collision occurred. Many pedestrian collisions are the result of drivers allowing themselves to be distracted and not paying full attention to the road.

Another issue is aggressive driving; drivers going too fast for conditions, making illegal turns, or failing to use turn signals. Another common rule of law is that people who are breaking any traffic law (speeding, not using turn signals, etc.) forfeit their right-of-way because others can't be expected to predict their unlawful behavior. So, the burden seems to be on the driver.

To avoid collisions with pedestrians drivers need to:

• Pay attention to the roadway ahead – Don’t just look in front of the vehicle but look at least 12-15 seconds or a full city block down the road ahead.



• Try to predict where a pedestrian conflict might occur – Neighborhoods with no sidewalks and lots of kids, areas where joggers are commonly encountered, school bus stops, and tourist or commercial areas where people may congregate are examples. Be especially alert for pedestrians walking out from between parked cars. Expect someone to walk out in front of you and plan for it.



• Watch your speed – Especially in neighborhoods where lots of people may be out for an evening stroll. The speed limit is set for ideal conditions. Just because it is legal to do the speed limit doesn’t mean you have to. You can be charged with driving too fast for conditions even if you aren’t exceeding the speed limit.



• Watch for bicyclists – Cyclists have a right to use the road and should be given the same respect and space as any other vehicle. Cyclists have a low profile which sometimes makes them difficult to see. Always look twice at an intersection for cyclists before proceeding.



• Be especially watchful for children – Children are always unpredictable and they often don’t realize how fast a car is traveling or the consequences of their actions. Be especially watchful for children when backing out of a driveway. Your visibility is limited behind your car and even small cars can have a surprisingly large blind spot behind the vehicle. More than two children every week are killed in the US by someone backing over them.

Pedestrians also have a responsibility to avoid a collision. To remain safe, pedestrians should observe these rules:

• When walking on a roadway, always walk against traffic – This means you should be facing oncoming traffic so that you can see and adjust to any unusual conditions. It is much easier for you to adjust than for a vehicle that is moving much faster.



• Wear light colored clothing – Don’t make yourself harder to see. You shouldn’t make it harder for a driver who is traveling much faster than you to see you just because you have the right-of-way.



• Exercise patience - If you are unsure of a vehicle’s speed or a driver’s intentions, don’t take a chance. Wait for the vehicle to pass before proceeding. Don’t expect a driver to yield it to you just because you legally have the right-of-way.



• If you are walking a dog, make sure it is on a leash – No matter how well trained, animals are always unpredictable. Don’t force a driver to choose between hitting your dog, another vehicle, or you.



• Teach your children how to be safe pedestrians – Never allow small children to walk on or cross a street by themselves. Teach them to never walk behind a vehicle that could or may be backing up. Children should never be allowed to play in driveways.



• Make your child wear a helmet when they are on a bicycle – Severe brain injury can easily happen at low speeds and most states have helmet laws for children. Teach your children how to ride safely and never let them ride after dark.

Enjoy the warm weather, but don’t forget your responsibility to always be on guard when you are on the road.

Labels: bicycle safety, pedestrian safety

Bicycle riding is fun and healthy. But remember, a bicycle is a vehicle, not a toy. When you ride, be sure to:

• Make sure your bicycle is ready to ride.
• Before riding, always inspect your bike to be sure all parts are secure and working properly.
• Protect your brain and save your life.
  

Always wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet. For more information, consult the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication "Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet."

• Make sure your bicycle fits your body. If using a road bike, here should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar); if using a mountain bicycle, it should be 3 to 4 inches. Front to back, the seat should be level. Adjust the seat height to allow a slight bend at the knee when your leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be aligned with your seat.
• Check your tires and brakes. Inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work before riding.
• See and be seen. You need to be seen by others, whether you’re riding daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather, or at night. It has not been shown that wearing white does not make you more visible. Instead, always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding, and add something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. It is wise to remember that just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.
• Control your bicycle. Never ride without at least one hand on the handlebars at all times. Books and other things should be carried in a bicycle carrier or backpack.
• Watch out for and avoid road hazards. Potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves, and dogs are just some hazards that can cause a crash. Yell out and point to the hazard to the cyclists behind you if you are riding with someone.
• Do not ride at night. It is far more risky to ride at night because it is harder for others to see you. If you must ride at night, wear something that makes you more easily seen by others. Be sure you have reflectors on the front and rear of your bicycle (many states require white lights on the front and red rear reflectors), in addition to reflectors on your tires, so others can see you.
  

Rules of Bicycling on the Road

Many bicycle-related crashes resulting in injury or death are the result of the bicyclist’s behavior, including such things as not wearing a bicycle helmet, cycling into a street without stopping, making a left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, blowing past a stop sign, and cycling the wrong way in traffic. To be the safest you can be, always wear a helmet AND follow the rules of the road.

In many states, bicycles are considered vehicles, and cyclists have the same responsibilities to follow the rules of the road as motorists. When cycling, always:

• Ride with the traffic flow. Bike on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Ride with the flow - not against it.
• Follow all traffic laws. You’re the driver, and bicycle is a vehicle. When biking in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
• Yield to traffic when you should. Drivers on a smaller road almost always must wait for traffic on a major or larger road. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from out of a driveway, from a sidewalk, or a bike path, for example, you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. You must also yield to pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk.
• Don't be surprising. Stay straight, not in and out of cars. Signal your turns to others.
• At all times, stay alert. Use not only your eyes but your ears too. Be on the lookout for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. To avoid dangerous situations, you need your ears to hear traffic; don't wear a headset when you ride.
• Look before turning. Always look behind you for a break in traffic before you turn, then signal before making the turn. Look out for left- or right-turning traffic.
• Look for parked cars. Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars (opening doors, or cars pulling out, for example).
  

Street versus Sidewalk Riding

The street is the safest place for bicycle riding, where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists and ride in the same direction.

• Children less than 10 years old are not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the street. Kids are better off riding on the sidewalk.

If you must ride on a sidewalk:

• Check the law in your state or jurisdiction to make sure riding on the sidewalk is allowed.
• Look out for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways.
• Halt at corners of sidewalks and streets to look both ways for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.
• Enter a street at a corner as opposed to entering between parked cars. Alert pedestrians that you are closing upon them by saying, "Excuse me," or, "Passing on your left," or use a bell or horn.
  

Schools, parents and communities can learn more about driver education and safety at America's Driver License Headquarters TestQuestionsandAnswers.com. Try a Free DMV Practice Test online!

Labels: bicycle safety, bike safety, traffic laws