Bike Safety
 Ten steps to bicycle safety:
1. Be protected. Always wear an
approved bicycle helmet. Adult cyclists as well as
children receive serious and sometimes fatal head
injuries. 75% of cycle-related fatalities are due to
head injury. Statistics show that 95% of the
children in the U.S. own and ride a bicycle and 80% of the
crashes involving children under 15 years old are caused
by the children themselves. Wearing an approved
bicycle helmet reduces head injuries by 85%.
2. Be visible. Smart cyclists make
themselves easy to see. If you are out after dark or
in fog or rain, make sure motorists can see you. Use
lights, reflectors and reflective tape. A bell or
horn is also a good idea. Wear light or bright
colors like red, white or yellow. Put an extra bit
of reflective tape on the pedals. Wear reflective
bands on your wrists and ankles or on the front and back
of your jacket.
3. Obey all traffic signs and signals.
Signs and signals are posted to protect your life and the
lives of others. They must be obeyed.
4. Ride with traffic. Remember- you
must not ride in the middle of the road, or on the
left-hand side, or weave your bike from side to
side. Always be very careful when you pass parked
cars. Thoughtless motorists sometimes open doors on
the traffic side, right in your path. Be alert.
5. Ride single file on the street.
Always ride one behind the other. Do not follow too
closely. Keep at least one bike length behind the
cyclist ahead in case you have to stop suddenly.
6. Stop before riding into the street from
your driveway or a lane. Motorists may not have
time to see you if you pop out suddenly.
7. Always walk your bike at busy corners. It's
impossible to see in all directions at once. Traffic
is tricky at corners, so the safest thing to do is to
dismount and walk your bike across with the pedestrians.
8. Never ride two on a bicycle.
Unless you have a tandem bicycle (a bicycle built for two)
your bike was built to carry only one person. Never
carry passengers on the handlebars, crossbar or seat.
9. No "trick riding" on streets or
highways. Trick riding on the streets, roads or
highways isn't smart - it's dumb. Good cyclists
don't have to show off.
10. Lock your bicycle. When leaving
your bicycle in a school yard, shopping plaza or other
location, make sure you lock your bicycle to avoid it
being stolen. Lock it with a sturdy lock or lose it!
Do:
1. Always wear a helmet.
2. Wear proper clothes.
3. Make sure your bike is adjusted properly.
4. Check brakes before riding.
5. Ride with traffic. Keep to the right of the road.
6. Be aware of traffic around you.
7. Stay alert - Keep a look out for obstacles in your
path.
8. Obey all traffic signals.
Don't :
1. Show off .
2. Zigzag, race or stunt ride in traffic.
3. Hitch rides on trucks or cars.
4. Accept passengers.
5. Carry large packages which can get in your way.
6. Ride against traffic.
7. Tailgate or ride too close.
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The Village of Wheeling,
Illinois
255 West Dundee Road
Wheeling, IL 60090
(847) 459-2600
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