CINCINNATI — It’s National Bike Awareness Month, and with the weather getting warmer, more cyclists are expected to be out and about. That’s why safety experts are encouraging both motorists and cyclists to take extra precautions while on the road.
Cincinnati Cycle Club Safety Director Susan Sherman has always enjoyed cycling. She said it’s a great way to meet new people and exercise.
“You can go so many places on a bicycle,” said Sherman. “It’s just fun. When I get on the bicycle, it’s kind of like I’m a kid again.”
Being on safe on the roadways is one of her top priorities. But even with all precautions in place, she says accidents still happen. She was hit by a car one day while crossing railroad tracks.
Susan Sherman cycling in Cincinnati. ( Courtesy Susan Sherman)
“The driver thought even though I was saying stay back and wait, he thought he could sneak around me and he bumped my back tire and I fell to the pavement,” she said.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that nearly 1,0000 bicyclists were hit and killed in traffic crashes in 2021. That’s why Sherman does her due diligence to train other cyclists on the best safety practices, one of which is wearing a helmet.
“I myself have benefited from wearing a helmet,” she said. “So we promote wearing helmets and require it on all our club rides.”
Besides wearing a helmet, cyclists are also encouraged to allow for space and to make themselves visible. Sherman said it’s also important to learn lane control positioning.
“The best thing a cyclist can do is to act like a car on the road ,and that makes you the most safe,” she said. “You’re more visible to all the car users and you can see better too.”
But it’s not just cyclists who need to take precautions. Motorists are asked to share the road, look out and give plenty of space.
“Sadly, we hear, because we’re more vulnerable, I think it’s more sensational and we hear about the fatalities more and we’ve gotten so accustomed to car fatalities that we don’t talk about them,” she said. “So cycling is very safe.”
