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Bicycling season returns; riders urged"
to use caution while enjoying the ride

Warm weather and rising gasoline prices are great reasons to dust off a bicycle, tune it up and get pedaling, particularly since May is National Bike Month.

Riding a bike provides great exercise, is a fun sport for the whole family and offers young riders a sense of freedom, according to Lisa Losness with ITD's Office of Highway Operations and Safety.

Losness oversees ITD's bicycle safety activities.

"With the cost of gas increasing, biking is a great transportation alternative," Losness said. She added that, to ensure safe riding, riders should prepare themselves and their bicycles.

Bicyclists should always ride with traffic and obey applicable traffic laws, including use of proper hand signals. Riders should travel in a straight line and not weave, watch for and avoid road hazards, and not hand-carry items in a way that may affect control of the bicycle.

Losness explained that riders should wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet and light-colored clothing at all times, and reflective gear when light conditions are low. Use of a headlight and taillight are important when riding at night.

Finally, keep bicycle tires properly filled with air, ensure that brakes are working properly and see that the bicycle chain is set tight.

Nearly 85 million adults and children ride bicycles each year in the U.S., with an estimated one-half million people bicycling to work each morning. For children and teenagers, bicycles are a primary means of transportation.

Unfortunately, observations reveal that many riders, and particularly young school-aged riders, are not using protective headgear, Losness said.
ITD statistics show that more than 85 percent of bicyclists involved in crashes were not wearing bicycle helmets.

"In 2006, there were 333 bicycle versus motor vehicle crashes in Idaho resulting in two deaths," Losness said. "That's two too many."

Nearly all of the bicyclists involved in crashes suffered some degree of injury. A little less than one-third of those riders were between the ages of 4 and 14 years old.

"More cars and bicycles on the road mean that motorists and riders need to watch out for each other and share the road," Losness said.