{"id":9845,"date":"2016-09-29T09:55:04","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T14:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=9845"},"modified":"2021-11-18T08:36:33","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:36:33","slug":"biking-safety-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/biking-safety-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Safer Biking in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"

Make safety a priority in America’s most bikeable city<\/h2>\n
\"biking
Photo Credit: San Francisco Bike Coalition<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Monday, September 27, 2016, the Chicago streets claimed the life of yet another biker. A\u00a023-year-old woman\u00a0collided with a flatbed truck. This right hook incident, a type of accident that involves a vehicle hitting a\u00a0biker while turning right, came the week after Bicycling\u00a0Magazine\u00a0named Chicago “The Best Bike City<\/a>” in the country.<\/p>\n

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, six people have died this year in biking accidents within the Chicago city limits. However, that figure doesn’t include deaths near Chicago, such as the death of an 18-year-old at Northwestern University last week in Evanston. Nor does it count bikers\u00a0critically injured or the immeasurable\u00a0near misses. Urban biking is dangerous.<\/p>\n

While you may not be able to speed up Chicago’s effort to become more biker-friendly (see\u00a0The Loop Link Project<\/a>), there are things that you can<\/em>\u00a0do to\u00a0make your\u00a0bike commute\u00a0safer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Get a horn<\/h2>\n
\"bike
Delta Airzound Bike Horn at Amazon<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Drivers use horns to get the attention of others drivers\u00a0because it works. Perhaps bikers should, too. A\u00a0commercial vehicle turning right in front of a biker isn’t going to\u00a0hear a\u00a0bike bell. But they’ll likely be able to hear an\u00a0air horn.<\/p>\n

According to bikers who use\u00a0them, bike horns successfully alert oblivious drivers to\u00a0their\u00a0presence. One Amazon customer review for the Delta AirZound Bike Horn<\/a>\u00a0said, “I’ve only had this for two days and already avoided a couple of near misses (turned them into wide misses) with it. When cranked to full volume, it really gets drivers’ attention – even with their windows wound up and Eminem rattling their mirrors!”<\/p>\n

These horns can typically be filled\/refilled using any bike pump, then clamped\u00a0to handlebars for easy access. The bike horn market, being relatively new, isn’t super competitive yet. But there are some decent options out there. Bikers looking for a smaller air horn might prefer\u00a0the\u00a0Blast Airhorn by BioLogic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amp up your light arsenal<\/h2>\n
\"bike<\/a>
Photo Credit: Monkey Lights<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"bike<\/a>Lights can significantly increase biker visibility<\/a> not just at night, but during rain, snow and any other type of inclement weather.\u00a0Headlights and taillights, imperative for even the most severely amateur biker, mount to the front and back of your bike and usually have at least two modes: flashing or solid beam. Some riders prefer to use two headlights and two taillights, one of each set to flash and the other to solid\u00a0beam, because they believe it improves their chances of being seen by drivers with poor night vision.<\/p>\n

\"bike<\/a>
2-in-1 Bike Horn Light<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Head\/taillight styles range from being super basic and affordable,\u00a0like these from Walmart<\/a>, to\u00a0fancy and high tech, like this performance grade NiteRider headlight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition to head\/taillights, spoke lights, can be a valuable\u00a0supplement to your light arsenal. The picture above shows an extensive spoke light display. But, there are plenty of very basic versions, such as the\u00a0SpokeLit LED lights at Target<\/a>,\u00a0which are inexpensive and easy-to-install.<\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0some bikers prefer to wear\u00a0headlamps attached to their\u00a0helmets, not only to\u00a0increase\u00a0their\u00a0visibility to drivers\u00a0but also to illuminate their own paths. Where bike lights are concerned, the adage “the more the merrier” applies.<\/p>\n

For efficient shoppers, this combination\u00a0horn\/headlight<\/a>\u00a0apparatus kills two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dress for biking success<\/h2>\n
\"bike<\/a>
Photo Credit: Bike Hero<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wear\u00a0bright, reflective clothing. When sporting dark colors, especially at night, throw on a reflector\u00a0vest like this one from Bicycle Hero<\/a>. Buy reflective duct tape at a hardware store and put it everywhere – bike frames, pedals, shoes, clothes, bags, etc. Of course, there is always the clich\u00e9 advice to “wear a helmet.” But since they actually do save lives, it’s worth hearing again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Preplan your route<\/h2>\n
\"biking
Photo Credit: Google Maps and Treehugger.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Use applications such as Google Maps that allow you to find routes\/directions specifically for bikers. Although the software isn’t perfect, sometimes suggesting high-traffic routes that aren’t ideal, these\u00a0apps can still serve as a framework to help you preplan your own routes.<\/p>\n

The City of Chicago Bike Maps page<\/a> links to\u00a0Chicago Complete Streets<\/a>,\u00a0where Chicagoans can find a list of biking resources, including a printable version of the\u00a0Chicago 2016 Bike Map<\/a>. You can request a Chicago Bike Map here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Until better urban biking apps exist, make your\u00a0own routes by synthesizing information gleaned from all sources.\u00a0Try to stick to a consistent route so that you become familiar with traffic patterns and road conditions. This can be especially important in the fall, when leaves cover streets, hiding potholes and uneven pavement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Be informed<\/h2>\n

Knowing the difference between a driver who’s simply rude and a driver who’s breaking the law can\u00a0be empowering. For example, a driver passing within less than 3-feet of a biker is breaking the law, as per\u00a0city ordinance. To take a deeper look into this type of information check out Chicago Complete Streets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among their resources,\u00a0the organization\u00a0offers an informative guide to\u00a0Safe Cycling in Chicago<\/a>. In\u00a0addition to listing all Illinois and Chicago bike laws, the guide\u00a0covers relevant topics such as\u00a0correct hand signals, the difference between the types of Chicago bike lanes, tips for smart biking in traffic and other helpful\u00a0advice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Want to see how Chicago stacks up against other cities when it comes to biking? Check out this comprehensive article on the 75 most bike-friendly cities in the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Make safety a priority in America’s most bikeable city On Monday, September 27, 2016, the Chicago streets claimed the life of yet another biker. A\u00a023-year-old woman\u00a0collided with a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":9938,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1678,201,159,1319,552,1679,1677],"class_list":["post-9845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-category-popular","tag-bike-safety","tag-biking","tag-chicago","tag-fitness","tag-news","tag-tips","tag-urban"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Tips for Safer Biking in Chicago | UrbanMatter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Chicago was recently ranked the best city for biking in the country, but that doesn't mean we can't take more steps to be safer. 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