AAA in the community
Bicycle safety
Cyclists share the road with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Riding bikes are a convenient way to exercise, running errands or commute to work, but come with understandable risks. AAA wants you to feel safe. Here are some resources to help while you’re traveling the streets.
Riding fundamentals
Riding a bike might seem as simple as the phrase implies but it never hurts to brush up on the basics. From following the rules of the road to clothing choices, here are some fundamental cycling tips to help you stay safe on the road.
Here are the hand signals you'll need to know to stay safe while on your bicycle:
- Left turn - left arm extended straight out to the left side.
- Right turn - left arm extended and bent upward at a 90-degree angle OR right arm extended straight out to right side.
- Braking or slowing down - left arm extended and bent downward at a 90-degree angle.
Bike safety tips
Explore some top tips for staying safe while riding your bike on the roads.
- Always wear a properly fitted helmet.
- Watch your speed and braking.
- Don’t ride distracted or impaired.
- Be visible. Wear a brightly colored helmet and retro-reflective material on your clothing.
- Pay attention to pedestrians.
- Ride with the flow of traffic.
- Follow traffic signs and signals.
- Use the correct hand signals when making turns.
Driver safety tips
Here are some tips that drivers can do to keep themselves and bicyclists safe when sharing the roadways.
- Check for bicyclists before opening your door.
- Look for bicyclists when changing lanes.
- Slow down and leave clearance when passing pedestrians and bicyclists.
- Yield to bicyclists turning.
- Slow down around stopped cars, especially if they are in your lane or the lane next to you.
- Never honk your horn at a bicyclist; it could cause them to swerve into traffic or off the road and crash.
- Be extra cautious in and around school zones. Children often make unpredictable moves.
Helpful articles
Keep your eyes on the road. Maintaining focus on driving is simple but often overlooked with so many distractions pulling our eyes away. One of the biggest contributors to vehicle crashes involves looking at smartphones.
According to research, vehicle safety systems, like collision avoidance and automatic braking, reduce the number of collisions. But the devices themselves are not enough.
