In New Jersey, there has been an upswing in people who choose to commute by biking. While this has many benefits to your health and the environment, it also comes with some risk. Sharing the road with vehicles can always pose a danger to people on bikes. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to cut down on your chances of being hit.

The best thing to do is to follow the road rules. The New Jersey state Department of Transportation lists the rules and regulations that bicyclists must abide by. This includes using marked bike paths when available, as well as obeying all traffic signs just as you would do if you were in a car. Stop at stop lights and stop signs, yield when appropriate, and follow the right-of-way.

You should also always bike in the direction of the traffic. Biking on sidewalks should be avoided as well, as it is illegal in many areas and can cause you to get into accidents with pedestrians. Many roads these days have designated biking lanes between the car lanes and the sidewalk. If you don’t have those available to you, then you must simply share the road with other vehicles.

Safety equipment is also required and will cut down on your chances of getting into a crash, or being injured severely if you do get into one. This includes wearing a helmet and making your bike very visible. Have reflector lights, as well as a white headline and red taillight if you bike in the dark or at sunrise and sunset. The more visible you are, the safer you are.

Proactive measures like these are key to keeping you protected. However, accidents do still happen. If you have followed these tips and were still injured because of the actions of a negligent driver, you may consider contacting an attorney to seek legal compensation.