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PART I
2.B - RIDING SAFETY
1. Obey all rules of the road and all local trac laws.
2. You are sharing the road or the path with others
— motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists.
Respect their rights.
3. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do
not see you.
4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
• Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road or
your lane ahead of you, or coming up behind
you.
• Parked car doors opening.
• Pedestrians stepping out.
• Children or pets playing near the road.
• Pot holes, sewer grating, railroad tracks, expansion
joints, road or sidewalk construction, debris and
other obstructions that could cause you to swerve
into trac, catch your wheel or otherwise cause
you to lose control and have an accident.
• The many other hazards and distractions which
can occur on a bicycle ride.
5. Ride in designated bike lanes, on designated
bike paths or as close to the edge of the road
as possible, in the direction of trac ow or as
directed by local governing laws.
6. Stop at stop signs and trac lights; slow down
and look both ways at street intersections.
Remember that a bicycle always loses in a collision
with a motor vehicle, so be prepared to yield even
if you have the right of way.
7. Use approved hand signals for turning and
stopping.
8. Never ride with headphones. They mask trac
sounds and emergency vehicle sirens, distract you
from concentrating on what’s going on around
you, and their wires can tangle in the moving
parts of the bicycle, causing you to lose control.
9. Never carry a passenger, and before installing a
child carrier or trailer, check with you dealer or
the bicycle manufacturer to make sure the bicycle
is designed for it. If the bicycle is suitable for a
child carrier or trailer, make sure that the carrier
or trailer is correctly mounted and the child
secured and wearing an approved and properly
tted helmet.
10. Never carry anything which obstructs your vision
or your complete control of the bicycle, or which
could become entangled in the moving parts of
the bicycle.
11. Never hitch a ride by holding on to another
vehicle.
12. Don’t do stunts, wheelies or jumps. If you
intend to do stunts, wheelies, jumps or go racing
with your bike despite our advice not to, read
SECTION 2.F, Downhill, Stunt or Competition
Biking, now. Think carefully about your skills
before deciding to take the large risks that go with
this kind of riding.
13. Don’t weave through trac or make any moves
that may surprise people with whom you are
sharing the road.
14. Observe and yield the right of way.
15. Never ride your bicycle while under the inuence
of alcohol or drugs.
16. If possible, avoid riding in bad weather, when
visibility is obscured, at dawn, dusk or in the dark,
or when extremely tired. Each of these conditions
increases the risk of accident.
