By Laurie Crawford
People and families enjoy riding bicycles for physical exercise and recreation but limit their riding to rail trails and bicycle paths in parks because they fear for their safety riding on roadways with motor vehicles. In Pennsylvania it is legal for bicycles to ride on roads, the only exception is they are not allowed on limited access freeways. Here are a few simple steps you can take to make riding on roads safer.
1. Ensure your bicycle is safe to operate before every ride. This can be accomplished with an ABC quick check. A – air. Check that the tires are inflated to the proper pressure in pounds per square inch, listed on the side of the tire. B -brakes. Pull the brake levers before your ride to ensure the brakes work. For bikes with coaster brakes reverse the pedaling direction for the brakes. C – chain. Lift the rear of the bike so the back wheel is off the ground and rotate the pedals with your hand to ensure the chain moves freely with no problems or obstructions. Once you have completed the ABC quick check and ensure everything is operating safely you are ready to ride.
2. Ride with traffic. In the PA Vehicle Code a bicycle is considered a vehicle just like a car or truck and must ride with traffic on the right side of the road just like a vehicle. Many people have been lead to believe that if they ride a bicycle facing traffic they are safer. You are actually at greater risk because a front collision between a bicycle and motor vehicle results in a higher collision speed than a rear collision. Motorists also are not looking for bicycles to be facing them especially at intersections. So ride with traffic where a motorist expects to see you and keep yourself safer and legal.
3. Wear a helmet. In PA any bicycle rider under the age of 12 is required to wear a helmet. However once you are over the age of 12 your head doesn’t get any harder so it is recommended bicycle riders of all ages wear a helmet to protect your head from an injury should you have a sudden fall from your bicycle. You only have one brain so remember to use it and wear a helmet and protect it.
4. Be seen. When riding your bicycle on the road it is recommended you wear bright highly visible clothing to be seen by motorists. It is also recommended you use flashing lights even when riding during the day light hours to make you even more visible. Any time you are riding at night or at dusk or dawn lights should always be used.
5. Be predictable. When riding on a road you are safer to ride in a straight and predictable line than to weave in and out of open parking spaces and then back to the road when cars are parked there. Also, when riding next to a line of parked cars, a bicyclist must ride far enough away from the parked cars so that if a car door suddenly opens they will not be hit. When riding in a straight line a motorist knows where to expect you to be on a bicycle and it’s safer for you. There is no law in PA that bicycles must ride on the shoulder of the road. Bicycles may ride in the travel lane if it is safest to do so. A PA law in 2012 now requires motorists to provide a minimum of 4 feet between a car and a bicycle when passing. It is the responsibility of the car driver to provide the required 4 feet when passing. This makes bicycle riding on the road safer for bicyclists.
6. Use hand signals. When riding your bicycle on the roads always use hand signals when turning or slowing or stopping. Use your left arm to signal a left turn and your right arm for a right turn. When slowing or stopping use your left hand down with palm facing backwards to alert motorists. Remember motorists can’t read your mind so always signal your intentions.
7. Obey all traffic laws. Remember under the PA Vehicle Code a bicycle is a vehicle just like a car or truck. Therefore, you must obey all traffic laws such as stop signs, red lights, yield signs and pedestrian crosswalks. The number one complaint I receive from the public regarding bicyclists on roads is that they fail to stop at stop signs and red lights. So obey the laws and stay safe.
8. Choose your routes and times to ride. When riding on roads you can choose roads that are low volume lightly traveled by motor vehicles and avoid the heavier traveled roads. Also avoiding road rides at certain times of day like the morning and evening work rush hour traffic will also make you safer. Another consideration is the direction of travel if riding east at sunrise or west at sunset. The glare from the sun created at this time can make it harder for a motorist to see a bicyclist. So avoiding travel in those directions at these times can make you safer.
Here are some routes in Lebanon County:
https://visitlebanonvalley.com/things-to-do/bicycle-tours/
As you can see a few simple steps can make you safer riding your bicycle on the roadways and increase your bicycling opportunities and enjoyment. Enjoy the ride and let’s all share the roads together!
Article written by Dean Auchenbach of the Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition. The Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition is a 501c-3 organization, founded in 2008, to make the Lebanon Valley region of Pennsylvania a better, safer place to bicycle. The Coalition works with elected officials and municipal, county and state governments, to make certain that new road projects or redesigns consider the needs of bicyclists. They want cyclists to have the necessary skills to be able to bicycle for their transportation, recreation and health. They offer bike rides because they enjoy cycling together. Details on membership and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.bikelebanon.org.
Author: Amaury Abreu
