618 lives were lost in bike to car crashes in 2012 according to bicyclinginfo.org. The Louisville Youth Advisory Board (YAB) wants to remind the Louisville community to be aware when biking and driving. The YAB is made up of youth who care about the community, and we have notice that people riding bikes and people driving cars are being a little relaxed with the rules of biking and driving. Let’s help make Louisville an even safer place and fine tune our biking and driving.

One thing bikers can do is singla when turning or stopping. To signal “left” the biker simply extends their left arm. To signal “right” the rider bends their left, or extends their right one. When turning, make it obvious that you are about to turn, so you don’t catch people off guard. Some other ways to bike safely are to wear a helmet, and try to avoid biking on sidewalks, which are mostly meant for people running, walking  etc. When biking on the street, stay to the right. Finally, wear bright clothes and have lights and reflectors on your bike. Be aware and share the street.

Drivers can help make Louisville safer as well. Drivers need to be aware of what is happening around them, and they need to respect bikers. This means slowing down in school areas, and in neighborhoods. Another tip for drivers is to give bikers space, meaning that the car is not right on the bike’s tail. Always check twice before turning, for a biker can sneak up the same way a car can. After all, according to the Colorado Driver Handbook “the most common cause of accidents is cars turning left without checking for bicycles.”

Everyone has somewhere to go, so let them get there safely.