Iowa Bicycle Accidents on The Rise: Safety Tips About How to Avoid One - By: Corey Walker

It's that time of year again, the weather is nice and people are outside enjoying the warm weather. Iowans love riding bicycles, but an alarming fact is that there are an increasing number of bicycle crashes every year on Iowa's roads.There have already been quite a few reported so far this year.

The majority of bicycle accidents are caused because drivers do not see the bicyclist before the collision or did not see the bicyclist until it was too late to avoid the crash. Intersections are the most likely place for bicycle accidents. It is just as important for bicyclist to know the rules of the road and obey the traffic laws as it is for cars.

Important Safety Factors to Remember:

You should make sure you are protected by wearing a helmet and knee pads to help guard you from serious injury.

It is important that you ride in safe areas for bicyclist versus busy highways and interstates. Once you have a place to ride your bike, you should know the rules of riding, such as when to cross the street at a stop light, what side of the street to ride on, watching for cars and other simple traffic laws that can help you avoid being in a accident.

If you do plan to ride on a busy street, it would benefit you to have mirrors on your bike so you can see the traffic behind you.

Riding your bicycle at night can increase the risk of being in an accident, be sure to wear bright colors and have reflectors or lights on your bike so cars can see you.

Proper Maintenance for Your Bicycle:

You may be able to avoid getting hurt or being in an accident by having your bicycle properly maintained. If you fail to have your bike up to speed with maintenance you take the change of getting a flat tire or having the chain slip off in the middle of riding on a street, which could be very dangerous. The following are some simple things you can do before riding to ensure your safety.

Check the air in your tires to make sure they are the right pressure

Keep your chain oiled so it doesn't rust up or slip off the track, this can cause you serious injury if it slips off in the middle of riding

Keep your handle bars aligned

About the Author

To learn more about Iowa bicycle accidents including 6 Things to Know Before Talking to the Insurance Adjustor and 7 Secrets to Not Wreck Your Case request our new Book entitled "The Legal Insider's Guide to Iowa Car Accidents" which is available at no cost to Iowans. Call Now (800)-707-2552, ext. 510 (Recorded Consumer Awareness Message)or go to http://www.iowacaraccidentbook.com

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Corey-Walker/34178

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