South Africa’s natural beauty is part of the appeal for the hundreds of thousands of cyclists who exercise on our roads every day.
South Africa’s natural beauty is part of the appeal for the hundreds of thousands of cyclists who exercise on our roads every day, in addition to children and adults who ride their bikes to places of learning, worship, school, the shops and work.
South African roads are one of the most dangerous for motor vehicles, but for bikes – that offer riders no protection in the event of a collision with a car (or, worse, a taxi, bus or delivery truck) – they can be horrifically dangerous.
Here are some tips for staying safe on two wheels on South Africa’s roads.
Road safety for cyclists
- Ride in pairs or three or more whenever possible, as there is strength in numbers, which can protect you from muggers.
- Ride in single file – never ride two abreast, as this puts you in the path of motor vehicles and keep as close to the left side of the road as you can, to ensure as big a gap as possible between you and the passing traffic.
- Always carry a spare bicycle tube and repair kit (unless you have the modern tyres that don’t burst), and practice changing your tyres so that, in the event of a blowout, you aren’t stuck on the side of the road for too long fixing your tyre.
- Carry your cellphone with you in the event that you need to call for help – if you don’t have your Trigger panic button with you or if you left your cellphone behind.
- Stay alert at stop streets and traffic lights for anyone who approaches you – cyclists are often soft targets for muggers.
- Always wear reflective clothing or bands at all times of the day to ensure that cars can see you. A rear and front light is also essential to ensure you are visible to drivers.
An important point to remember, bicycles are vehicles and subject to the rules of the road. Therefore, never drive against the flow of traffic – you should drive in the same lane and in the same direction as motor vehicles. This might sound obvious for sports cyclists, but many new cyclists (especially adult cyclists who didn’t grow up with bikes but who use their bike to cycle to work) make this mistake, with the problem being that if you wobble or fall while riding, then cars passing you from behind only have a split second in which they can swerve to avoid hitting you. If you are driving against or INTO traffic, then if you happen to wobble or fall the approaching cars have almost no chance of avoiding riding into you, or over you.
Cycling is such a great activity for recreation, exercise and commuting, but it does come with its hazards. Trigger has built its business around protecting the public and being there for them in their time of need, which is why, in addition to the Trigger app on their smartphones, we also offer portable, standalone panic buttons for cyclists and runners.
Trigger’s panic device is lightweight and is supplied with a SIM card that is linked up by cellular connection to Trigger’s vast network of armed response agents, as well as their medical emergency service. The device is also paired to the app on the subscriber’s cellphone so it can work without the need to carry the cellphone too.
Cyclists often travel 30-60km on a training ride, so they can end up far from home, and quite often they ride through remote locations. They can use the Trigger panic device to double as a cellphone to call for medical help or even armed response assistance in the event that their cellphone has been stolen or if they choose to leave it at home.
Bike Boldly – Trigger, Smart Help Now
Trigger Subscriber Plans Pricing:
Panic Individual: R39/month incl VAT
Panic family of 4: R109/month incl VAT
Platinum Individual: R99/month incl VAT
Platinum Family of 4: R299/month incl VAT
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