How to Avoid Accidents While Cycling

Laura Ginn is a freelance writer and blogger who loves riding her bike because it is an eco-friendly way to get around and it also helps her stay in shape. No matter where she rides, though, she always puts safety first to ensure that she does not get hurt.

Laura offers some good tips relevant to all of us to one degree or another. And as anyone whom I invite to share here she offers a different perspective and tone than you are used to from me.

Thanks for contributing, Laura!

No matter where you ride your bicycle, whether it’s on a quiet road in a rural area, along the suburban streets where your home is, or in a busy, crowded city, there are certain precautions that you need to take to avoid accidents as best as you can. If you aren’t riding as safely as possible, you’re increasing the risk that you’ll be involved in an accident, and this increases your chances of being severely injured. To avoid problems before they start, therefore, you have to know what precautions to take and how to avoid accidents in the first place.

Don’t Ride on the Pavement

Riding on the pavement may at first seem safer than riding in the street, but it actually isn’t at all. You risk getting hit by vehicles that are backing out of their driveways or swiftly pulling into their driveways without looking. And when it comes to crossing the street, many drivers don’t expect to see bikers in crosswalks,
so they often get hit by cars that are making turns. Also, getting onto the pavement on the other side of the street can also be difficult. The best thing to do is to ride with the traffic in the street and obey all traffic laws as if you were driving a car.

Invest in a Mirror

It’s very important that you look behind you before swerving to another side of the road or even to move over just enough to avoid a parked car. Not doing so may result in you getting hit by a car coming up from behind you. If you find it difficult to look behind you without losing your balance on your bike, invest in a mirror instead.

Avoid Riding Into a Car Door

Believe it or not, a very common accident involves bikers running into a car door accidentally if someone opens their door from a parked position without first checking their side mirrors to see if anyone is coming. The biker may not have enough time to stop when this happens suddenly, so a collision occurs. Luckily, there are ways of avoiding this embarrassing accident.
If you can, ride as far away from parked cars as possible without getting too far out into the lane that you’re in the way of traffic coming up behind you. Try to find a good position where you’re far enough away from the car doors and still far enough away from traffic so that they can move around you with ease.

Purchase Bicycle Insurance to Cover You When an Accident Does Happen

You may do everything you possibly can to avoid an accident but the chances are still there that you’ll be involved in a crash. Therefore, in addition to being alert, following traffic laws, and doing your best to be smart on the road, look into a plan such as Protect Your Bubble bicycle insurance. This is a great way to provide yourself with the coverage you need in the event your bicycle is damaged or you’re injured in an accident.