Safety Equipments for Bikes

Having the right biking equipment can make a cyclist’s journey safer, whether it’s for recreational or for commuting purposes. Some of these equipments include the following.

• Mirrors: Mirrors may be installed on the handlebars or on the bicycle frame’s top tube. It may also be mounted to the helmet. A good mirror is vibration-resistant and placed where it is easy to see for steady or constant tracking of traffic. Set it far enough from the eyes so that the change in focus between the street and the mirror is not too hard on the eyes. With the help of mirrors, one can detect when a driver steered around or slow down. Choose wide mirrors so there are limited blind spots.

• Flags: This equipment is mostly important when approaching intersections, where objects at ground level block an approaching driver’s view before turning down the street. Flags also make other drivers aware of the bike’s presence in traffic. The snapping of a flag in the wind also increases the bike’s visibility from behind. Place the flag as vertical as possible, and not trailing behind the bike.

• Headlights: Headlights are generally required by the law, especially at night, and helps the biker be seen by other motorists. It should be radiant enough to be detected early and is partly directed at the ground. Headlights may either be halogen or LED. LEDs last longer but are less intense. They make good backup lights but are still not powerful enough to stand alone. Halogens range in power; from as low as 2.5 watt lights to 12. Some headlights are designed to be mounted on the helmet, but it’s more recommended to attach it to the bike. Use of rechargeable batteries is also recommended. For urban cyclists, one smaller light is needed since the area’s terrain is simple and the road calls for slower speed. More lights may be switched on when approaching difficult situations.

• Taillights: Most cyclists consider taillights more important than headlights due to concern about cars approaching from behind. Since cyclists can’t easily track pursuing or overtaking traffic, visibility to the rear becomes important. Batteries for taillights usually run for more than 100 hours, with reasonable brightness. They are best used in a dark street, against dark background.

Bicycle accidents not only cause damage to the people involved and property, it may also result to lawsuits. In this case, bike accident lawyers can help victims recover damages that are rightfully theirs.


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