May is Bike Safety Month Here are some Tips to Stay Safe

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May is bicycle safety month and the Enid Police Department has some safety tips for how a bicyclist can stay safe and how drivers can keep bicyclists safe. All states require bicyclists on roads to follow most of the same rules and responsibilities as drivers. However, bicyclists do have some additional privileges that drivers aren’t afforded.

An example of this is that at stoplights bicyclists can go through red lights after yielding to traffic. Another example is at stop signs bicyclists only have to slow down and yield, but they can go past the sign without stopping if there is no traffic. A way that drivers can look out for the safety of bicyclists is to give them at least 3 feet of room on the road, as drivers are required by law to do.

When compared to other states Oklahoma has some work to do when it comes to providing a safe environment for bicyclists. According to Streetlight a vehicle data and analytics company, the state of Oklahoma ranks as the 6th most dangerous state for bicyclists. The statistic is based on data from 2019 and goes per mile traveled by bicyclists instead of per capita.

When you rank by per capita, Oklahoma ranks 8th on the list of dangerous states for bicyclists. However, bicyclists can also take steps to stay safe while on the road. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has some tips on how.

Bicyclists are encouraged to wear properly fitting helmets, brightly colored clothing before dusk, and reflective clothing before dawn. Bicyclists are also recommended to drive with traffic and to ride a bike that fits. Also, while the NHTSA made no recommendations for when to ride your bike they did note that most bicyclists’ deaths occurred between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm. For more tips click on the link above.