Tips for cycling safety
Cycling is not as safe on our streets as it used to be. Here are some quick and easy tips on how to keep safe while enjoying a ride on your bicycle.
Increased levels of crime have been reported by cyclists, with incidents of assault and robbery occurring across the capital. Steven Hayward, chairman of the Pedal Power Association, says a typical assault on a cyclist occurs either before sunrise or after sunset, or when cyclists are isolated and very few other people are in the immediate area.
“Thugs will generally also choose a spot that provides limited escape options, where they can block your way and push you off your bicycle,” he says.
Cycling may seem like a safe form of transport, but the risk of assault remains high.
Here are some tips on how to ensure your safety while cycling:
• A cyclist’s attached equipment like a wallet and cellphone are relatively visible to criminals along the road, making them easy-to-spot targets. Try and conceal your valuables or make them less visible.
• In high-risk situations, avoid being stopped by strangers.
• Avoid large groups of loiterers in the street, pass wide or turn around.
• Try to ride in groups in the early morning or at night.
• Identify crime hotspots on your route and avoid them.
• Avoid risky off-road routes in the early morning or at night.
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