How to bike safely
Ride smart, ride safe
- Follow all rules of the road, including riding with traffic and stopping for traffic lights. Under the law, bicyclists have all the rights and responsibilities of motorists.
- Be visible. Use front and rear lights at night. Consider reflective gear such as a safety vest to be seen even more readily.
- Be predictible. Signal your intent.
- Wear a property fitted helmet (see the NHSTA videos below).
- Keep your bike in good repair.
- Motorists, note New Jersey’s new 4-foot passing law.
The WWBPA recommends that all cyclists wear a helmet. But how long should you keep wearing the same helmet? Since we all use and care for our helmets differently, there is no one answer. Consumer Reports created this guide that lists the factors that you should consider. For children you should always replace it when the helmet no longer encapsulates the head.
Watch these videos from the League of American Bicyclists
More tips
Take the Bike Safety Quiz-English or Bike Safety Quiz-Spanish
Awareness Test (Look out for cyclists)
Bicycle Maintenance and Repair Tips
BicycleSafe.com
Bicycle Safety Activity Kit (from U.S. DOT, NHTSA)
Bike Safety (from KidsHealth.org; includes audio of the text)
Healthy Children (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Bicycle Helmets: What Every Parent Should Know
- Bicycle Safety: Myths and Facts
- Choosing the Right Size Bicycle
- How to Get Your Child to Wear a Bicycle Helmet
- Keeping Young Passengers Safe on Adults’ Bikes
A Kid’s Guide to Bicycle Safety
Ride Smart: How to avoid the 5 most common bike-car collisions
Ride Smart, Ride Safe Safety Tips (bilingual pdf)
Share the Road (pdf)
Traffic Enforcement for Bicycle Safety
Please click on the links below for more safety information:
Biking in New Jersey
League of American Bicyclists: Rules of the Road
New Jersey Bicycle Manual (NJDOT)
Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver’s Manual
Walk Smart/Bike Smart Vermont (Critical Content, Concepts and Skills for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety for Grades K – 6)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Bicycle Safety Program