Cycling is a healthy way to get around for kids and adults. With more Carolinians bicycling during spring and summer months, there’s no better time for a refresher on your bicycle safety knowledge.
For cyclists:
- Always wear a helmet when biking.
- Wear reflective gear if biking in the morning or evening — it shines off the headlights of passing cars.
- Stay in the bike lanes or paths as much as possible.
- Use hand signals when turning to alert vehicles behind you.
- Look both ways before merging, turning or crossing a road.
- Assume that drivers don’t see you and behave accordingly.
For motorists:
- Give cyclists their room – they have the same right to a lane as you do.
- Don’t drive distracted.
- Check the medians.
- Leave extra room between your vehicle and the cyclist.
- Never engage with or honk at a cyclist as this may scare them into running off the road.
- Slow down – only pass when it’s legal to do so and you have a clear view that there’s no oncoming traffic.
LEARN MORE: For additional resources to help make our roads safer, visit AAA.com/GoSafety.
