Five Bike Commuting Safety Tips
New Orleans has been ranked as a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community since 2011 by The League of American Bicyclists, and seventh in the nation for per capita spending on bicycle and pedestrian programs.
But for whatever reason, the streets of New Orleans are not safe for bicyclists.
Five Safety Tips When You Are On Your Bike
Below are five common sense, yet sometimes forgotten rules that all cyclists need to remember. The physical streets in New Orleans are tough enough to navigate with the potholes and parked cars.
Riders also need to be aware that the culture for cycling is NOT well established in New Orleans. Although you may be correct under the law, when a bicycle has a collision with an automobile, the automobile always wins. Don’t be dead right.
Simplify Your Ride
Making your bicycle ride simple and easy will make your commute more enjoyable. Riding a simple bike, like steel, fixed gear bike can simplify your ride.
Check your bike every weekend for correct tire pressure, tightness of quick releases and other fastenings, brakes performance, chain appearance, and tire wear and tear. Cleaning your bike regularly can also help to simplify your everyday rides.
Just like a motor vehicle, you will need to perform routine maintenance on your bicycle. This is more important if you use your bike for everyday use.
Do Some Prep Work
By preparing for your commute ahead of time, you can also reduce any anxiety and cut down on your commuting time. Make a small pack that you can carry on your bike that has tire flat repair materials.
Store toiletries or other hygienic necessities at your workplace for a shower or quick refresher after your morning commute. Leave a pair of shoes, or two, at your workplace. This will cut down on the weight you’ll carry commuting every day.
Packing the night before and only bringing essentials will also cut down on your commuting time in the morning as well as the weight you’ll have to carry every day.
Plan Out Your Bike Ride
In New Orleans, there are numerous bike paths and commuting routes available for all commuters. Using tools such as Google Maps or the New Orleans Bike Commuting Map can provide you with a more scenic route while avoiding dangerous roads, crowded intersections, and road construction.
New Orleans is also working hard on their darling community project, the Lafitte Greenway. The Greenway stretches 2.6 miles through the heart of the City, from Mid-City to Basin St. at Armstrong Park, following the path of what used to be a canal and railway. It will extend from Basin St. to N. Alexander St. between St. Louis, Lafitte, and Conti Streets.
The Greenway opened in 2015, and you can see how the project is coming along by visiting the Lafitte Greenway Progress photos.
Since the opening, there have been some safety issues but the City is working hard to make those issues become a thing of the past.
Enjoy The Ride And Get Others Involved
New Orleans is rich with events geared towards the bicycle enthusiast. The New Orleans Bike Bash is a 3-day collection of bicycle-related events ranging from rides to bike polo to bike in movies, designed to provide a wide variety of fun bicycle themed activities.
The annual World Naked Bike Tour in New Orleans, takes place in the summer months, to raise awareness for bike safety. This is a very strange event but helps to promote cyclist awareness.
Looking Ahead
Although commuting should be a fun and enjoyable event, sometimes accidents do happen and people are injured on their commute.
If you find yourself in this situation, knowing a competent New Orleans bike accident attorney could help you recover for your damages and injuries without further delay or pain.
Learn More From Smiley Law Firm’s Injury Blog
Contact the experienced attorneys at Smiley Law Firm to start your search for a bicycle attorney today.
