Officials in Atlanta recently announced that the city’s bike share program will finally launch later this year after many years of planning. The program will be run by the company Cycle Hop, which already runs bike share programs in several cities across the United States. To start, the bike share program will provide 500 bicycles located at 50 stations around the city. Residents and visitors alike will be able to rent a bike from one kiosk, use the bicycle to travel around the city, and return to the bicycle to another convenient kiosk. The specific locations of the kiosks are still being determined by city planners, Cycle Hop, and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.
Officials hope that the program will significantly increase the number of commuters who travel by bicycle and that it will also attract families and visitors for sightseeing around the city. Though bike share programs do provide many healthy and fun benefits, they do not come without risk of injury. If you are planning to participate in the upcoming bike share program, here are some things of which you may want to be aware to keep yourself and your family safe.
Bring a helmet. One problem with bike share programs is that there is no easy way to provide helmets that will fit a wide variety of riders and that will be sanitary to pass from one rider to the next. It is extremely dangerous to ride a bicycle without a helmet, so bike sharers should either bring their own helmets or plan to rent them from a local bike shop.
Know your route. Biking on unfamiliar roads can be a challenge, especially if you are not a very experienced biker. Planning out your route, knowing the intersections and other possible hazards, and knowing basic bike skills can help prevent accidents and injuries.
Do a quick bike check. It is sometimes difficult for bike share companies to keep every bike in the fleet perfectly maintained at all times. If a bike has worn or faulty parts, it may not be safe for use. For this reason, it is always a good idea to check the chains, tires, brakes, and other bike components prior to riding a rented bike.
Overall, bike share programs should be fun and beneficial for the community and we hope you do your best to stay safe once the program launches.
An experienced Atlanta bicycle accident attorney is here to help you
Bicycling is a great way travel, though it is not without its risks of injury. Even if you take every step possible to stay safe while riding a bike, you still may find yourself injured in a collision. In such situations, you should always contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss a possible case. At the law firm of Goldstein Hayes & Lina in Atlanta, we a committed to helping injured accident victims, so please call today at (888) 425-6070 for a free consultation.