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Bike safety
There’s no doubt that cycling is fun. It promotes healthy living, it’s cost effective and it’s environment-friendly. These are all good reasons to park your vehicle and hop on a bike. However, riding a bike has a few drawbacks. One of the major ones is biking leaves you completely exposed to the elements. Other than your helmet, there is nothing protecting you if something were to hit you. To prevent a bike accident from happening, here are a few tips to stay safe when pedaling your way to your destination:
- Beware of your surroundings. Watch out for potholes and debris on the street. You’re more vulnerable to these types of road nuisances than drivers of vehicles are. If you hit a pothole, it could make you lose your balance and cause an accident.
- Maintain a safe distance from vehicles and don’t get too close to the curb. Staying close to the curb might look safe, but it might be dangerous for you or others. You could get hit by a car door or hit a pedestrian. Try to stay in the bike lane, if possible.
- Make drivers aware of your intentions. You know the drill, use hand signals to inform drivers of your next move and don’t just wave. Also, make sure they see you, and don’t assume they can see you. Wear something bright to stay visible. Also, don’t forget to check your front and rear lights before cycling.
- Cycle cautiously and never weave in and out of the traffic. You might not see cars coming from behind and be in an accident.
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As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I support people deciding to switch to cycling from driving vehicles. Fortunately for us, Louisville is working on becoming more bike-friendly. The city added more bike lanes and is developing a bike-sharing program. This will help make biking easier and safer for cyclists. However, please take necessary precautions. Cycling has several benefits, and we want to continue to enjoy cycling in a safe manner.