Bicycle safety isn’t just about wearing a helmet and reflective lights — it’s about being alert.
Raymond Dawson of Kinston recalled a morning when he was riding his Huffy down Queen Street and a truck coming from a distance blocked his view of the road he was crossing. When the signal changed, he didn’t immediately kick off; he peered out before crossing and saw a car was about to run the light.
“I could have gotten hit if I hadn’t been cautious and watched for that,” he said.
Dawson, 66, began riding bikes when he was 13 and uses his bicycle as transportation to work. Although Queen Street has paved sidewalks, he rides in other parts of town that do not.
“When you ride without a sidewalk, you have to be careful when you get to the stoplights because some people don’t drive properly,” Dawson said. “I mostly ride in the daytime.”
He recognized it’s more dangerous to ride at night, especially with the lack of designated biking space in Kinston.
Russell Powell, 46, died on Tuesday after he was struck by two cars while riding his bike on a dark road in Jones County, causing local authorities to highlight cyclist safety.
Multiple Kinston officials say there are no bike lanes in town. Therefore, riders must comply with the same road rules as drivers.
Sgt. C.L. Johnston, with the local state Highway Patrol barracks, said drivers should treat bicycles like cars — slower, slimmer cars.
“You’re not expecting to see bicycles, but when you do, you have to be aware,” he said. “You need to allow room when you’re going around a bicycle.”
However, bicycle safety is a two-way street.
Johnston advised cyclists to wear reflective clothing to make themselves more visible, no matter what time of day.
Bert Statum, owner of Riverside Bicycles and Outdoor Sports, said the best reflective clothing includes neon colors.
It’s state law that riders go with traffic instead of against it, even in the absence of bike lanes.
“What happens is you put yourself and drivers in harms way if you facing the traffic,” Statum said.
He said comparing bicycles to slow-moving tractors, a driver can maneuver around a cyclist if they are going in the same direction as traffic.
Bikes are entitled to be on the road as they are recognized by the state as vehicles, but the local bike club tends to ride in less-travelled areas, focusing on what Statum called the No. 1 safety tip for cyclists: helmets.
His shop collaborates with the Partnership for Children of Lenoir and Greene Counties’ Safe Kids program during bicycle “rodeos” that promote helmet safety for children.
“The reason we really push helmet safety … is because the helmet is the single most effective way to reduce the bicycle related fatalities,” said Safe Kids Coordinator Christy Hobbs. “It’s been effective.”
She said studies show children’s helmet use reduces bicycle-related fatalities by 29 percent, with nearly 130 children killed while riding bicycles each year worldwide.
During the rodeo events, children under 14 are fitted for helmets and schooled on bike safety, including basic pre-riding maintenance checks and hand signals. State law requires children under 16 to wear a helmet.
Hobbs said, “We encourage kids to only (bike) on sidewalks and trail ways, not on a highway.”
Johnston said people just need to be aware that cyclists — and pedestrians — are out there, and they may not see a car.
“You just need to drive defensively,” he said. “A lot of people do ride bicycles on the road, and it just helps when everybody complies with the law.
“It just makes it better on everyone.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.