How to Save Yourself from Bicycle Accident?

Posted by Joseph Franks on September 30th, 2019

With the rising number of cyclists, bike-related accidents- especially collision with the car- have also risen substantially resulting in serious injuries. The injured cyclists have the legal right to seek compensation for physical injuries. These collisions with the cars are expensive, painful, life-altering and even fatal in some cases.  

Because these bicycle and car accidents bring grave consequences for the cyclists, it is essential to avoid them at any cost. A healthy life is worth much higher than seeking compensation for the injuries.

When you know the dangers of cycling, it becomes easy to avoid them and ride carefully while observing the precautions:

Ensure the Safety Checks:

Before riding a bicycle, it is mandatory to check if you have met all the safety requirement.

  • Check the tires:

Make sure you are not riding on under-inflated tires. This can damage the wheels and cause flats. So instead of fixing the wheels, pump the inflation pressure up. Also, examine what caused the flat tire, sometimes the sharp object remains in the punctured tube.

  • Ensure brakes are fine:

When the brakes of the cycle are loose or weak, it causes accidents and car collision in many cases. Before riding the bicycle, ensure the brakes are just fine. If you feel vibration coming from the braking pad or you feel uneven braking that means you need to adjust the cable. If it also fails, consider replacing the brake pads.

  • Make sure, the chain is not dry:

Riding a bicycle with a dry chain wears out the chain and sprockets. When the chain is worn out, it slips while the cycle is on the move, which becomes highly dangerous and makes the rider prone to car accident and collision when the rider tries to speed up the cycle to avoid a collision. To check, backpedal and notice if the chain makes a squeaking sound. And if it squeaks, backpedal the chain and lubricate it from above from fresh oil.

  • Follow traffic laws:

Observing traffic laws is mandatory in any case. When you observe the traffic laws, you become predictable and safer. This way other drivers also become aware of your movement on the road and the risk of accident or collision minimizes. Moreover, observing traffic rules protects the rider’s legal rights when despite the following rules, the cycle collides with the car.

  • Beware of the potential danger:

Not only the motorists, but the cyclists also must remain aware of the potential danger on the road. Although it is not the legal duty to predict the behavior of other drivers, being alert and observing enables the riders to assess the danger and respond to the situation to prevent the collision.

  • Be visible:

Although, the motorists are expected to be careful while on the road, however, in certain cases, they become inattentive and become unable to see the bicyclists. Bicyclists must make themselves visible especially, at night as well as during, snow, fog or rain. By making their cycle visible, the risk of accident reduces significantly. For that matter, they must wear fluorescent clothing to increase visibility both during the day as well as night.

There is no alternative to a healthy life. A small mistake of negligence can disable a person for a lifetime. Taking precautionary measures and observing traffic rules is the safest way to prevent accidents and fatal injuries.

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Joseph Franks

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Joseph Franks
Joined: September 16th, 2019
Articles Posted: 102

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