QUIZ: What do you know about Bicycle Safety?

Riding a bike can be a fun, family activity. However, it’s important to know safety aspects to prevent accidents and injuries. Take our new quiz to put your knowledge of bicycle safety to the test, and find out how a personal injury attorney can help you with your bicycle accident case.

Tips for Cyclists

Follow these tips to stay safe on your bike rides, and ultimately help avoid bicycle accidents in the future:

  • Wear a properly fitted helmet: Helmets can help prevent catastrophic brain injuries and save lives. Be sure your helmet fits and is worn properly.
  • Check your equipment: Before riding your bike, be sure to inspect your tires and make sure your brakes are in good working condition.
  • See and be seen: No matter what time of day it is, you need to be seen by other road users. Wearing neon, fluorescent or other bright colors has been proven to make cyclists more visible to other drivers. Having something reflective can also help you be seen. However, it is important for you to watch out for other drivers as well.
  • Stay in control: Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Staying in control of your bicycle can help prevent crashes, accidents and injuries.
  • Don’t ride distracted. Stay alert and don’t use a cell phone or other electronic device while riding your bike.
  • Watch for road hazards: Be on the lookout for hazards such as potholes, broken glass, loose gravel, puddles, leaves and dogs. All of these hazards can cause a crash. If you are riding with friends, be sure to point out any hazards you see.
  • Follow the rules of the road. If there is no cycling path available, ride on the road in the same direction as traffic, as close to the right edge as safely possible. Follow all posted road signs and traffic signals, and use appropriate hand signals when turning.

Tips for Motorists

  • Prepare for the presence of cyclists on the road. Bicycles are narrow and can be tricky to see and recognize at times. But as a bicycle-friendly driver, you yield the right of way to bicyclists when instructed to do so by signs and signals. You also check for bicycles behind you or coming toward you when making a turn at a light, stop sign or other intersection.
  • Pass cyclists courteously, allowing at least 3 feet between you and the cyclist as you overtake them. To allow this space, you should wait until there is no oncoming traffic, whenever possible.
  • Use caution in parallel parking spaces, checking for approaching cyclists before swinging your door open or pulling forward out of the spot.
  • Never honk your horn when approaching a cyclist. Doing so could alarm the cyclist. A startled cyclist may suddenly swerve into traffic and cause an accident.
  • Know that, like motorists, cyclists sometimes make unexpected maneuvers. For reasons you can’t anticipate, a cyclist may shift into the center of your lane or quickly change multiple lanes to reach the center lane. As a defensive driver, stay un-distracted and focus on the road in order to better deal with unanticipated circumstances.

Injured? Call Truman Law Office Today

Despite taking the proper precautions, bicycle accidents still can and do happen. If you or a loved one was injured in a bicycle accident due to someone else’s negligence, know that you have rights, and that an experienced personal injury attorney can help.

The team at the Karl Truman Law Office can help fight for the justice and compensation you deserve. If you’re in the Louisville area and would like to learn more about how our legal team can help you, give our office a call at 502-222-2222 to schedule your initial consultation.