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Cycling Accident Prevention
Author: Cyclingdeal Date Posted:12 July 2017
Although fun and great for your health, cycling has a lot of additional risks when it comes to accidents that would-be riders need to be aware of. The team here at CyclingDeal want our riders to stay as safe as possible. Here are a few reminders to keep people safe on the roads out there.
Extra Caution around Cars
For obvious reasons, cyclists are more vulnerable than motorists in the event of a collision. The cyclist must be sure to make themselves as visible as possible to motorists and follow the road rules to ensure they don’t put themselves or others in danger. Wearing bright colours is essential, especially at night, in order to draw attention to your bike. When riding at night, it is important to have front and back reflectors and/or lights to maintain your visibility to passing motorists. Although motorists may express frustration with cyclists, it is often necessary to take up the whole car lane in order to maintain visibility, especially in congested areas. This is particularly true when cyclists are turning corners, as cars and cyclists are particularly at risk of a collision when they are both turning if the motorist doesn’t see the cyclist. For this reason, cyclists always need to use the appropriate hand signals to indicate where they are going. Maintaining a safe distance from parked cars is especially crucial on busy roads. Opening car doors can result in the rider crashing into the door or swerving into traffic that is overtaking – often resulting in the rider being run over and killed. If a safe distance is impossible, then the rider needs to take extra caution to ride at a speed where they can easily stop. The cyclist should always be completely alert, using all of their senses. To this end, riders should avoid listening to music while they ride, especially in busy areas. Cars, motorcycles, pedestrians and trucks all make distinctive noises and help the rider to calibrate the potential dangers around them.
Bike Maintenance
Much like a car, riders need to ensure that their bikes are roadworthy to avoid a crash. Poorly fitted or unbalanced wheels can lead the rider to lose balance more easily and crash. Old bike chains could snap mid-ride, resulting in a loss of control. Brake fluid needs to be replaced at appropriate intervals to ensure the workability of the brakes. Even if there isn’t anything clearly wrong with your bike, it is important to adjust it correctly to the conditions of riding. Having the bike fitted to the rider’s physical dimensions means not only that the rider can achieve peak performance, but also that they have maximum control over the bike in the event of a potential accident. Tyre pressure also needs to be monitored for different conditions. Tyre pressure will need to be lowered when riding on wet roads, as tyres that are too taut will be unable to gain enough traction on a slippery road – leading to accidents. CTA: Rider safety is of paramount importance to us here at CyclingDeal. For the required safety equipment or for new parts to ensure bike safety, contact us today!
