8 safety tips for bikers and pedestrians : NPR

abdulmanannet77@gmail.comSeptember 25, 2025

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8 safety tips for bikers and pedestrians : NPR

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A grid of four black and white photos annotated with hand -drawn griffins and selective coloring show safety and not to be done for pedestrians and bikers, in particular: do not cross the street where there is no pedestrian crossing, using marked pedestrian crossings and sidewalks, using bicycle lights and brilliant and reflective clothes.

The basics of road safety may seem obvious, but they can save your life. Do not cross the street where drivers may not expect you. Use sidewalks, cycle paths and level crossings of safe pedestrians. Visible appointment with bicycle lights. Look at your phone’s eyes when you walk.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

You have heard of defensive driving – driving practices to help you stay safe on the road, such as reducing your speed in bad weather or signaling before changing track. But what about the defensive march and the bicycle?

They are a crucial part of the security of pedestrians and cyclists, and more people should practice them, explains Ryan Sharp, transporter in transport with AltaA transport design company.

“It means paying attention to your environment and having a constant consciousness of the environment so that you can anticipate potential dangers,” he said. Because if you are a biker or a pedestrian and you are hit by a car, you are probably the most injured.

According to estimates From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 7,100 pedestrians have been killed in traffic accidents in the United States in 2024. In recent years, in recent years, in recent years, 1,000 cyclists were killed every year.

But the victims are avoidable. Net and Julia Kite-LaidlawA defender of pedestrians and cyclists security with the National Security Council, share their best meetings and not to do for walkers and bikers.

A black and white photo shows a wide view of a rear view of a man in a yellow shirt crossing a street. He looks over his shoulder as a bike goes to his left. The yellow arrows point to the left, right and behind, and it is highlighted by being surrounded in a white corrugated line.

When you cross the street, do not just look on the left and right, look in all directions – including behind.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

1. Look to the left, right and behind you. “Often, the greatest dangers if you are a pedestrian trying to cross an intersection come in fact behind you,” says Sharp.

So look in all directions and turn around before walking or cycling on a road. A driver trying to transform into intersection may not see you in the pedestrian crossing, for example, because they envisage traffic in the opposite direction.

A diptych of black and white photos shows a light of a light on a red bike at the back of a bike and a light on a white bike at the front of the bike. The lights are in color and surrounded by emphasizing the doodle lines.

If you are cycling at night, use white bicycle lights at the front and red lights at the back of your bike – just like on a vehicle – so that cars can see you.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

2. Be visible and predictable. “Never assume that a driver sees you,” said Kite-Laidlaw. More than three -quarters of the pedestrian dead occur after nightfall, and many people are struck and killed in places without sidewalks, where drivers may not expect people to walk, according to A 2025 report Highway Safety Association Highway Governors.

Illustration in a lively and daring graphic style with primary colors that imitate the style of planes safety brochures. The upper panel shows an accelerating car on a rainy road, superimposed by a red circle with a line through it, indicating that it is a "No." The lower left panel shows the windshield and the dashboard of the car in the interior, and the wipers that light up, highlighted by red arrows. The lower right panel shows the car slowly rolling on a rainy road with an arrow pointing to the headlights.

Always walk on the sidewalk or on a hiking trail. If there is none, walk on the shoulder of the street against traffic so that you can see the cars coming in the opposite direction and the drivers can see you.

If you are bicycle at night, put the white lights at the front and the red lights at the back of your bike so that the cars can see you. Even when you have the right to pass, try to establish visual contact with a pilot coming in the opposite direction or to seek other indications that they see you, such as slowdown.

A close -up photo shows the lower half of a person wearing shorts and boat shoes crossing a pedestrian crossing with white stripes on an asphalt road. A strong shadow is thrown to the right of the person and white zig zags emphasize the pedestrian crossing stripes.

As far as possible, stay in areas designed to protect bikers and walkers.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

3. Use sidewalks, cycle paths and level crossings of safe pedestrians as much as possible. Most of the deaths of pedestrians and cyclists “occur between intersections”, says Kite-Laidlaw, for example, dodging traffic through the middle of a street without pedestrian crossing. So stay in areas designed to protect bikers and walkers.

In some cities, walking and cycling signals become green before stop light. This gives pedestrians and bikers for a few more seconds of delivery time, strengthening their visibility and showing that drivers have priority. Design elements such as sidewalk extensions, which shorten the length of a pedestrian crossing, reduce the time that a pedestrian is exposed on the road.

A diptych of black and white photos shows close images of a person holding a phone in hand and with wireless headphones in their ears. The images are colored with a selective color highlighting the behaviors to be avoided and both are underlined with red scratches. The phone is in a circle with a strikethrough and the ear is surrounded by corrugated red lines. Looking at your phone and wearing headphones are two behaviors to avoid when walking or cycling.

To avoid injury, pay attention to your environment when you cycle and walking. Don’t watch your phone. Avoid wearing headphones.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

4. Do not be distracted during the bicycle or walking, especially by crossing the road. No music or podcasts in your headphones or watch your phone. You want to be able to hear the sounds of traffic coming in the opposite direction and see what is going on around you.

5. Do not be aware of people on e-scooters and electric bikes. Because they are motorized and generally faster than someone by bike, they can be a potential danger for pedestrians and cyclists, says Sharp. Many cities and communities have not yet created road infrastructure to accommodate these vehicles, so you may have to share space with them on sidewalks, cycle paths and roads.

If you feel nervous at the idea of crashing into a bicycle driver while walking on the road, “it’s understandable,” says Sharp. But keep in mind that “data has shown that there are not many collisions between electric cyclists and pedestrians”.

A diptych of close -up images in black and white shows best practices for helmets safety. On the Lef, the close -up photo your watch that when you wear your helmet, you should have about two fingers of space between your forehead and the top of your helmet. The photo on the right shows that the straps should form a "V" Slightly below and in front of your ear. Red scratches emphasize the placement of the helmet.

Your helmet should hit about one or two finger widths over your eyebrow. The side strap must form a V -shaped shape and slightly in front of your ears on both sides of your face.

Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

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Beck Harlan / NPR photo illustration

6. Wear your helmet correctly during the bike. He can protect you from head injuries in the event of an accident. Make sure the helmet covers your forehead, about one or two finger widths above your eyebrow. Lateral milk must form a V -shaped shape and slightly in front of your ears on both sides of your face. Close and tighten your chin strap until it is comfortable. When your helmet is on, it should not swing more than one inch from one side to the other or from front to your head.

7. Use indicators during bikes To stay in constant communication with other cars, cyclists and pedestrians on the road. The easiest rules to remember are: the left arm straight for a left turn and a right arm straight for a right turn. You can also raise your left arm in the shape of the L to show that you turn right.

8. Don’t get in danger simply because you have the grip. While drivers are responsible for driving safely, road safety is everyone’s responsibility. “We have decades of data to show that waiting for people to always act in the right way [on the road] Don’t work, “said Sharp.

By relying in possession of your safety, you help create a safe system, which protects everyone on the road.

This story was published by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We would be delighted to hear you. Leave us a vocal messaging at 202-216-9823, or send us an email to lifekit@npr.org.

Listen to the life kit on Apple podcasts And Spotifyand register for our bulletin. Follow us on Instagram: @NPrlifekit.