A brief instruction for cyclists
The warmer days have arrived, which means there are more of us on the roads. At least, there are more of us who consider themselves bike enthusiasts.
As for me, it is possible to love a bicycle in winter, because real bicycle enthusiasts are not embarrassed by cold weather and treat their bicycle as an ordinary vehicle. Although even the strongest love still begins with modest spring and summer bike rides.
The sad stories of several of my acquaintances, caught on a bicycle in an accident, prompted the idea to share a small and easy to remember instructions. It will help you to act as clearly as possible in such a stressful situation, because no one is immune from trouble.
В ДТП велосипедист физически страдает больше, чем водитель авто!
Often, the accident participants part by mutual consent, and then the cyclist discovers either damage to the bicycle or injury to himself or herself. In shock and in a matter of minutes, it is very difficult to assess the damage done. I am sharing with you as simple and straightforward instructions as possible to help minimize damage from an accident.
- Make sure that the other party to the accident is adequate. To quarrel with the driver is unnecessary, but it is necessary to remind that the status of a bicycle as a full-fledged transport is officially defined by the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "About road traffic". So that the driver has no desire to leave the place of the accident, if it suddenly happened.
- If you need medical help, call an ambulance or ask the driver of the car to do it. It is his obligation under the law. Examine your body, check for fractures and wounds. Often in a state of shock, the pain is dulled, but after a couple of hours you can get worse.
- Call the police and an insurance agent. Document everything in photos or video immediately after the accident. It's important to leave your bike exactly where it was when you collided and fell. By law, any accident on the road must be recorded.
If you decide to speed up the unpleasant process and do without this procedure, it could cost you dearly. After you settle on the spot and part ways with the accident perpetrator, you may find your bike broken or, even worse, injured. But it will be too late to claim compensation - it is difficult to prove the driver's guilt without timely recording of the accident by the police.
- Assess the damage beforehand. There are times when a bicycle looks okay on the outside, but then serious damage is discovered. If you are okay and the accident has already been reported, ride your bike for a few meters to assess its condition. Check the gear shift, the bike computer (especially if you own the latest and most expensive models), the bike's behavior when turning left and right, the operation of moving parts and lights. Everything should work as it was before the collision, otherwise the person responsible for the accident must pay damages.
And a few more tips:
Берегите голову. Большая часть травм тела может благополучно срастись и зажить, а вот голова у нас одна и ее надо защищать. В этом деле лучший помощник — шлем.
Передвигайтесь по городу с большой осторожностью. Порой желание полихачить и «хапнуть» адреналина оборачиваются большой проблемой. И чтобы ее решить, приходится тратить много времени, денег и нервов.
Думайте не только за себя, но и за другого. Самое страшное, что может быть на дороге — это непредсказуемые водители. Особенно, если ты едешь рядом с такими на велосипеде.
На дороге мы равны. И хочется, чтобы об этом помнили все, кто нам встречается. А еще хочется, чтобы эти встречи происходили на безопасном расстоянии и не грозили столкновением.
Works in tourism and IT projects since 2006. Develops adventure tourism in Baikonur Adventures, because well-developed luxury tourism of the company Travel Club Kazakhstan he seems too comfortable and these trips don't feel adventurous at all, but he wish they did.
Frequently travels. He sees successful and not so successful examples of urban infrastructure in different cities around the world. He wants to apply the successful ones in Almaty, where he lives since 2005, raising his children, hiking, biking and using public transportation.
