Tips to Follow While Bicycling on the Road

The HTSA encourages everyone who uses roads (including motorists and bicyclists), to always respect each other and ensure that they create a safer transportation environment. By law, bicycles on a road, have the same vehicular rights and responsibilities as other vehicles and are required to follow all the basic rules and regulations that motorists follow.

This, and riding predictably, makes it easier for people to share the road. If bicyclists follow all the guidelines that have been set for them, it reduces the risk of a collision and a fine. In addition, it also helps in showing that bicycles have a very positive presence on Texas’ streets. Here are a few tips that bicyclists should follow:

• Always ride in the direction of the traffic (not against it)
• Obey all the traffic signals and signs
• Observe other’s right of way
• Do not pass vehicles that are in the same lane
• Stay predictable and assertive
• Do not speed and give 3-feet while passing

More Tips - The Safety Factor

• Wear properly-fitted bicycle helmets whenever you ride. A good helmet is one of the most-effective methods of preventing head injury that results from a bicycle-crash. Bicyclists are essentially considered to vehicle-operators and the rules and safety measures they have to take are no different from ones that motorists are required to follow.
• Bicyclists should always increase their visibility to other drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing when they are riding during the day, as well as at dawn and dusk. In order to be noticed while riding at night, they should use a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light. Retro-reflective tape or markings should be used on equipment or clothing
• Just as it’s important for bicyclists to follow the law, they must understand that it’s not the only thing they have to do. They should also be using their common sense and presence of mind. The law says that you should ride as far towards the right as possible. However, if you ride too much to the right, a person who is exiting their parked car may open up the door in front of you.

Focus on the Road

This simply means that as a bicyclist, you have to be very aware of what is happening around you on the road. Riding safe is about following rules and learning defensive driving.