A bicycle accident can be as deadly as a car accident. There is nothing wrong in being alert and using preventive measures. The bicycle accidents might not usually lead to death as in car accidents. But, major injuries can make you lose confidence or affect your ability to drive normally.
Are there any tips to prevent bicycle accidents? Are there some pointers that would help you to prevent the accidents while riding bicycle? Yes, there are a few tips that would help you to save your life.
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Dress Code
From head to toe, you need a unique dress code to avoid bicycle accidents. On your head, helmet is a must. Buy high quality and branded helmet that follows the standards assigned by law. The helmet should have foam insulation and cover the neck too. After all you have got only one head. Even a small injury to the head can cause deadly problems. Thousands of people die due to their ignorance in using a helmet. Use sunglasses with polarized lens to make sure that glare does not restrict your vision. Your cloth above your waist should not interfere with your face or hands. The cloth below the waist should not interfere with your legs or get stuck in the wheel.
Check Your Bike
First of all, check the brakes. Oil the chain and make sure that the tires have adequate pressure. Starting from rims to the seat, all the parts of the cycle should be checked. Frequently check the integrity of the parts of the cycle. Headlights and reflective surfaces are very essential. It is pretty obvious that you need to choose the bike that would suit you. If you are below 200 pounds, the bikes that you find in the market would be suitable. If you weigh more that, you can opt for customized bicycles with stronger frame, rim and better body structure to balance you.
Learn Your Road
You should know what to do when a car turns right in front of you. You should learn about the safety distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Which side of the road should you ride? There are a lot to learn before you start cycling in traffic filled roads. Ride slowly, avoid the blind spots and always expect the unexpected. There are some simple rules which are very essential to follow like always keeping your hands on the handlebar and eyes on the road. Avoid headphones and mobiles while riding. If you are looking for leisure riding while hearing to music, choose parks and other off-road terrain. Use hand signals to make sure that others are aware of your next move.
Stay Where You Belong
Stay on the lane that is assigned for cyclists. If you are riding on a road without a separate lane, try to stay near to the pedestrian platform. Never lose concentration. Do not switch lanes unnecessarily. Stay where you are expected to stay. Remember that people around you in the road would ride rashly and your life is your responsibility.
Practice Before You Hit The Road
Do not enter the roads immediately after buying the bicycle. Take it for a ride in some off-road terrain. Learn and get accustomed to the obstacles and most importantly learn to sharpen the wit. In a lot of occasions, you might need to take last minute decisions and act immediately. There is a lot of difference between how to ride a cycle and how to ride a cycle in a better way. Keep your back upright and maintain an angle with the handlebar to maintain the balance.
What Does Your Speedometer Read?
Just because a bicycle does not have a speedometer, it does not mean that you can race as you wish. When you reduce the speed too much, you might wobble and fall. There would be a lot of scenarios where you would need to maintain a very slow speed on road. Make sure to train yourself to balance in that speed. If not, get down from the bike and pull it along till you can start riding in normal speed.
Speeding would kill even if you are doing it on your bicycle. Remember to keep a check on your speed. Make sure to ride in a speed such that you would not lose control.
Avoiding accidents is not just in your hands. Remember that the others in the road might make stupid decision and can affect you. Ride with the conscious that none of the other drivers would follow the rules. There can be a car racing from a wrong direction that you might not have guessed. Always look out for the least expected events. Stay in your lane, limit your speed and follow the rules.
