Safety Tips For Pedestrians/Cyclists And Drivers

As the weather begins to cool down, more and more people will be walking and riding their bikes to work, school, or the local coffee shop. Unfortunately, a large number of pedestrian/bicycle accidents occur due to careless, negligent driving. In order to avoid a personal injury lawsuit being filed against you as a driver, or filing a suit against other drivers, we advise that both drivers and pedestrians/cyclists be mindful of the following safety tips:

Pedestrians/Bikers:

As cyclists, it’s sometimes easy to forget some small, but useful information to keep yourself safe. For instance, we advise that if you don’t already have one, put a reflective headlight on your handlebars. If you happen to be riding your bike at night, this will help in letting other drivers on the road recognize that there is a cyclist within their visual vicinity. Likewise, avoid wearing dark, neutral colors once dusk hits. Even with a small headlight, you’ll want to wear a reflective, neon vest in addition to avoiding dark clothing.

Pedestrians and cyclists alike should stay as close to the curb as possible in order to avoid colliding with a nearby vehicle. Not only does this increase your safety, but other drivers’ safety as well. After all, the majority of people on the road have seen runners or cyclists that look as though they are too close to vehicular traffic, which results in cars in the adjacent lane shifting both left and right to avoid a potential crash.

Drivers:

As a driver, there is always the fear that you could hit a pedestrian or cyclist on the road. But just as there are safety tips for them, there are safety tips for you. Even though this might seem like common sense, it’s crucial to be alert and aware of your surroundings. Far too often on regular drives, such as going to and from work, do people become lazy about their driving and ignore what’s around them. On that note, we also suggest that you comply with all posted speed limits. This is especially important when driving through residential neighborhoods where pedestrians and cyclists frequently run and ride.

Finally, always stop at a stoplight or stop sign. It might be tempting to slowly roll through a stop sign in any neighborhood, but not only would you be breaking the law, you could be putting someone’s life in danger.