Riding your bike on the street or in a bike lane when you've been used to riding on the sidewalk can take some getting used to. While it is much, much safer to ride on the road, with traffic, new riders may find it daunting, especially if it's a busier road.

Consider these safety tips to maximize your safety and fun while riding on the road:

1. Always ride with traffic. 

2. Hone your riding skills by taking recreational rides with friends and on roads less-traveled by automobiles.

3. Always wear a helmet that fits properly. Helmets prevents serious injury in the majority of crashes.

4. Ride as far right as possible without hugging the curb.

5. While riding your bicycle on the road, you're technically considered a moving vehicle and expected to obey any and all traffic laws.

6. Keep a minimum of four feet between yourself and parked cars on the side of the road. Drivers rarely look in their wing mirrors before opening their doors. Look for people's heads in parked cars.

7. Ride predictably, consistently and attentively. Irratic riding makes drivers uneasy and may encourage animosity.

8. If possible, establish eye contact with drivers, especially when approaching intersections.

9. Wear high visibility clothing at night and in bad weather. Michigan bicycle law requires a white front light, a red rear light and reflectors on wheels.

And finally, this was a great suggestion offered by one of our readers:

10. "Seek out residential roads that run parallel to main roads and utilize them to avoid speedy traffic. Riding on 25mph roads is more comfortable and safer than riding on 40mph roads!" 

We agree, Allison, and thanks for the suggestion! Riding on a 40mph road probably doesn't do a good job of the aforementioned driver animosity toward cyclists, either! 

In Michigan, if you’re over the age of 12 and serious about cycling, you should always ride on the street and with the flow of traffic. In fact, in many states, it’s the law.  (Look up your municipality’s laws here.) 

In Detroit, for example, children under the age of 12 are required to ride on sidewalks, while people over the age of 17 are required to ride on the street. Riding against traffic may seem safer, but it’s not. Cars can generally see you no matter what side of the street you ride on. The reality is, if you abide by the same laws as automobiles there is much less of a chance of getting hit by a car. 

 Another reason is if you ride against traffic, it causes drivers to break the law. Michigan law says you can't pass on-coming traffic in the same lane. So, if the wrong-way cyclist stays on the road, he forces every passing motorist to either break the law or to come to a stop. Riding against traffic also increases the number of passing vehicles.  Traveling in the same direction as 30 mph traffic at 15 mph halves the number of passing vehicles while riding against the same traffic at the same speed increases the number of passing vehicles by 150 percent.

Reaction time also plays an important role. Both the motorist and the cyclist have better reaction time when riding with traffic. For example, when approaching a cyclist from behind, a motorist can slow down and pass when doing so is safest.  The cyclist also has more time to react and can speed up somewhat when being passed from the rear; he or she has little ability to determine where he will be passed and much less time in which to react when being passed from the front. 

 Finally, the closing speed is much greater when cycling against traffic. Closing speed is how great the velocity difference is between two moving objects at the time of a collision and can quite literally make all the difference between a fatal and non-fatal accident.

If you don't feel comfortable riding on the street, that's OK - you're not alone. If you're serious about cycling for commuting and transportation, however, you'll want to become acclimated to riding on the road and in the safest way possible. Start small, ride down the roads much less traveled in your community. If you're in the city of Detroit, it won't be hard. Start on the roads with 25 mile-per-hour speed limits and in well-established school zones and other public areas teeming with pedestrians and other cyclists. Wear a helmet and wear bright-colored clothing - all these steps will make you more comfortable with riding in the street with automobile traffic.