While bicycle accidents often happen because drivers are careless or negligent, the proliferation of bicyclists has made drivers more conscious of bikes on the road. Unfortunately, many bicycle-related crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior, but the good news is that there are simple ways to prevent a San Francisco bike accident.

To maximize safety while riding a bicycle, always remember to:

• Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet. Protect your brain; save your life.
• Adjust your bicycle to fit. There should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3 to 4 inches if a mountain bicycle. The seat should be level front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat.
• Check your equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.
• See and be seen. Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, poor weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night. Also wear something that reflects light, such as reflective clothing, tape, markings, or flashing lights.
• Control your bicycle. Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars.
• Watch for and avoid road hazards. Be on the lookout for hazards such as cable car grooves, potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves, and dogs.
• Obey all traffic laws. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
• Stay alert at all times. Use your eyes AND ears. You need your ears to hear traffic and avoid dangerous situations; wearing a headset decreases your ability to perceive potential hazards.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident due to the fault of another, contact the experts at Sisneros Graziani LLP for a free consultation. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will fight for the compensation you deserve. Read more about bicycle safety on the SF Muni website.