Safety Equipment - StreetStrider Summit 8r Owner's Manual

5. Safety Equipment

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WARNING: Many states require specific safety devices. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the laws of
the states where you stride and to comply with all applicable laws, including properly equipping yourself and your
StreetStrider as the law requires.
Helmets
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While not all states require bicyclists to wear approved protective headgear, common sense dictates that you
should wear a CPSC-approved or other helmet whether the law requires it or not. Most serious vehicular injuries involve head
injuries that might have been avoided if the rider had worn a helmet. You can find a variety of attractive helmets as well as get
recommendations at the www.streetstrider.com online store or your local dealer. The "right" helmet is not just a fashion
statement. To do a proper job, your helmet must fit correctly, be worn correctly and be properly secured. Ask StreetStrider
technical support or your local dealer to help you with the fit and adjustment of your helmet.
WARNING: Always wear a helmet when riding your StreetStrider. Always keep the chinstrap securely buckled. Failure
to wear an approved helmet may result in serious injury or death.
Reflectors
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Reflectors, an integral part of your StreetStrider, are important safety devices designed to reflect street lights
and car lights in a way that helps you be seen and recognized as a moving rider. Federal regulations require every StreetStrider
to be equipped with front and rear wheel and foot platform reflectors. The size, performance and location of each reflector are
specified by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. CAUTION: Check reflectors and their mounting brackets
regularly to make sure they are clean, straight, unbroken and securely mounted. Replace damaged reflectors and
straighten or tighten any that are bent or loose.
WARNING: Do not remove the reflectors or reflector mounting brackets from your StreetStrider. They are an integral
part of the StreetStrider's safety system. Removing the reflectors may reduce your visibility to others on the roadway.
Being struck by other vehicles often results in serious injury or death. Remember - reflectors are not a substitute for
lights. Always equip your StreetStrider with all state and locally mandated lights.
Lights
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If you ride your StreetStrider after dusk, it must be equipped with lights so that you can see the road and avoid road
hazards, and so that others can see you. Vehicle laws treat StreetStriders like any other vehicles, meaning you must have
operational white front and red rear lights if you are riding after dusk. Get lights and recommendations at the
www.streetstrider.com online store or your local dealer.
WARNING: Reflectors are not a substitute for proper lights. It is your responsibility to equip your StreetStrider with all
state and locally mandated lights. Riding at dawn, dusk, night or any other time of poor visibility without a lighting
system that meets local and state laws or without reflectors is dangerous and may result in serious injury or death.
Front and rear lights are not standard equipment on this StreetStrider. If you intend to ride at any time under poor
visibility conditions, you must have front and rear lights and reflectors that are adequate for those riding conditions.
Lights and reflectors may not be adequate to insure that motorists will see you under all conditions.
Eye Protection
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It's always a good idea to wear protective eyewear—tinted when the sun is bright, clear when it's not –
as any kind of outdoor riding can involve airborne dirt, dust and bugs. Most bicycle shops carry protective eyewear, some with
interchangeable lens systems. CAUTION: To avoid injury, always wear suitable protective clothing, including footware.
Wet Weather Striding
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In wet conditions, the stopping power of all brakes, yours as well as the brakes of other
vehicles sharing the road, is dramatically reduced and your tires don't grip nearly as well. This makes it harder to control speed
and easier to lose control. To make sure you can slow down and stop safely in wet conditions, ride more slowly and apply your
brakes earlier and more gradually than you would under normal, dry conditions.
WARNING: Wet weather impairs traction, braking and visibility, both for the StreetStrider and for other vehicles sharing
the road. The risk of accident is dramatically increased in wet conditions.
Night Striding
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Even if you have excellent night vision, many other people with whom you are sharing the road may not. A
StreetStrider, like any object, is more difficult for motorists and pedestrians to see at dusk, night, or any other time of poor
visibility. Make sure you comply with all local laws about night riding and take the following additional precautions:
16 StreetStrider Summit 8r / Sprinter 3r Owner's Manual