Chicago Bicycle Accident Attorneys - Article

Bicycle Safety

A vital skill for cyclists to learn is sharing the road with cars. Unfortunately, many motorists are not mindful of pedestrians or bicyclists as they are driving; they are too busy keeping an eye out for other cars. When collisions do occur, obviously the person who is not riding in a car is at a greater risk for injury or death. In 2003, 662 bicyclists were killed in collisions with automobiles. Here are some important tips that can help keep you safe while riding a bicycle.

• Use a headlight. Headlights are available that can be mounted on the front of your bike or even on your helmet. This will greatly increase your visibility to motorists, especially at night. Even during the day, reflective material or a flashing headlight can help you avoid accidents.
• Purchase a horn. Make sure it is loud enough to be audible to people in cars. If a car pulls out in front of you because the driver does not see you, a horn could save your life.
• Find a balance between right and left. Cyclists are usually encouraged to stay to the right to avoid being struck from behind. This is good advice, but unfortunately riding too far to the right decreases your visibility and makes you vulnerable to being struck by cars pulling out of driveways or drivers opening their car doors. It is tricky to find the correct balance, but it is best not to ride too far to the left or to the right.
• At red lights, wait behind the car in front of you, not next to it. Bicyclists have been killed when a car stopped to their left unexpectedly turned right and struck them. This is especially dangerous when waiting next to trucks or other large automobiles.

Even if you take every precaution, you could still be injured by a negligent driver. If this has happened to you, ccontact Chicago bicycle accident attorneys Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200.