As easy as riding a bike?

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Your old childhood friend the bicycle is suddenly hip again!  It’s a healthier, greener, cheaper and more fun way to get around than that gas-guzzling car.  But things have changed since your grade school Huffy-banana seat-riding days, so we thought it was time to test your bike safety knowledge with a little True or False quiz. 

  1. You are more likely to get hit by a car when riding on the sidewalk than in the street.
  2. When riding in the street you should always hug the shoulder as close as possible to allow cars to pass you. 
  3. When riding in a bike lane, you don’t have to follow the rules of traffic. So if the light turns red and there’s no cross traffic, you can blow on through!
  4. Riding a bike home is a safe way to avoid a DUI if you’re too drunk to drive.

 

  1. TRUE Cyclists who ride on the sidewalk are 2-9 times more likely to get hit by a car! This is because cars aren’t expecting bicycles to be riding on the sidewalks and may not look for them at crosswalks. You run the risk of getting hit at every intersection!!
  2. FALSE This is a tricky one because it depends on the road you’re riding on. If there is a wide shoulder with plenty of room for cars to pass, then by all means ride on the side. But if there is a small shoulder or narrow lanes that would cause a passing car to have to “squeeze” by you, then don’t feel bad about taking up the whole lane. This prevents you and the driver from getting into a risky situation.
  3. FALSE Even when riding in the bike lane, you are still considered to be a “vehicle” on the road and are subject to the same rules as cars (and can get the same tickets). That means no running red lights, blowing stops signs, or making illegal turns.
  4. FALSE If you aren’t able to drive, you aren’t able to ride. Both modes of transportation require that you have the coordination, awareness and alertness to follow the rules of the road. And you can get a ticket for DUI while riding a bike, so just call a cab!

As spring approaches, it’s important to take your bike into a local shop to make sure it’s safe for you to ride.  But it’s equally important to make sure that you are safe to ride it!  Always wear your helmet and check out the links below.  Happy riding!

Cheryl Czapla, Med IV
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/

http://bicyclesafe.com/

http://cycle-safety.com/

http://dps.osu.edu/police/bike_safety/

One thought on “As easy as riding a bike?

  1. i’m just want say that cycle-safety.com url is broken.
    I’m a newbie blogger,If you do update the page, I’d appreciate it if you would consider including a link to my article. It’s about bikes reviews. I think your visitors would also appreciate it, so do you mind adding a link? Here’s the link if you’re interested:
    https://pedaling.info/

    Thank you for your time,

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