Three Ways To Stay Safe During Bike Safety Month

May is National Bike Safety Month and it’s a great time to think about how you can go for a fun bike ride around the city without getting hurt. When a New Haven bicycle accident happens it can cause significant injury and also property damage as well. If you don’t take safety seriously you may be put into some precarious situations that could have lasting impacts on your day to day life.

During the month of May we will be highlighting a variety of different things you can do to keep yourself safe when you’re riding your bike. Whether you’re heading out on the Farmington Canal Rail Trail or you’re zooming through the streets of the Elm City you will need to make sure you take these safety tips seriously and put them into action so you can have a safe ride and a lot of fun this bicycle season. The city of New Haven has so much to offer for someone on a bicycle and if you’re taking safety seriously you’ll be able to enjoy it all without any major concerns.

Before you even roll your bike out of your driveway or storage facility you will want to take some steps that will help you stay safe. The first is to make sure all of your equipment is properly tuned up. If your bike has been sitting for the winter it may need a few tweaks here or there to get back into riding shape. You will want to make sure there is the appropriate amount of air in your tires, make sure your brakes are functioning properly and check to make sure your seat and handlebars are tightened properly so they don’t cause you any issues when you’re riding.

Once you’ve thoroughly checked your bicycle for safety concerns you may be ready to head out for your first ride of the season. This is an exciting time, but you may need some reminders on how to ride your bicycle safely. Here are a few to get you started.

1.) Helmet. Helmet. Helmet. We know it’s not “cool” looking to wear a bicycle helmet, but if there is one step you can take that will significantly increase your chances of maintaining your safety it is wearing a helmet while you ride. In the event that you are involved in an accident you may land hard on your head. If you are not wearing a helmet to protect your head from impact you may be putting yourself at risk for a serious brain injury. When you are gearing up with your helmet make sure it is securely fitting on your head and when you buckle it that it will not move on impact. If you have a well-fitting helmet you are one step closer to safety while riding a bicycle through New Haven.

2.) Signal your turns in advance. If you don’t know the hand signals that are required of a bicycle rider you will want to get familiar with them. You can review them here. When you’re riding a bicycle, just as if you were driving a car, you will want to remain predictable to the people you are sharing the road with. Using your hand signals for turns and stops is one way that you can make sure you are predictable to others who are traveling near you. You will want to know these hand signals and use them in advance of any sudden movements that you are going to make when riding your bike. If you don’t use hand signals you will leave people who are driving alongside you guessing about where you are going to go next and that could be dangerous for you.

3.) Stay alert. When you are riding a bicycle, especially around a busy city, you need to be extra alert for the unexpected. Be cautious when riding near parked cars that could have sudden movements or doors swinging open that could impact your path forward. You will want to avoid blind spots of cars that you are sharing the road with. Staying alert is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself safe while riding your bike. One thing you need to do to remain alert is to avoid any unnecessary distractions like your cellphone or wearing headphones while you’re riding. Utilizing these technologies while riding your bike can be quite dangerous and will make it so that you are not paying as close attention to the road in front of you as you should be.

It’s important every day of the year that when you’re riding your bike you’re following these safety tips to keep yourself free of a New Haven bicycle accident. During National Bike Safety Month we’re going to bring you more and more safety tips for you to use while you’re riding your bike to make sure you have a clear sense of the safety measures you should take when riding your bike. Warmer weather is here and it’s a wonderful time to ride your bike in the Elm City, we just want to make sure you do safely and don’t get injured along the way.

When an accident happens you may need to speak with an experienced attorney who can review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests. Contact our office so that one of our experienced attorneys can learn about your particular situation and talk about steps forward.