Cycling is an amazing way to keep your fitness up. It provides a fantastic cardio workout, gets your heart pumping and builds leg strength. Many people are now building the exercise into their daily commute. More and more of us are getting out of the gym and onto our road bikes, especially in cities. We love the energy! Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to this. With increased cyclists comes increased road accidents. Every day, cyclists are seriously injured and killed on our roads. Today we’ll show you how to stay safe out there.
Wear a helmet – We really shouldn’t have to say this out loud. Unfortunately, thousands are still hitting the roads without any protection for their head. Even the smallest knock or fall can cause concussion or long term brain damage. Worse, it could kill you. We know you spent hours perfecting your hairdo this morning! But, helmet hair is a small price to pay for your own safety.
Pick up some extra training – In every city there are now schemes to help improve your skills. They cover your basic technique training. This will give you more balance and confidence on the bike itself. More importantly, they’ll help teach you the etiquette and laws of being a cyclist on the road. This is more important than you might think.
Cycle confidently in your lane – One of the biggest dangers we see is cyclists sticking close to the curb. Cycle in the road, not the gutter! Moving over doesn’t make you safer. Instead, it makes it more difficult for cars to see you. It also makes it more difficult for you as you can easily lose control when you’re that close to the curb. Cycle confidently in your lane with a good space either side of you.
Make eye contact and strong indications – This one is more important than you might think. The simple trick of making eye contact with drivers might just save your life. Make sure they know you’re there. Making eye contact means they’ve definitely seen you and they’ll take action to avoid you. Do this before every big maneuver. Finally, when turning, make strong indication gestures. Be confident and obvious.
Obey the traffic laws – If you’re cycling on the road, then the road rules apply to you! If you are involved in an accident, it’s likely that you’ll seek compensation. The experts at Avrek Accident Attorneys tell us that it’s much harder to prove guilt if you haven’t stuck to the law! Not only that, but it’s dangerous. The big problem here is running red lights. These do apply to cyclists too! Yet so many bikers skip the light, often to awful consequences. Even if there is no sign of traffic, obey the lights. Follow the laws of the road to the letter and you’ll stay safe.
We really admire your fitness determination! Getting the bike out and hitting the road is a fantastic way to stay healthy. It effortlessly builds exercise into your daily routine. Just be aware of the dangers and hazards around you. Follow the advice here and stay safe!
