May is Bicycle and Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and more and more, Americans see walking, running and bicycling as a cost effective, healthy and convenient way to travel. Recognizing this, some communities have become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly by adding bicycle lanes and trails to their infrastructure. However, this is not possible in every community, making it necessary for motorists and cyclists to share the road.
With the arrival of warmer weather, here are some tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for drivers to help keep everyone as safe as possible on the roads.
1. Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities to the road as drivers.
2. Treat bicyclists as you would other drivers and be as aware of them in traffic as you are of vehicles.
3. Pass bicyclists as you would vehicles – pass on the left and only when it’s safe to move over into an adjacent lane. Give them room and don’t pass too closely. Kansas law requires motorists to give bicyclists three feet of space at all times.
4. Drive defensively. Check your blind spots for bicyclists and pay special attention at stop signs and cross walks. Before making a right-hand turn, make sure a bicyclist isn’t approaching from the right rear of your vehicle. Look left, then right and left again. Remember to check behind you as well.
In addition to recreational bicyclists, Kansas welcomes several cycling events each year including the Great TransAmerica Race, Race Across America, Bike Across Kansas, The Dirty Kanza and other events which will bring hundreds of local, national and international riders to our cities and towns this summer.
Remember to ditch the distractions and share the road.
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