With many provinces having a Bike to Work Week or a Bike to Work Day this month, it's a great time to review some cycling safety tips.

Cycling has many benefits as a form of active transportation. It improves overall health, contributes to fitness, eases traffic congestion, and reduces personal environmental impact and commuting costs. People are catching on and more and more people are riding their bikes to work. Sharing the road with vehicles can be a dangerous thing. You must ensure that you protect yourself. Here are a few tips!

Protect your Head

• Wear your helmet and wear it correctly: always wear with chin strap firmly buckled with the helmet centered on the top of your head
• Remember, helmets are NOT "just for kids"

See and be Seen

• Wear bright clothing with reflectors
• Be aware of the traffic around you (they are not always aware of you)
• Make eye contact with motorists


Stay Alert

• Watch for obstacles in your path such as car doors opening, pot holes, litter, loose gravel, children who might run in front of you or motorists who may not see you
• Remember that some drivers just aren't paying attention; they may be eating, smoking, drinking, etc.
• Cars and trucks have blind spots, especially the right back corner
• Nobody can stop a car or truck on a dime; the larger the vehicle the longer it takes to stop

Basic Cycling Skills

Be sure you can comfortably do the following before riding in traffic:

• Maintain control of yourself and your bicycle
• Look back at traffic and ride with one hand
• Accurately judge speed and distance
• Negotiate with other traffic

Avoid Theft

• Record the serial number
• Keep your receipt
• Take a picture
• Engrave it with your name or a unique number in a spot that is not obvious(and take a picture)
• And most of all...LOCK IT UP!