The following article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of ASMi or Road Guardians. This article is edited and reprinted with permission of the authors.
Defensive and Cautious Biking Tips
John Garley, Safety Officer, Wild Prairie HOG
Chris Hawver, Co-Founder, Road Guardians; Director, Wild Prairie HOG; Board Member, ASMI
Loud pipes may save lives, but there are other items that are also effective!
1. Consider wearing a helmet
2. Do not drink and ride, not even one beer. Stay alert and stay hydrated. How much hydration? Take your body weight and divide it in half. That is the number of ounces of water (non-caffeine drinks) you should drink, at a minimum, per day.
3. Add distance to the vehicle in front of you. With more and more people texting and emailing – distracted – they are most likely to brake suddenly. At least double the space in front of you.
4. Use your High Beam all day.
5. Assume you are invisible. Even with blaze orange, assume you are invisible.
6. At intersections – stop signs and lights – establish eye contact with drivers in vehicles.
7. Watch adjacent driver's head and steering wheel for early indications of lane change or turning. Do not wait for the vehicle itself to start to move.
8. Have your thumb on the horn button when aside another vehicle.
9. Take another riding class every couple of years. Be a life-long learner.
10. Two bikes are more visible than one – ride with a friend.
11. Attend an Accident Scene Management class – know what to do when you encounter a crash.
12. Go around the block with successive right turns rather than one left turn against traffic.
13. Use your turn signals and hand signals – consider hi-vis glove covers.
14. Carry and use clear glasses in the evening/night. Never extend sunglass use.
15. Scratched clear glasses or helmet shields hinder night vision (headlight halo) - get new ones.
16. Choose which side of the lane you want and control your ride on that side.
17. If stopped at night, flash your brake light. Do not hold the brake on continually.
18. Think of deer as Mother Nature's Suicide Terrorists. A texting or otherwise distracted driver is not much better.
19. Wear sufficient clothing to prevent getting cold or wet.
20. Every oncoming car can turn left in front of you without warning. Anticipate and plan accordingly; this includes proper insurance coverage.
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