Here are some images on how to be safer while walking on the road, to and from the safety of the bike path, and the often forgotten hand signals that bikers need to use when riding on the road.
If you have kids who are learning to ride bikes and they have to ride on the roads around the house, please take time to share these hand signals and safe-riding steps.
There are many place in small towns like Sabina around Clinton County, Ohio where there are no sidewalks for people to walk on. So many of us have to walk on the side of the streets and roads near us. But there is a safe way to do this and an unsafe way to do this.
Walking or running with traffic is NOT a safe practice. These days too many drivers are too distracted with mobile devices, changing the radio station, reaching for food, or just not paying attention to always give you safe space when you are walking or running on the same road with them.
We are all taught, at least in the United States, to walk on the right side of the sidewalk, hallways, or street. But that is the same thing drivers of cars, motorcycles and trucks do too! So if you both adhere to the same rule, one of you can't see the other at all times or at all. To be safe, you need to turn around...
In the photo below, this woman is walking in front of a red Mazda. The orange line in the grass represents the side of the road. If the driver of the red Mazda sees her, all is well. But how can she tell if that driver sees her? She can’t. The car is behind her. If the driver drifts right, she will be hit and may be killed.
Instead of walking with traffic on roads or streets, walk against it as shown below.
While not standard, it does allow you as a pedestrian to see the car or truck driving towards you at all times. You can see the driver and you can see if they are about to go around you or not paying attention.
This should ALWAYS be how you walk or run around other vehicles. You’ll stay alive and if someone fails to do their duty while driving, you’ll be able to react in time!
There are more bicyclists today than ever before. But the number of bicyclists who know and use hand signals while biking on the road is extremely low. So as a bicyclist on the road, how do you tell the drivers in the cars, motorcycles and trucks behind you that you are about to turn, slow or stop?
Per the image below, to signal that you are making a right turn on your bike in front of other traffic (on or off the trail), you should raise your left hand upward at a 90° bend as shown.
Per the image below, to make a left turn on your bike in front of other traffic (on or off the trail), you should put your left arm straight out as shown.
What if you are about to slow down or stop and know that you are close to other traffic? The proper hand signal for slowing down on your bike is shown below by putting your left arm out at a 90° bend but this time pointing down.
These suggestions are not official recommendations for walking on a roadway with traffic, but these steps will make your daily trips around cars, trucks or motorcycles as safe as possible and keep you and your friends and family alive and well!