Wearing a helmet can not only save your head, but it can save your life!
Spring is upon us, which means great cycling weather. We all know that our city has a great trail system, dedicated to getting families out together. We want to remind you of the importance of bicycle safety (as well as motorcycle safety!).
In 2015, 818 cyclists and 4,693 motorcyclists were killed in traffic related accidents. Annually, over 26,000 of bicycle related injuries treated in Emergency Departments to children and adolescents were related to traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s). These numbers continue to climb, as more and more people do not practice helmet safety.
With the help of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA), we compiled some tips to keep cyclists safe:
Cyclist Safety:
Follow the rules of the road – obey traffic laws:
- Wear a Properly Fitted Bicycle Helmet
- Adjust Your Bicycle to Fit
- Check Your Equipment – check tire inflation, gears, chains etc.
- Ride on the right side of the road-with the traffic flow, not against it
- Obey traffic signs and signals just as if you were driving a car
- Use correct hand signals
- Stop at all signs and red lights; and
- Stop and look both ways before entering a street
- If riding at dawn, at dusk, or at night, wear reflective clothing & make sure that the bike has a front headlight and a rear red reflector or flashing red light
Motorcyclist Safety:
Follow the rules of the road:
- Wear a Helmet
- Wear Safety Gear – not only is it important to protect your head, but protect feet and hands too
- Leave enough space for stopping
- Make sure you are properly licensed
- Share the road
- Do not ride impaired
If you have any questions, tips, or just want to chat – reach out! We’ll be here!
Resources/References:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/headinjuries.html
http://www.bhsi.org/stats.htm
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/motorcycles/fatalityfacts/motorcycles
https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/KidsandBikeSafetyWeb/index.htm
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles
http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/4740/what-hand-signals-are-there-for-communicating-with-others-when-cycling-in-a-grou
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