Reminders for Bike Safety

Bike safety should be top of mind for everyone here in Austin, whether you are the one cycling or not. With daylight hours extended during the summertime, car drivers are guaranteed to see bikers around the clock--everywhere from quiet side streets to the most high-traffic thoroughfares. 

Car/cyclist accidents happen far too often in this town, resulting in serious injuries such as fractures and broken bones, sprains and strains, concussions, and bumps, bruises, and cuts, or worse.

While we’d like to think that drivers are always keeping an eye out for bikers and willing to share the road, that is not always the case.

Here’s what you can do as a cyclist to stay safe:

1. Protect your head (i.e. your brain!), and wear a securely fitting bike helmet.
2. Check the condition of your bike frequently, noting if tires are flat and brakes are working properly.
3. Wear brightly colored (neon) clothing and also reflective gear, both day and night, to be sure you are visible to others.
4. Keep both hands steadily on handlebars at all times, and always transport items in a separate backpack, or bike basket.
5. Watch out for road hazards such a puddles, potholes, gravel, and broken glass.
6. Follow the correct flow of traffic, and obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings as if you were in a car.
7. Take caution when turning, and always look both left and right to be certain that the coast is clear.
8. Steer away from parked cars, as you never know when a door could unexpectedly open or the driver could dangerously pull out right in front or to the side of you.

(Courtesy of NHTSA-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

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