Chicago is trying to be a bicycle friendly city, and yet sharing the city streets with automobiles is full of hazards, even for experienced bikers. Danger to bikers lurks everywhere: from moving traffic, from careless drivers who open the doors of their parked cars without looking out for bikers, from dangerous pavements and obstacles on the road. It is time to review some safety tips that will help in avoiding bicycle accidents:
First, wear a helmet to protect your brain and save your life. Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death in bicycle accidents.
Make sure that your bicycle is a proper fit. If you need to adjust the seat height and handlebar height, make sure you do so before hitting the road.
Make sure that the bicycle is in good condition and its tires are properly inflated.
Wear bright clothes so that you can be seen. Wear neon, fluorescent, loud and obnoxious colors. You want to be seen. Keep in mind that just because you see a driver, does not mean that the driver can see you.
Watch for road hazards such as potholes, loose gravel, broken glass, puddles.
Try not to ride in the dark. Darkness is far more dangerous for bikers than daylight because you are harder to see. If you have to ride at night, make sure you can be seen and that your bike has reflectors.
Obey the rules of the road. Many bicycle-related crashes resulting in injury or death are caused by bicyclist’s behavior, including not wearing a bicycle helmet, riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic.
If you have suffered a bicycle-related injury, call the Chicago personal injury attorneys for a free personal injury consultation.