America is getting greener by the minute. With so many in favor of renewable energy and other ways to clean up the planet, more people have begun riding bicycles to commute. While this may help pollution, it can also lead to serious accidents if proper safety precautions aren’t taken.
An auto accident lawyer often deals with bicycle crashes in places like Salt Lake City and other urban areas. Road safety for cyclists can get tricky, but here are a few tips to keep in mind.
- Use headlights and rear lights. As stated on BicycleSafe.com, “Even for daytime riding, a bright white light that has a flashing mode can make you more visible.”
- Don’t ride on the sidewalk. Staying off the road might seem safer, but crossing the street between sidewalks is extremely dangerous. Aside from endangering pedestrians, you’re more likely to get hit by turning cars.
- Ride with traffic. It might seem safer to face traffic in big cities like Salt Lake City, so that you know exactly when a car is coming, but according to BicycleSafe it’s actually “three times as dangerous.”
An auto accident is much more likely to occur because cars won’t be expecting you coming from the opposite direction. And from the perspective of a lawyer, riding the wrong way is also against the law, so you would be more liable in an accident.
Whether you’re behind the wheel or riding two, keep these tips in mind for a safer road for everyone.