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How To Ride An Electric Bike Safely

 

Electric bikes are great for getting around town. They’re fun, they’re fast, and they’re great for getting some exercise while you’re out and about. But safety is always the most important thing when it comes to riding your electric bike. Here’s how to do it safely!

1.  Wear a helmet

 

Electric bikes are fun, but they’re also dangerous so it’s important to wear a helmet when you ride an electric bike—and not just any helmet: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends using a helmet certified for e-bikes specifically because it has special padding that protects against impact from any angle.

 

2.  Use warning devices

 

This means lights and bells for nighttime riding and indicators for daytime riding. These will let other people know that you’re coming, so they can avoid hitting you if they don’t see you coming.

 

Even though most states don’t require e-bikes to have lights, we recommend always using yours. First of all, having lights let other drivers know where you are. This is especially important if they can’t hear you coming—like when there’s lots of traffic noise or if the weather is bad and your tires aren’t making much noise on the road. And second, lights help improve visibility during low-light conditions like dawn or dusk (which are prime times for crashes).

 

 

3.  Ride on the proper side of the road with traffic, not against it

 

Ride in a straight line and keep to the right side of the lane when going slower than other traffic, so you can see what’s ahead of you and react appropriately if necessary. If there is no bike lane, ride in a straight line two feet from the curb or edge of pavement when riding on streets with two lanes or more in each direction, or three feet from the curb or edge of pavement when riding on one-way streets with lots of parked cars on both sides of the street.

 

4.  Take the lane

 

If there’s not enough room for cars to pass you safely in one lane, take over that entire lane! This will help keep you safe from passing cars, which can sometimes be difficult or dangerous due to their speed and maneuverability compared to bikes.

 

5.  Keep your tires properly inflated

 

When you’re riding on an electric bike, it’s important that your tires are properly inflated at all times. If they’re under-inflated or over-inflated, it can cause problems with the performance of your bike and make it unsafe to ride. Be sure to check the pressure with a gauge every time before you go out for a ride. Read about how to maintain your bike.

6.  Be a defensive driver

 

If you’re riding an electric bike around town and another car tries to run into you or swerve into your lane without warning, don’t take it personally! Just remember that someone else’s driving style may not be as good as yours (and probably isn’t as safe). Keep your eyes open for erratic driving behavior so that if someone does try anything sketchy, you can dodge out of their way before they get too close!

 

7.  Watch out for drunks, seriously!

 

Drunk drivers are bad news for everyone on the road—but especially for people who are using electric bikes (or any other form of transportation). Drunk drivers tend to be less alert than sober drivers, so they take longer to react when something unexpected happens on the road in front of them. And that means they could hit you while they’re not looking at what’s going on around them! So don’t assume that someone who’s drunk isn’t paying attention—watch out!

 

8.  Check your speed

You might be going faster than usual when you’re on an electric bike, so make sure that the road or trail is clear before starting up again. You should also brake earlier than normal—you’ll have more momentum than normal, so it’ll take longer to slow down or stop if necessary.

 

9.  Use hand signals

 

Use hand signals well in advance of turning or changing lanes, so that other drivers have plenty of time to react and adjust their behavior accordingly. This is especially important if you’re riding on a busy street where many cars are going fast—they might not be able to stop in time if they don’t see your hand signal!

 

10.  Brake earlier

 

You can always apply more pressure later if needed but if your brakes are already engaged when something unexpected happens (like another car pulling out), you won’t have room for error!

 

Conclusion

There are plenty of safety measures that you can take to keep your ride safe and enjoyable. Whether you’re riding a regular, pedal-assisted bike or something a bit more high-tech, there are ways to ensure that you have a fun time without any accidents. Just use common sense and be sure to follow all of the rules of the road, and your trip should be smooth and safe. Read Steve Robinsons tips on riding.

Arjun Mertiya

Arjun Mertiya

Author

Arjun Mertiya is a top-selling professional mtb and ebikes writer who lives what he writes as an automotive engineering graduate. He have 8 years in hand experience of ebikes and MTB testing in India. Arjun is passionate about technical writing specifically on MTB and ebikes.

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