2. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check (Section 1.C) before you get on a bike.
3. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicycle: brakes (Section 4.C); pedals (Section 4.E); shifting (Section 4.D)
4. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away from the sharp teeth of chainrings, the moving chain, the turning pedals and cranks, and the spinning
wheels of your bicycle.
5. Always wear:
• Shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the pedals. Never ride barefoot or in sandals.
• Bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be tangled in the bicycle or snagged by objects at the side of the road or trail.
• Protective eyewear, to protect against airborne dirt, dust and bugs — tinted when the sun is bright, clear when it’s not.
6. Don’t jump with your bike. Jumping a bike, particularly a BMX or mountain bike, can be fun; but it can put huge and unpredictable stress on the bicycle and
its components. Riders who insist on jumping their bikes risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as to themselves. Before you attempt to jump, do stunt
riding or race with your bike, read and understand Section 2.F.
7. Ride at a speed appropriate for conditions. Increased speed means higher risk.
B. Riding Safety
1. You are sharing the road or the path with others — motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Respect their rights.
2. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do not see you.
3. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
• Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road or your lane ahead of you, or coming up behind you.
• Parked car doors opening.
• Pedestrians stepping out.
• Children or pets playing near the road.
• Pot holes, sewer grating, railroad tracks, expansion joints, road or sidewalk construction, debris and other obstructions that could cause you to swerve into
traffic, catch your wheel or cause you to have an accident.
• The many other hazards and distractions which can occur on a bicycle ride.
4. Ride in designated bike lanes, on designated bike paths or as close to the edge of the road as possible, in the direction of traffic flow or as directed by local
governing laws.
5. Stop at stop signs and traffic lights; slow down and look both ways at street intersections. Remember that a bicycle always loses in a collision with a motor
vehicle, so be prepared to yield even if you have the right of way.
6. Use approved hand signals for turning and stopping.
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