NCDOT REMINDS MOTORISTS AND BICYCLISTS ABOUT BICYCLE SAFETY
May is National Bicycle Safety Month

RALEIGH — May is National Bicycle Safety Month and the N.C. Department of Transportation reminds bicyclists and motorists to safely share the road.

“Warmer weather is returning and more bicyclists are out on the roads,” said Tom Norman, director of NCDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Division. “We urge both bicyclists and motorists to share the road and to travel responsibly.”

North Carolina law defines a bicycle as a vehicle, Norman added, which gives bicyclists the same rights and duties as other drivers.

More than 900 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes are reported to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles each year. The majority of incidents occur between the months of May through September, and between the hours of 2 and 10 p.m. From 2001 through 2005, 114 bicyclists were killed in collisions with motor vehicles, and nearly 2,400 were injured.

 NCDOT offers the following safety tips to bicyclists when riding on the road:

• Always wear a bicycle helmet;

• Ride on the right-hand side of the road, in the same direction as other vehicles;

• Obey all traffic signs and signals;

• Properly signal all movements and make sure movements can be made safely;

• Yield to drivers and pedestrians, as appropriate; and

• Avoid riding at night, but if you do, be sure to use a headlight visible from a distance of 300 feet and a red reflector visible at a distance of 200 feet, as well as wear reflective clothing.

NCDOT also offers the following safety tips to motorists when encountering bicyclists:

• Keep a lookout for oncoming bicyclists when turning left and wait for them to clear the intersection before completing your turn;

• After passing a bicyclist on your right, take care not to cut them off by  immediately turning right in front of them;

• Slow down when passing a bicyclist to make sure the rider is aware of your presence and leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the bicyclist;

• Stay alert for bicyclists who suddenly swerve or turn in front of you; and

• Yield to bicyclists, when appropriate, as you would for other motor vehicles.

For more information on bicycle safety, laws pertaining to the operation of a bicycle and bicycle crash facts, visit the NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation’s Web site at www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle/.

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