TIPS FOR BIKE SAFETY
Two years ago, I was hit by a car. I was biking on the wrong side of the road, and a driver hit me while they were making a right turn. I fell onto the middle of the road and if a car had sped by, I would have died. After the accident, I realized how important it is to be alert when biking. Tempe isn’t the most bicycle-friendly city and drivers aren’t always mindful of bikers. Biking is fun and healthy activity, but many ASU students aren’t aware of the risks.
Here are some tips:
- Buy lights for the front and rear of your bike so you can be visible at night.
- Don’t jay-bike. Wait until you reach a crosswalk.
- Try to bike in the bike lane instead of the sidewalk. It looks scary but it’s actually safer because you’re more visible to turning motorists. For example, bicycle lanes reduced bicycle accidents by 35 percent in Denmark.
-Make eye contact with drivers and bike as if you’re invisible. Slow down and make sure they’ve seen you before you continue biking. Also, anticipate the potential errors a driver could make. For example, a car turning left might not see you. Here’s a helpful site that explains how to avoid some common bike-car collisions: Bicyclesafe.com
-Never bike on the wrong side of the road.
-Drive on streets with slower traffic. If you live off-campus, bike on College Avenue instead of congested roads. Two of my friends were hit while biking on Rural Road.
Rini Parekh Undergraduate Student Biological Sciences
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