Video: Bike safety

May is National Bike Month… and cycling is a great way to cut down on environmental pollutants, burn calories, and save fuel costs.  So if you have ever thought about biking to work, now may be the perfect time.  Bicycleuniverse.info reports using a bicycle to commute four days a week for four miles (one-way) saves 54 gallons of gas annually.  Moreover, according to IVillage.com, just an hour of light to moderate bicycling can burn more than 400 calories.  And with regular gas pushing $4 a gallon, even small cut-backs can yield big savings.

Also, don’t forget this - if you are considering bicycling as your mode of transportation to work, and are ever in need of an emergency ride home, don’t forget about the Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH) which provides a free taxi ride home from work in the event of illness, unscheduled overtime or a family emergency.  If you have any questions concerning the ERH program or if you would like to enroll, please contact Bay Area Commuter Services (BACS) at 1-800-998-RIDE (7433) or sign up online at http://www.TampaBayRideshare.org

Finally, bicycle safety is key for sharing the roads.  Make sure to always wear a helmet when you ride - youngsters and adults too!  Look for helmets with an ANSI, Snell, or ASTM safety approval sticker inside the helmet.  Also, set this family rule in place: if your child is going out on their bicycle with a friend, have him or her leave a note in a specific location telling with whom he or she is riding and where they intend to ride that day.  Then, should an emergency arise, it will be easier for family members to locate the child.  Also, make sure your bike’s equipment is properly installed and working.  This includes tire pressure, brakes, pedals, bells, and lights or reflectors.

And finally, here are 10 friendly rules of the road reminders:

1.) Obey all applicable traffic regulations, signs, signals, and markings. Bicycles are subject to the same rules of vehicular traffic, wherever they apply.

2.) Observe all local ordinances pertaining to bike safety. It is your responsibility to know them and abide them.

3.) Keep right: drive with traffic, not against it. Drive single file. Keep as close to the curb as practical.

4.) Watch out for drain grates, soft shoulders and other road surface hazards.

5.) Watch out for car doors opening or for cars pulling into traffic.

6.) Don’t carry passengers or packages that interfere with your vision or control.

7.) Be extremely careful at intersections, especially when making a left turn. Most accidents happen at intersections. If traffic is heavy, get off and walk your bike with pedestrian traffic.

8.) Use hand signals to indicate turning or stopping.

9.) Protect yourself at night by wearing light-colored, reflective clothing. 

10.) Drive your bike defensively; plan for the unexpected.