3 Important Safety Tips For Cycling Downtown In Big Cities Like Philadelphia

We all know some of the biggest safety tips for riding a bike: wear a helmet, make sure you are visible to other drivers when riding at night, follow your lane directions and signal your turns, and be mindful of other cars and drivers.

However, while those rules do apply, what about biking downtown? That can be a challenge because there are a lot more cars and pedestrians all driving and walking around in a very tight space, and cycling can be very difficult.

If you are going to bike downtown, then you need to follow these important safety tips to keep yourself safe. Then you can get the benefits of being on a bike!

1. Always Look Around

Parked cars can pull out suddenly, pedestrians could be walking around in the street, or a light could suddenly change and everyone could be stopping and starting all at once.

Downtown is often a large hub of transportation and activity, and there’s a lot less space to maneuver whenever you are biking downtown. So make sure to be as mindful as you are in the neighborhood, if not more so.

You need to be aware of a lot of different cars and people, and you also need to make sure that they are aware of you, so always keep your head on a swivel and prepare to react if necessary. 

2. Keep Yourself Predictable

A busy downtown street is not the best time for you to demonstrate how well you can weave between parked cars and do loops on the road. Instead, because there is so much going on around you and so much that you need to be aware of, make sure to keep yourself predictable. Move in a straight line, use hand signals, and make sure to always ride with traffic.

Additionally, follow the laws and obey all traffic signs and signals. Stop at stop signs, obey traffic lights, and make sure to stop for pedestrians at intersections to let them pass because they have the right of way. 

3. Keep The Earbuds At Home

While you might be able to bike around the open road with your earbuds in and your music blaring, you might find that that is all but impossible in the big city. You should be able to hear other roadway users and conditions on the road without music potentially muffling out the sound.

So save the earbuds for whenever you have more space on the road, and more space to react to the road.

If You Are Hit By A Car, Contact A Bicycle Accident Attorney As Soon As Possible

Of course, no matter how safe you choose to be on the roadway and no matter how many precautions are taken, accidents do happen. If you get hit by a car, you need to make sure that you are okay, and then make sure to talk to a bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible.

A bike accident attorney in Philadelphia will be able to determine whose fault the accident was, and can get you the compensation you deserve. 

Make sure to contact them and give them as much help as you can, and then you can get started on a plan to get justice and receive any compensation you are due. Hopefully, you will never need a bicycle accident attorney and can follow the above safety tips to make sure that you are safe on the road!

Biking downtown can be very fun, and if you make the effort to keep yourself safe you will be able to take advantage of all the benefits it can provide for you!