When Assistant Professor of Chemistry Michael Bruno choked up at the beginning of Chemistry 112, the whole class knew something was wrong.

“Your classmate Sam Allen was in an accident this morning,” he told the class. “He’s in surgery now.”

Allen, a senior, was critically injured on April 19 in an accident with a GMC Yukon while riding his bike helmet-less through the intersection between West Friendly Avenue and Dolley Madison Road.

The accident raised community-wide concerns about bicycle safety.

“Greensboro … is not perfect for bicycling,” said Mark Schulz, president of Bicycling in Greensboro. “On the other hand, I see progress as well.”

Guilford students can hopefully learn from the accident and make improvements to their own safety habits.

“Anytime tragedy happens, we can learn from it,” said Director of Public Safety Ron Stowe. “If there’s one thing that we can all learn from this, it’s the importance of paying attention and being careful and … doing things to protect yourself.”

Understanding bicycle safety is critical, especially because so many students at Guilford use bikes as their primary mode of transportation.

Helmets

Wearing a helmet is one of the safest and effective precautions cyclists can take. It cushions the impact in an accident, protecting the rider’s head from injury.

“I highly recommend wearing a helmet,” said Schulz. “It’s only the law for people under 16, but just because it’s not required doesn’t mean it’s not still a good idea.”

“The only real evidence for not wearing bicycle helmets is that people who don’t wear them tend to be more cautious, but I think that’s missing the point,” said Bruno. “If you are aware of the argument, that means you’re informed enough to wear a helmet.”

Traffic rules

“Bicyclists fare best when they behave as other vehicles on the road and follow the traffic laws at the most basic level,” said Schulz.

Bikes cannot behave exactly as cars can as they are smaller and don’t move as quickly, but they are expected to ride on the road alongside cars.

“It’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk in the center city, but riding on the sidewalks (anywhere) is a very questionable practice,” said Schulz. “One, it can be dangerous to pedestrians. But two, cars don’t expect you there. You’re going much faster than a pedestrian.”

Lights

If drivers cannot see you, they cannot avoid you. To ensure visibility at all times, wear reflective clothing and attach lights to your bike.

“It is so, so important to be properly lit, to have a headlight and taillight if you ride — even at dusk and definitely in the evening,” said Schulz. “The law is when riding at night, a bicycle must have a front lamp and a red light or a reflector … but I highly recommend having a taillight and a headlight.”

Be aware 

“When riding a bike, you’ve got to be aware of traffic and other things going on around you,” said Stowe. “If a car or truck runs a red light, even if you have the right of way, it’s not going to hurt any less.”

On the other side, being aware is also important for drivers.

“Be on the lookout for bicycles,” said Stowe. “Bicycles have a legal right to be on the road too, so cars need to watch out for them … and give bicycles the right of way when it’s due them.”

“Each year (Bicycling in Greensboro) sponsors the Ride of Silence, which is an international event with local rides … in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roads,” said Schulz.

This year’s event is May 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Look for more information at:

http://www.bikegso.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1272035