A) The Basics; B) Riding Safety - Kona bicycle Owner's Manual

2. SAFETY

A) THE BASICS

WARNING: The area in which you ride may require
specific safety devices. It is your responsibility to
familiarize yourself with the laws of the state where you
ride and to comply with all applicable laws, including
properly equipping yourself and your bike as the law
requires. Observe all local bicycle laws and regulations.
Observe regulations about bicycle lighting, licensing of
bicycles, riding on sidewalks, laws regulating bike path
and trail use, helmet laws, child carrier laws, special
bicycle traffic laws. It's your responsibility to know and
obey the laws.
1. Always wear a cycling helmet which meets
the latest certification standards and follow
the helmet manufacturer's instructions for
fit, use and care of your helmet. Most serious
bicycle injuries involve head injuries which
might have been avoided if the rider had
worn a helmet.
WARNING: Failure to wear a helmet when riding
may result in serious injury or death.
2. Always do the Mechanical Safety Check before you
get on a bike [see Section 1.C] .
3. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls of your bicy-
cle: brakes [see Section 4.C]; pedals [see Section 4.E];
shifting [see Section 4.D].
4. Be careful to keep body parts and other objects away
from the sharp teeth of chainrings; the moving chain; the
turning pedals and cranks; and the spinning wheels of
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your bicycle.
5. Always wear:
• Shoes that will stay on your feet and will grip the
pedals. Never ride barefoot or while wearing sandals.
• Bright, visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be
tangled in the bicycle or snagged by objects at the side of
the road or trail.
• Protective eyewear, to protect against airborne dirt,
dust and bugs — tinted when the sun is bright, clear when
it's not.
6. Don't jump with your bike. Jumping a bike, particularly
a BMX or mountain bike, can be fun; but it can put
huge and unpredictable stress on the bicycle and its
components. Riders who insist on jumping their bikes
risk serious damage, to their bicycles as well as to
themselves. Before you attempt to jump, do stunt riding
or race with your bike, read and understand Section 2.F.
7. Ride at a speed appropriate for conditions. Increased
speed means higher risk.

B) RIDING SAFETY

1. Obey all Rules of the Road and all local traffic laws.
2. You are sharing the road or the path with others
— motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Respect
their rights.
3. Ride defensively. Always assume that others do not
see you.
4. Look ahead, and be ready to avoid:
• Vehicles slowing or turning, entering the road or your
lane ahead of you, or coming up behind you.
• Parked car doors opening.
• Pedestrians stepping out.
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• Children or pets playing near the road.