The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17
TO WHEEL SAFELY IN STREETS.
Mind These Directions and You'll
Avoid Accidents.
From the New York Journal

From the New York Journal
Nearly all accidents in cycling are avoid
able One has only to know how to ride.
In Paris and London there have been
serious and mortal collisions between BIZ
cycles and other vehicles, and wheelmen
and pedestrians. In each city the gov
eminent has had to impose penalties for
certain careless kinds Of riding, and to
formulate rules for the protection of life
and limb in the streets. These rules
chiefly consist in suggesting to cyclists
ways of improving their riding-the man
agement of their machine particularly.
In England and Germany the law is to
turn to the left and keep to the left side
of the road always. They must not ride
at pace exceeding eight miles an hour.
In the event of any neglect of these di-
rections, measures are at once taken to
prosecute offenders In France the rule
of the road" is to keep to the left,
too; but in the United States everybody
turns to the right
Some excellent advice on how to avoid
accidents in street cycling has been pre-.
pared by the director of the palace Of
sport in Paris. 1t is summarized in the
following paragraphs:
Never ride at a pace which will not
ing from the machine when desired.
Keep always thirty yards from We
hicle when riding behind one, and from
thirty to forty-five yards should be the
interval when riding in front of one.
Never sound your bell when approach
ing a person from behind. This only
frightens or disconcerts a pedestrian, and
he never knows which direction to take
the chances are much in favor of his TAX
ing the wrong direction. 1t is the BUSH
pedestrians way
"If the pedestrian is in front and com
ing toward you and seems not to know
D sa1 tr~a- 70 4
once rather than run the risk Of an acct
dent,
in the streets. from the side-alWays sliD
off from behind and keep the bicycle in
motion all the time and remount without
stopping. You never know what may be
behind you, and a short stop may be the
cause of collision from behind.
When you mount be sure to go to the
curbing on the right-hand side and mount
from the right-hand side of the bicycle.
Never look behind you on any account
vehicles coming up behind you will be
guided by your movements.
Never pass in front of car at right
angles--you don't know what is on the
other side.
I'm approaching a side street intersec,-
ing the one you are on at right angles,
go slowly and keep to the right.
"One must be careful about children
and dogs. Shout at the dogs so as to
frighten them away, but children must be
told which way to run.
IF the road Is slippery with mud or wa
ter go slowly and take large turns when
turning from one direction to another.
Don't keep behind a cab; turn to the
left and pass and get ahead of il. This is
more agreeable and safer Avoid, in this
way, getting hemmed in by vehicles
Gross tram-rails at right angles
Don't try to pass at right angles in
front of cars or trucks. Go behind them"
bicycling accident owing TO machines
slipping" seem to be increasing in num-
Der. If bicyclists who usually sit upright
in their saddles when the roads seem slim
perry would lower their handle-bars about
an inch and half or two inches, and so
stoop slightly forward these accidents
would happen less often. Eight times ont
of ten the hind wheel Is the first 10 slim
but the further forward the riders body
is bent the more his weight is thrown upon
the front wheel, and, therefore, the less
likely IS the machine to slip up. Also. the
rider should remember always to press
chiefly upon the near pedal when turning
sharp to the right, and upon the off pedal
when turning to the left.
A peculiar accident lately befell Cant
lies, in Devonshire, England He was rid
ing slowly along the road when the lower
tube OF his machine suddenly snaDped
asunder, and naturally the upper tube in
stantly broke too. The sharp end of a brok-
en- tube cut the captains leg so severely
as he fell that he has been in bed for over
fortnight. The machine had a short time
previously been greatly shaken by a fall