Bike Safety 2nd Ed (1987)

foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] bicycle safety it isn't hard it isn't a lot of trouble it isn't complicated at all but what it is is smart bicycle safety means following the rules of the road [Applause] it means maintaining control of your bike it means writing defensively [Music] bicycle safety begins with making sure your bike is safe a good way to do this is to take your bike to an inspection program the inspectors will check your bike for proper fit of the seat handlebars frame and pedals they'll inspect your tires and wheels [Applause] they'll make sure your brakes will work when you need them and they'll check to see that your bike has the safety items required by your state and local laws a headlight a horn or Bell reflectors and they may issue you a safety sticker it's important to be sure your bike is safe to ride it's even more important to be sure you know how to ride it safely you should always lock your bike in a rack or anywhere that you leave it that won't guarantee that it won't be stolen but it may help it's always a good idea to make your own safety check before you go riding if you find something really wrong with your bike ask for help and get it fixed are your tires fully inflated and not too soft are your reflectors clean and in good shape rear side pedal reflectors and front ones headlight working even if you don't expect to be out after dark be sure your headlight is working just in case is your warning Bell or horn all right you should also check that the seat is secure and at the right height are your handlebars tight and do they turn easily test your brakes make sure they stop the bike quickly and work smoothly and evenly you need to be able to control your bike at all times if you need to carry something with you a backpack is a good thing to use it keeps both hands free to steer it's not safe to ride with anything in your arms that makes it hard to control your bike and you won't see everything that's coming two on a bike isn't good either it upsets the balance of a bike and makes it hard for you to see where you're going for safe bicycling you also need to follow the rules of the road for example always stop to look for traffic before riding out into the street many accidents happen when Riders come out from driveways without looking it might be more fun to ride side by side so you can talk with a friend but it doesn't leave room for cars to pass you safely that's why single file writing is the rule the rules of the road are the same for bike riders as they are for the drivers of cars and trucks keep to the right and ride with traffic obey all traffic signs signals and markings to Signal a stop left arm out hand down use hand signals about 100 feet back right turn left arm out hand up if you turn left suddenly without signaling or looking behind you you could be in real trouble foreign signal before the intersection left arm straight out then wait for traffic to clear when you Coast downhills it's especially important to keep control of your bicycle and your speed don't go so fast you can't stop at the bottom or can't stop suddenly if something unexpectedly gets in your way and you shouldn't ride too close to the edge of the road if one or both of your wheels run off the edge that could cause you to lose control also keep an eye out for any road hazards that might make you lose control of your bike and avoid them like drain gratings and wet pavement it can make your bike slip or slide avoid it if you can if you can't be especially careful potholes are another Hazard you have to watch out for and so is loose dirt and gravel it can cause you to Skid so it's best to avoid riding through it if you can hazards you can see aren't the only safety problems to watch out for you have to keep your eyes and ears open to everything around you always ride defensively be alert for anything that might affect your safety [Music] if you're making a left turn at a busy intersection it's safest to walk your bike across of course going with the traffic signals in fact it's always safest to walk your bike across any busy intersection [Music] hitching a ride on a passing car or truck might seem like fun but hitching is very dangerous that's why it's usually against the law in many places if you don't observe the rules of the road you might be given a traffic ticket [Music] on the sidewalk it's a good idea to walk your bike wherever there are people if you're moving faster than they are it's a good idea to sound your horn or Bell to warn them that you're coming through in many places it's a law that you can't ride your bike in a business area remember always obey any signs sometimes bicycle safety requires careful training qualified instruction and adult supervision as it does in freestyle off Street writing you have to expect a fall once in a while so you want to wear a helmet and a protective suit or padding in fact many bicycle safety experts recommend that all bike riders wear helmets foreign [Music] this sort of stunt riding requires specialized bikes and equipment and should never be done on streets it's spectacular but dangerous thank you [Applause] remember freestyle off street riding requires special training and adult supervision you know bicycling is fun and you also know getting hurt isn't any fun at all bicycle safety makes the difference follow the rules of the road maintain control of your bike ride defensively make sure your bike is safe and then have all the fun you want foreign