{"id":133852,"date":"2016-08-21T15:00:28","date_gmt":"2016-08-21T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=133852"},"modified":"2016-08-19T17:37:32","modified_gmt":"2016-08-19T15:37:32","slug":"warning-to-south-african-cyclists-ride-in-single-file","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/133852\/warning-to-south-african-cyclists-ride-in-single-file\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning to South African cyclists: ride in single file"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">In anticipation of another beautiful South African spring and summer, many South Africans are looking forward to enjoying the warmer weather outdoors, including cyclists who remain a vulnerable group among road users. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">The Automobile Association (AA) said motorists and cyclists need to ensure safety by adhering to the rules of the road, focusing on the road and traffic, and by acknowledging that each has a right enjoy the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Cyclists often compete for limited road space with other road users, which can sometimes lead to aggressive behaviour resulting in confrontations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">The AA has urged all road users to keep calm on the road, and to respect others. It said motorists could ensure their and cyclists\u2019 safety by applying the following tips:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0Yield to cyclists, especially at intersections and circles<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Check your blind spots and ensure the way is clear before changing lanes or turning<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Don\u2019t drive, stop or park in bicycle lanes (where they are available)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Be patient and only overtake when it is safe to do so<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">Give cyclists more than enough room when overtaking<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Cyclists, too, have a responsibility to ensure their safety. The AA said cyclists should:<u><\/u><u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Ensure that your bicycle is safe and roadworthy, especially if it hasn\u2019t been used over winter<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">Always obey traffic laws<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Keep left and keep at least one metre clear of pavements and parked cars<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Ride with the traffic, not against it<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Make sure that you and your bicycle are as visible as possible when on the road (wear reflective clothing)<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">Always wear a protective helmet with the chin straps properly fastened<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Ride in single file and use clear hand signals when turning or changing lanes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Use lights when riding in low light or at night<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span lang=\"EN-US\">Be courteous to other road users and avoid confrontation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">&#8220;Cyclists should also avoid transporting passengers on their bikes as this can obstruct their view. As with any other mode of transport, cyclists should also ensure their bikes are in good condition including the brakes and tyres, and that their bikes are suited for the rider\u2019s weight and height,&#8221; the AA said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">It also noted that cyclists must adhere to regulations that prohibit them from riding on freeways, and be aware that it is illegal for cyclists to hold onto other vehicles while they are in motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">More on South Africa<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/general\/99936\/nearly-half-of-sandton-workers-can-cycle-to-work-city\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Nearly half of Sandton workers can cycle to work: city<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/general\/83181\/epic-bicycles-made-by-supercar-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Epic bicycles made by supercar companies<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/general\/77713\/car-seat-taps-you-on-shoulder-to-warn-of-cyclists\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Car seat \u2018taps you on shoulder\u2019 to warn of cyclists<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In anticipation of another beautiful South African spring and summer, many South Africans are looking forward to enjoying the warmer weather outdoors<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":92818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876,11119],"tags":[6926,26],"class_list":["post-133852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-motoring","tag-aa","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133852"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133906,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133852\/revisions\/133906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}