Police - Bicycle Safety

More and more people are now riding bicycles as an alternate form of transportation. Before using your bicycle, make sure it is ready to ride. Here are some things to remember:

Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet.
Check your equipment - Before riding inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.
See and be seen - Whether daytime, dusk, foul weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn't mean the driver can see you. If you have to ride at night, make sure you have reflectors on the front and rear of your bicycle and have a white light on the front so others can see you. Elk Grove Village ordinance requires operational lights from one half hour after sunset until sunrise.

Many bicycle related crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist's behavior, including such things as not wearing a bicycle helmet, riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic. To maximize your safety, always wear a helmet AND follow the rules of the road.

Rules of the Road - Bicycling on the Road

Cyclists have the same rights and the same responsibilities to follow the rules of the road as motorists. When riding, always:

Go With the Traffic Flow. Ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow - not against it.

Obey All Traffic Laws. A bicycle is a vehicle and you're a driver. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.

Yield to Traffic When Appropriate. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from a smaller roadway (out of a driveway, from a sidewalk, a bike path, etc.), you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. This also means yielding to pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk.

Be Predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of cars. Signal your moves to others.

Stay Alert at All Times. Use your eyes and ears. Watch out for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. You need your ears to hear traffic and avoid dangerous situations; don't wear a headset when you ride.

Look Before Turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic, then signal before making the turn. Watch for left or right turning traffic.

Watch for Parked Cars. Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars (like doors opening, or cars pulling out).

Sidewalk versus Street Riding

The safest place for bicycle riding is on the street, where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists. Children less than 10 years old, however, are not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the street and are better off riding on the sidewalk. Here are some additional tips for anyone riding on the sidewalk:

Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways.

Stop at corners of sidewalks and streets to look for cars and to make sure drivers see you before crossing.

Enter a street at a corner and not between parked cars. Alert pedestrians that you are near by saying, "Excuse me" or "Passing on your left" or use a bell or horn.

For more information on bicycle safety, visit the National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA) website at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov.