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FROM THE PUBLISHER

May is National Bike Month

This is the 45th consecutive year that the League of American Bicyclists has declared May to be National Bike Month. Bike to Work Week is from May 13-19th and Bike-to-Work Day is on Friday, May 18th.

Sharing the Road: Cyclists

1. Ride On The Right: Always ride in the same direction as traffic; use the lane furthest to the right that heads in the direction that you are traveling; slower moving cyclists and motorists stay to the right.

2. Act Like a Vehicle: The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists; obey all traffic control devices (such as stop signs, lights, and lane markings); always use hand signals to indicate your intention to stop or turn to motorists and cyclists.

3. Always Wear a Properly Fitting Helmet: Make sure that the helmet fits on top of the head, not tipped back; always wear a helmet while riding a bike, no matter how short the trip; after a crash or any impact that affects your helmet, visible or not, replace it immediately.

4. Ride Predictably: Ride in a straight line and don't swerve in the road or between parked cars; check for oncoming traffic before entering any street or intersection; anticipate hazards and adjust position in traffic accordingly.

5. Be Visible: Wear brightly colored clothing at all times; at night use a white front light, red rear light or reflector and reflective tape or clothing, and make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there.

Sharing the Road: Motorists

1. Drive cautiously: Reduce speed when encountering cyclists; in inclement weather give cyclists extra trailing and passing room; recognize situations that may be potentially dangerous to cyclists and give them space.

2. Yield to cyclists: Cyclists are considered vehicles and should be given the appropriate right of way; cyclists may take the entire lane when hazards, road width or traffic speed dictate; motorists should allow extra time for cyclists to traverse intersections.

3. Be considerate: Scan for cyclists in traffic and at intersections; do not blast your horn in close proximity to cyclists; look for cyclists when opening doors.

4. Pass with care: Leave at least three feet of space between your car and a cyclist when passing; wait until road and traffic conditions allow you to safely pass; check over your shoulder after passing a cyclist before moving back to normal position.

5. Watch for children: Children on bicycles are often unpredictable—expect the unexpected and slow down; most children don't have adequate knowledge of traffic laws; children are harder to see because they are typically smaller than adults.
As cyclists and motorists, let's do everything we can to increase awareness and acceptance of safe bicycling in our area.

Darryl

(518) 877-8788
Darryl@AdkSportsFitness.com