With the sunny weather and warm temperatures, it’s a busy time of year for cyclists who are looking to get out and ride. However, with more people traveling to California, there is a heightened risk of a collision. As a cyclist, your goal should be to make yourself as safe as possible while knowing that outside factors could result in injury.
How can cyclists stay safe?
Some of the things you can do to protect yourself include:
- Yielding to pedestrians and other vehicles
- Wearing bright or reflective clothing
- Following the rules of the road
- Riding with traffic, not against it
- Riding in a single-file line
- Avoiding riding on sidewalks
- Never passing other cyclists on the right
- Maintaining a comfortable distance from the curb
- Riding during the day and not at dawn, dusk or during the night
How can I prevent an accident?
As a cyclist, you have a right to be on the roads, just like any other driver. Unfortunately, you do not have the same kinds of protections as drivers, so if you’re hit, you could be badly hurt.
To help prevent other drivers from hitting you, one of the best things you can do is to pay attention to what is happening around you. If you see a driver approaching, wave or make eye contact. You should try to avoid riding in blind spots and watch out for timid or new drivers on the roads.
It is not just your job to protect yourself; other drivers need to do their part, too. If they do end up colliding with you, you want to be able to say you did all you could to prevent a crash. Our site has more on how to hold them accountable if you’re hit by a negligent driver.