Thursday, March 3, 2016

Bicycle Injuries

     As the new season begins, we already have too many injuries.  On recent rides I have watch FOGBEES casually violate traffic laws.  Some of them could have led to serious collisions with motorists.  So I would like to remind everyone to re-acquaint themselves with bike law.  We have them on this blog. Try 
http://fogbees.blogspot.com/p/bike-safety.html and http://fogbees.blogspot.com/p/bike-law.html 
     Under Tennessee Law bicycles are vehicles and have all the rights and responsibilities of other vehicles to the road.  We seem to have gotten the first part of this law down, but frequently struggle with the last part.  I'll make it easy.  If you wouldn't drive your car in a certain manner then don't drive your bike in that manner.  
     When you approach a traffic control sign or signal, such as a red light, automatically assume other FOGBEES are going to abide by it and don't plan to violate it.  
     The other failure I see most often is improper lane positioning.  It is against the law to pass another vehicle on the right.  Even worse it is against the law and against common sense to pass a car waiting at an intersection on the left side and then turn in front of them to go to the right.  Lastly, if you plan to turn left, adopt the proper position on the road as every other vehicle is expected to do.
    If you see someone on a FOGBEE activity riding in an unsafe manner or violating the law, courteously TELL THEM about it.  It may save them, another FOGBEE, or you from injury

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