BICYCLING SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Safety should be your FIRST priority on any ride. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT!! It is not enough that you just read this safety brief; please pay attention to the details! Imagine how you will feel if there is a serious accident or you cause a fatality and you think afterward, "If I had paid serious attention to that safety briefing, this could have been avoided!"

The information you are being given below is vital to your safety during this ride. Take personal responsibility for making sure you are paying attention to these safety details and understanding them, word for word.

SAFETY BRIEFING

There is only one person who can guarantee your safety: YOU
There is only one person who can make sure you don't get seriously injured: YOU
There is only one person who can make sure you don't get killed on the road today: YOU

WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES:

• The law states that a bicycle is a vehicle with the same privileges and restrictions as a car.
• Bicycles must obey all traffic laws, traffic signals, and stop signs.
• Bicycles must ride with traffic, NOT against it.
• Bicyclists must use hand signals to indicate their intentions for turning and stopping.

• Ride as far to the right of your lane as is safe.
• Ride in a straight line as much as possible.

This is so motorists and cyclists can see how far to the left they have to go to get past you safely.
• Don't pass cars on the right at red lights.

Passing on the right is illegal; it also forces cars to pass you again after the light turns green.

• Assume that drivers can't see you.
• Be on the lookout for a person in the driver's seat of any parked cars you are about to pass.

They might open their door suddenly, or pull out into traffic without checking for bicycles.
Be extremely careful of car doors opening into you.
• Always stop and look "Left-Right-Left" before entering or crossing traffic.
• Watch out for oncoming cars that turn left in front of cyclists when crossing an intersection.

Motorists underestimate the speed of bicycles and believe they can beat them to the intersection.
• Watch out for cars that pass you, then cut you off by making an immediate right turn.

Be especially cautious of this when approaching a parking lot while in heavy traffic.
• Be careful of making sudden turns or movements.

Drivers and other cyclists cannot read your mind.

RIDING IN A GROUP

• When you pass other riders, always pass on the left and let them know.

Call out, "On your LEFT!" before you pass. Never pass on the right.
Passing on the right can force the other rider into traffic. Do not pass anyone without letting them know. If YOU are passing another cyclist, it YOUR responsibility to be sure that it is safe for you to move further left into the lane.
• Ride single file and keep a straight line at all times. Do not weave back and forth across the lane.

PAY ATTENTION to cyclists around and behind you.
• When stopping in a group, use the open-palm-down signal to tell the riders behind you that you are about to stop.

When stopping suddenly, you may not be able to take one hand off the handlebars. In this case, call out "Stopping!" or "Slowing!"
• Call out anything unexpected in the road, like bumps, potholes, gravel, twigs/branches, broken glass, or "road kill" to the riders immediately behind you.

Let the people around you know any information that will make their ride safer.
• When a car is approaching from the rear, call out, "Car BACK!"

When a car is approaching from the front, call out, "Car UP!"
When a car is approaching from the side, call out, "Car LEFT!" or, "Car RIGHT!"
• Don't be a hazard to yourself and everyone else.

Do not look down to adjust gears at an intersection. Wait until it is safe to make any adjustments to clipless pedals, water bottles, gears, or stuff in your jersey. Even one second of not watching traffic can cause an accident.
• Riding in a group is different from riding alone.

Your riding behavior affects those around you. Sometimes riding in a group can be more dangerous, but riding in a group also provides us the opportunity to support each other. Conscientiously look out for your own safety as well as the safety of the other members of your group. It's part of what cycling as a group is all about.

RIDING IN THE MOUNTAINS

• When climbing a steep hill, ride single file to allow cars to pass.

If a line of cars begins to form, pull over and stop to let them pass.
BE A COURTEOUS CYCLIST!! You are going much slower than those vehicles behind you.
• When on a fast, winding descent, DO NOT RIDE YOUR BRAKES!

Brake before entering a corner, coast through the corner, and if needed, pump your brakes lightly coming out of the corner. Pump your brakes. Never ride them continuously, as this will heat your brake pads causing them to glaze your wheel rim, rendering the brakes practically useless.
• When on any steep climb or descent, always stay to the right side of the road, ride single file.

This allows faster riders to pass on your left without endangering them by forcing them into the oncoming lane.
• On a steep descent, the riders in front of you have the right-of-way!

Make sure you let them know you're going to pass by yelling "LEFT", and make sure you pass them safely without endangering yourself or them.

A RECAP OF SAFETY POINTS TO REMEMBER

• BE LEGAL

On bikes we are subject to the same laws as motorists, including observing red lights, stop signs and one-way streets. Obey all traffic laws: stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrian crosswalks, blocking "right turn on red" traffic lanes, etc.
• PAY ATTENTION

Pay attention to all road conditions, traffic, and other riders.
• SIGNAL YOUR INTENTIONS

Use hand and voice signals for all your moves. Yell out "stopping," "slowing," "passing," "left turn". Let other riders in your group know what is happening.
• CALL OUT CONDITIONS

For example, call out "gravel", "sand", "runner up", "dog", or "road kill". Use hand signals as well whenever it is safe to do so. Point out road hazards to riders behind you.
• OVERTAKING AND APPROACHING CARS

In a group call out, "Car Back!" or "Car Up!" to let other riders know of cars on the road. Be courteous to motorists and relinquish the right of way. On a narrow road, when you can see it is clear ahead, slow down and move to the far right side of the road to let the car or truck pass.
• RIDE SINGLE FILE

Stay in single file when there is automobile traffic, not two and three abreast. Communicate with other riders in your group to also do so. Long pace lines are very difficult for motorists to pass. Break up the line if necessary, let the car pass, then rejoin.
• DISPLAY SAFETY AND COURTESY

PASS OTHER RIDERS ON THE THEIR LEFT SIDE ONLY. Ride on the right side of the road, not in the middle. Call out, "On your left!" to let riders ahead of you know you are behind them and about to pass.
• BE A CONSCIOUS CYCLIST

Do not block intersections when stopped to look at a map or rest or make repairs. Move off the road and be sure to look back before entering the road again.
DO NOT STOP IN THE ROAD OR FACING TRAFFIC. THIS CONFUSES DRIVERS.
• DISPOSE OF TRASH PROPERLY

Contain trash you generate on the road. Please do not litter roadways with GU packs, etc. We cannot control other groups but we can clean up after ourselves.
• REMEMBER

In any accident with an automobile, YOU LOSE!

Safety Information courtesy of the following websites:
HOPE Ride's Training Ride Safety Speech at www.hope-ride.org/events/safetyspeech.html
Charles River Wheelmen ride leader guide at www.crw.org/RideLeaderGuide.htm

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© Blue Ridge Bicycle Club Inc. 2004