Part two of our back-to-school September Safety Series focusing on safety around school zones and neighborhood areas where children are present.
Bicycles, especially children on bikes, are smaller and less visible on the road and so face unique safety challenges. Here are a few things to keep in mind when traveling in areas where adults and children may be present and riding bikes on the road.
- Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on most roadways as drivers do.
- Check your blind spots when turning, opening your car door, or backing out of driveways. Bicyclists are difficult to see behind cars or other obstructions.
- When passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction as you, slow down and move over if you can do so safely. Wisconsin state law requires motor vehicles to give at least 3 feet when passing a person on a bike. But if you can do it safely, give them same amount of space as you would another vehicle.
- Allow the bicyclist to enter and exit intersections first before making a right or left turn into their path.
- Children riding bikes are inexperienced, don’t use proper judgment, and don’t often know the rules of the road. Exercise caution when sharing the road with young bicyclists.
- Watch for bicyclists turning in front of you. Children don’t often use hand signals or look behind them when turning.
Wisconsin Bike Fed partners with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and works year round to make roads safer for people on bikes. Learn more about their programs and get resources for their “Share the Road” campaign.