HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Some of you may enjoy Mother's Day weekend outdoors. If you plan to go bicycling, we have some tips for you!
League of American Bicyclists League Cyclist Instructor, Dave Stone, says it's important for cyclists to act and be treated as drivers of a vehicle.
"We're bicycle drivers, because a rider is somebody that has no control over direction or speed. You ride a rollercoaster. Your ride as a passenger in a car, but as a cyclist you are driving the vehicle. You are controlling its direction and speed," he says.
Stone says it's also important to be seen. Wearing bright colors help, but you're more visible on the road. It is legal for cyclists to be on the road.
"A lot of people think cyclists should be on sidewalks, and if you look at cyclists on sidewalks, they actually have increased crash risks.....By riding in the road with traffic, and like another vehicle, you actually maximize where you are compared to where drivers are looking," says Stone.
Stone believes it's a big problem when drivers try to pass by in the same lane as cyclists. This is the biggest risk, not so much a cyclist getting hit from behind.
"Most of Alabama, the lanes are not wide enough for that to occur. So by the cyclist moving further into the lane, it forces the motorist to pass in the next lane over and that gives enough distance to pass safely," he says.
"We still want the cyclist to be just outside where the motorist is going to be because that is where motor vehicles coming up from crossing streets are looking. The further away they are from motorist are the more likely they're going to be missed by crossing traffic," added Stone.
Lastly, make sure your bike has a light. "You have to have a light by law, at least a head light, preferably a taillight, and that makes you the most visible especially for those cross-traffic," says Stone.
