Safety While Bicycling in Atlanta

In Atlanta and across the country, biking is an economic and increasingly popular way to travel, and the popularity continues to grow. Urban planners have been working with biking advocates to intensely increase their efforts to incorporate bike-friendly street designs. Bike advocates have also intensified their efforts to spread knowledge and educate cyclists and drivers about biking safety. Information on biking safety and driver awareness as proactive efforts can help to greatly reduce accidents and collisions resulting in injuries and often even fatalities.

There are several ways you can help protect yourself while biking. The number one, and most widely known, thing a bicyclist can do to protect themselves is to wear a helmet. Helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in preventing traumatic brain injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These traumatic brain injuries are the most likely to result in long-term disabilities or death.

The NHTSA offers a few more safety tips to encourage safe pedaling:

• Know the Rules of the Road: Obey traffic signs, signal your turns, yield to pedestrians, etc. Basically follow traffic laws requiring you to ride with the flow of traffic.
• Be Seen: Especially at night, it can be nearly impossible for an automobile driver to see a bicyclist. No matter what time of day or night, you should wear reflective clothing, install reflectors on your bike, and wear a flashing red light or affix one on your bicycle. If possible, you should also try to make eye contact with car drivers in order to help understand their intentions.
• Be Predictable: Ride with traffic and not against it, and avoid sudden swerves in and out of traffic and lanes.
• Share the Streets: This is important for cyclists and motorists. Ride in bike lanes, if they are available. If the road is wide enough, try to ride on the far right side of it.
• Avoid Distractions: Just as you would if you were driving a motor vehicle, stay alert when you are bicycling. Do not wear headphones or talk on a cell phone while riding. And pay attention to traffic ahead of you, next to you and behind you.
• Ride Defensively: You and your bicycle are obviously smaller and more vulnerable than cars and trucks, so use extra caution whenever you are biking near them.

Bicycling is a fun way to exercise while also being a clean form of transportation. Drivers and bicyclists must be smart and aware of the dangers to help prevent accidents on the road. If you are injured in a bicycling accident, make sure to contact a knowledgeable attorney at once. Sunne Law will work diligently to obtain the best possible outcome for your situation.