Riding a bicycle can be both exciting and dangerous. Exciting because it gives you a good adrenaline rush but also dangerous because accidents could happen, not very often, but they do. Bicycles share the road with cars because of the amount of bicycles out there and the few bike designated sections on the road. The more aware bike riders are of their movements when riding around the city, the less accidents there will be involving cyclists and cars. Here are some of the most important considerations that every bicycle rider should remember so other drivers on the road can better predict their movements and behavior and to have a safe ride and avoid any type of injury, creating a safe bicycling environment where cyclists, car drivers and motorcycle drivers can safely share the road.
Image courtesy of TheRealEdwin at Flickr.com
Cyclists are treated as vehicle drivers, which means that cyclists are visible and predictable when riding in open traffic. Crashes in traffic involving bicycles and cars or motorcycles are caused by avoidable errors. In 70 percent of police-reported bicycle-motor vehicle crashes nationwide, the cyclists involved had violated traffic rules, while in about 45 percent, motorists had violated the rules.
A cyclist will always be safer if he or she is riding with traffic and not facing it because the risk factor increases almost 4 times when a cyclists is riding facing oncoming traffic. Motorists don’t except any kind of traffic to appear on that side of the lane, especially drivers entering and exiting the roadway at side streets and driveways do not expect bicycle traffic to approach from this direction. A cyclist driving against the direction of traffic on the roadway should be warned or cited. This is a major contributing factor in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes because motorists entering and leaving the roadway at intersections and driveways do not expect traffic to approach from the wrong direction and most of these types of accidents happen in these parts of the roads.
Lamps must be used on a bicycle after sunset to alert other drivers. Nighttime collisions are much more likely to result in incapacitating injury or death. About 60 percent of fatal bicycle crashes in Florida occur during the night hours. Both lamps, rear and front, must be used in order to alert any type of traffic and to be seen on the road from any direction. The rear lamp is the missing one in every bicycle and it is as important as the front lamp, more important most of the times, as it allows traffic behind you to see you and know where you are. Big lamps or moderated size ones are recommendable and lamps that use double AA batteries because they last longer. The front white light must be visible from at least 500 feet of distance to the front and the lamp and reflector on the rear red light must be much more visible from at least 600 feet of distance.
A cyclist will always be safer if he or she is riding with traffic and not facing it because the risk factor increases almost 4 times when a cyclists is riding facing oncoming traffic. Motorists don’t except any kind of traffic to appear on that side of the lane, especially drivers entering and exiting the roadway at side streets and driveways do not expect bicycle traffic to approach from this direction. A cyclist driving against the direction of traffic on the roadway should be warned or cited. This is a major contributing factor in bicycle-motor vehicle crashes because motorists entering and leaving the roadway at intersections and driveways do not expect traffic to approach from the wrong direction and most of these types of accidents happen in these parts of the roads.
Lamps must be used on a bicycle after sunset to alert other drivers. Nighttime collisions are much more likely to result in incapacitating injury or death. About 60 percent of fatal bicycle crashes in Florida occur during the night hours. Both lamps, rear and front, must be used in order to alert any type of traffic and to be seen on the road from any direction. The rear lamp is the missing one in every bicycle and it is as important as the front lamp, more important most of the times, as it allows traffic behind you to see you and know where you are. Big lamps or moderated size ones are recommendable and lamps that use double AA batteries because they last longer. The front white light must be visible from at least 500 feet of distance to the front and the lamp and reflector on the rear red light must be much more visible from at least 600 feet of distance.
Image courtesy of Ricky Rosario at Flickr.com
A cyclist traveling more slowly than other traffic should ride to the right, except to pass, to make a left turn, when necessary to avoid hazards, or when a lane is too narrow to share. Cyclists should always be on the right side and follow a predictable line as it makes it easier for faster vehicles to pass them. Sometimes an obstacle makes the rider suddenly swerve to the left surprising any motorist coming from behind and increasing the probabilities of an accident. A cyclist who stays on the right is more visible to drivers emerging from driveways and side streets and to oncoming drivers making left turns. A cyclist may leave the right side of the roadway when he or she is moving as fast as other traffic, passing another vehicle, making a left turn, avoiding roadside hazards and where a lane is too narrow for a bicycle and another vehicle to travel safely side by side.
Image courtesy of TheRealEdwin at Flickr.com
When it comes to group riding, which is very common as many rides and big groups of cyclists are scheduled to ride around the city every day of the week, the are some considerations that should never be forgotten like respecting the right-of-way of other road users and establish the right-of-way honestly depending on who arrived first; big groups should split into smaller sections, no more than two abreast, so they do not affect traffic; try to always have a lead rider that understands and knows the rules and regulations or appoint someone to do so as this will give the group the tools to avoid collisions and accidents with riders and with motorists when stopping or turning.
Accidents do happen out on the road but if cyclists understand considerations like the ones previously given, they will reduce the odds of having a tragic accident. With these 5 considerations in mind you will have a blast riding on Miami streets and almost anywhere you use a bicycle.
Accidents do happen out on the road but if cyclists understand considerations like the ones previously given, they will reduce the odds of having a tragic accident. With these 5 considerations in mind you will have a blast riding on Miami streets and almost anywhere you use a bicycle.