While you may know that you are always in danger every time you ride your bike near moving motor vehicles, you may not know that you need to do more than follow the law in order to prevent getting hit by vehicles. While following the road rules and traffic signals and signs will help reduce your chances of getting hit, it might not be enough to keep you safe.
Here are some additional ways to help you avoid a Florida bicycle collision with a car, including:
- Equip your bicycle with a headlight. Although a front headlight is required by the law, you can increase your chances of not being hit by a car by riding with a bright white light even during the day. The best type of light that can make your bicycle more visible to motorists is a LED white light that has a flashing mode.
- Get a rear light. Your red rear light should also be flashing in order to reduce your chances of being in a collision. According to BicycleSafe.com, about 60 percent of bike collisions in Florida are caused by cyclists riding at night without lights.
- Get a mirror. By equipping your helmet or handlebar with a mirror, you can help increase your safety when riding through intersections.
- Slow down. By riding slower, you may be able to bring your bicycle to a complete stop if necessary.
- Don’t ride on the sidewalk. By riding on the sidewalk, you risk getting hit by drivers exiting parking lots.
- Use hand signals. By using your arm to show drivers you are planning to turn right or left, it can make you more visible to drivers. Additionally, waving to a driver may get a driver’s attention if it looks like he or she is going to turn into you.
- Don’t stop in a driver’s blind spot. When riding with traffic, it is important that you stop behind a car instead of to the right of it. You may be in a driver’s blind spot if you stop on the right, and a driver may turn into you.
You may have done everything correct but a driver still pulls out in front of you or turns into you and causes you to crash. If you have been injured in a bicycle crash as a result of a driver’s negligence, contact the Law Office of David Benenfeld today. You can speak with a knowledgeable bicycle accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale in a free consultation at (954) 677-0155(954) 677-0155
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