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.
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