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With more cyclists on the road in Pennsylvania, it is important that people who drive cars learn how to safely coexist with bikers on the road. Here are a few tips that can help you safely share the road with cyclists.

Think of bicycles as cars

A great way to be safe while on the road with a cyclist is to treat the bicycle as if it is a car. The same level of respect you give another car on the road, you should give to a cyclist, especially because a bicycle is recognized as a vehicle when it is on the road.

Learn cycling hand signals

Learning hand signals that get used by bike riders can be a great help on the road. Cyclists will be able to communicate with you about their next move, so there’s no confusion about what they’re going to do. There are hand signals for many things such as when they’re going to change lanes, when they’re turning, when they’re stopping or when they’re slowing down. Not all cyclists use them, but learning them will prepare you for better communication on the road.

Stay focused on the road

One of the best things you can do is stay focused while you’re driving and not let anything distract you. Distracted driving is dangerous and is responsible for a large portion of accidents. Cyclists don’t have the safety features that a car does to protect them, so accidentally running into a cyclist could result in a fatal motor vehicle accident.

It’s important that drivers respect the cyclists on the road so that everyone can get to where they’re going safely. If a driver ends up hitting a cyclist, the cyclist could file a personal injury lawsuit against them to recoup expenses like medical bills and time off work.