Making the roads safe for cyclists is everyone's job. It's important to carefully consider the number of serious injuries and fatalities springing from cycling accidents every year. Most of these events could easily be avoided. People do not have to suffer from life-changing injuries or lose a loved one. And yet it continues to happen.
Rather than accepting that accidents are inevitable, what can we do to reduce the odds of a crash? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Every day, you hit the roads on your bike. It's fun and it keeps you fit. You love it. After years of running, you switched to biking to keep your body healthy — and it's worked.
Unfortunately, you still face a lot of hazards. Drivers cut you off. People open car doors into the bike lane. The city doesn't fill in the potholes. You worry that you will get hurt while you're out for a ride.
Let's start with this: Bike lanes help. They do keep cyclists safe. Don't write them off. They help to keep bikes that much farther out of traffic, they alert drivers to the fact that they'll be driving near cyclists and they add some structure to a road system that can often feel chaotic otherwise.
That said, they're not perfect. You still face very real risks, which you need to be aware of.
If you've ever spent time cycling in Europe, you may have felt shocked by the differences in your interactions on the roads. Many riders report feeling like European drivers are kind and courteous when they ride around bikes, whereas American drivers tend to act frustrated and hostile. This attitude could explain why car vs. bike accidents remain so common in the United States, when riders in Europe feel much safer.
But this probably got you thinking: Why do Americans have this different viewpoint? If we could change that, could we make cycling safer on this side of the Atlantic?
You wear a bike helmet every single time you get on your bike in New Haven. You know that it helps keep you safe. It protects your skull and brain in the event of a crash. Your parents told you to wear it when you were a child, and you carried that advice with you as you grew up. Now you tell your children the same thing.
Bike helmets do help. You should wear them. So should your kids. Do not doubt that your parents gave you good advice.
Tate Meintjes was living out his own personal dream. At just 19 years old, he was already a professional cyclist, participating in races all over the United States.
Tragically, the teen phenom recently passed away in an accident with a car. He was in California, where he was planning to tackle the Redlands Bicycle Classic. During a pre-ride of the race course, he got cut off by a car. He collided with the vehicle and crews rushed him to the hospital, but he passed away from his injuries.
You try to be a safe cyclist. You wear a helmet. You ride in the bike lanes. You understand that there are risks, but you keep a close eye on the traffic moving around you and you try to reduce those risks as much as you can.
But what about traffic that isn't moving?
When a doctor misses a disease or makes the wrong diagnosis, it can have devastating consequences. Patients may spend months or even years not getting the treatment they need or getting treatment for a disease they do not even have. In some situations, diseases progress during this time so that they can't be cured at all, when early detection would have allowed the patient to have life-saving options.
It's important to understand that doctors are human and they do make mistakes. Never assume that they're always right. Here are five diseases that they often miss:
When winter falls and most people hang their bicycles up in the garage, you just throw on another layer and keep going. You love winter cycling. It's beautiful, it's peaceful and it's a unique way to enjoy the outdoors. You know that you're much happier when you can still get outside, rather than feeling shut up in the house until the snow melts. Plus, it keeps you in great shape all year around.
Of course, winter cycling is a different animal than riding during the summer. You have fewer daylight hours. You have to contend with snow, sleet, ice and rain. Many drivers forget that cyclists may still be on the roads. You need to know how to stay safe and ride well this winter. Below are a few critical tips that can help.
When you purchase your own property or house, one of the rights you receive as a landowner is the right to quiet enjoyment of your property. In the state of Connecticut, lawmakers take that term more literally than in other states. In fact, Connecticut has statewide laws, as well as local, municipal ordinances, that protect homeowners from noisy neighbors.
Whether you live next to a rental apartment that houses college kids throwing parties or a business that plays music loudly late at night, you have rights as a property owner. In fact, you can take legal action against the noisemakers if they don't respect your right to quiet enjoyment of your property. You shouldn't have to suffer through another noisy, sleepless night. Instead, you should assert your rights and stand up for yourself.
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