Guest Post: Cyclist Safety Precautions

Source: http://safecycling.org/

I ride a motorcycle for fun and a bicycle for exercise. Experiencing both has shown me that in regard to safety precautions, the two are relatively similar. Neither offer any protection if you fall, you need to wear proper protective gear when you ride, and you cannot control what those around you do in regard to your own safety. I spend a lot of time writing about motorcycle accidents, but bicycle safety is just as important. These are the important safety precautions you must take when you cycle.

Know and Abide By the Traffic Laws

It seems pretty obvious that you should know and follow traffic laws, but the fact is that many cyclists don’t learn their state’s bicycle laws. Each state is different and you must become familiar with the laws for your own safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009, 2 percent of all traffic related deaths were bicyclists; considering that bicycles are a less used mode of transportation than motor vehicles, that’s actually a high percentage. In 2009, 52,000 bicyclists were injured and 716 were killed in traffic accidents. The average age for a bicycle related fatality is 37 and for injuries it is 28, so don’t think children are the ones who are generally involved in bicycle accidents.

Remember What You Are On

You’re on a bicycle, not a passenger vehicle. If a car hits you, the driver probably won’t be injured; even at low speeds, however, you probably will. Always be aware of your surroundings to prepare for other people who may not be aware of you or who drive recklessly. Accidents happen too often; a split second mistake or decision can lead to you being seriously injured. Always be aware of places that you can retreat to if you see someone coming towards you and double check that your path is clear before you turn or cross streets. Do not make quick movements. Turn and place yourself in locations that are predictable; doing the unpredictable could lead to an accident. According to the NHTSA, in 2008, 69% of fatal bicycle accidents were in urban areas; be especially mindful when you are riding in busy, congested areas, like downtown destinations.

Maintain Your Bike

Maintaining your bicycle is imperative to your safety. You should consistently check that the following components are working properly:

• Tires
• Gears
• Brakes

Wear the Proper Gear

Wear brightly colored gear so that you are as visible as possible to other motorists. ALWAYS wear a helmet; according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 91 percent of those in fatal bicycle traffic accidents in 2009 were not wearing a helmet. You should also wear gloves, proper gripping shoes, tightly fitting clothes that will protect your skin if you fall.

About the author: Gina Williams is an article writer bringing us safety tips for cyclists and also writes about motorcycle accidents.

Like Midwest Multisport Life on Facebook

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)

It's been shelved for now, but have you heard about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)? Eerie attempt by the government to usher in a new era of Big Brother type regulation of the Internet. I definitely feel that counterfeit drugs, pirated videos, and stolen copyrighted material is very uncool, but I don't think that crushing the little guy will stop any of it. Shutting down a pirate website will only delay the inevitable - as bloggers, we all know how easy it is to set up a website. The other side of the coin is the staggering amount of research needed to weed out the outkaw websites from those who are (at least trying to) follow the rules.

Source: Highball Blog

"The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a United States bill introduced by U.S. Representative Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) to expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Provisions include the requesting of court orders to bar advertising networks and payment facilities from conducting business with infringing websites, and search engines from linking to the sites, and court orders requiring Internet service providers to block access to the sites. The law would expand existing criminal laws to include unauthorized streaming of copyright material, imposing a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Proponents of the bill say it protects the intellectual property market and corresponding industry, jobs and revenue, and is necessary to bolster enforcement of copyright laws, especially against foreign websites. Claiming flaws in present laws that do not cover foreign owned and operated sites, and citing examples of "active promotion of rogue websites" by U.S. search engines, proponents say stronger enforcement tools are needed.

Opponents say the proposed legislation threatens free speech and innovation, and enables law enforcement to block access to entire internet domains due to infringing material posted on a single blog or webpage. They have raised concerns that SOPA would bypass the "safe harbor" protections from liability presently afforded to Internet sites by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Library associations have expressed concerns that the bill's emphasis on stronger copyright enforcement would expose libraries to prosecution. Other opponents state that requiring search engines to delete a domain name could begin a worldwide arms race of unprecedented censorship of the Web and violates the First Amendment.

Pfizer spokesman John Clark testified that patients could not always detect cleverly forged websites selling drugs that were either mis-branded or simply counterfeit.

RxRights, a consumer-advocacy group, issued a statement saying that Clark failed "to acknowledge that there are Canadian and other international pharmacies that do disclose where they are located, require a valid doctor's prescription and sell safe, brand-name medications produced by the same leading manufacturers as prescription medications sold in the U.S." They had earlier said that SOPA "fails to distinguish between counterfeit and genuine pharmacies" and would prevent American patients from ordering their medications from Canadian pharmacies online."

Source: Wikipedia

This means you might not be able to order  drugs from a Canadian Pharmacy  or enjoy videos on YouTube, let alone share images and content on Facebook - Constantin wrote very clearly on this over at the Highball Blog:

“Basically, the entertainment businesses (Hollywood movie brands and music production companies) are trying to enforce a law that will shut down websites that offer access or information on how to access their copyrighted material.

The problem is that the government will have to power to seize your website and block your domain name just because a commentator left a link that leads to a site that shows copyrighted content. And if you embed a video on your blog that contains copyrighted footage or music (I know I did that) you're in the same bucket with big time spammers and hackers.

And since the law is formulated in broad terms, there will be enough room for them to decide what should be online and what not. So this is nothing else than the beginning of a censorship.

If they consider that what you say or show might cause revenue losses for the entertainment industry, they'll shut you down.

Websites that you enjoy and benefit from will also be affected - YouTube, Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr, Posterous, Facebook, Twitter - all sites where users create and distribute content.”

Like Midwest Multisport Life on Facebook

LifeProof Cases Product Review

LifeProof Cases were designed with the Four Proofs in mind: Water, Dirt, Snow, Shock. The cases are designed to be used at pretty much any time so you can have confidence and freedom to stay connected wherever you are with whatever you're doing. If you participate in any sort of endurance sport, staying connected can mean a lift home after a twisted ankle, an unexpected second or third flat on the bike, or any other reason, including emergencies. LifeProof was designed to protect against water damage to 6.6 feet under water and shockproof to 6.6 feet above ground. As with all things, there is no complete guarantee that failure of protection will never occur.

The new LifeProof Bike and Bar Mount  fits a wide range of bicycle bars and bar-stems so users can take their iPhone on the road, off the trails, on the snowmobile, motorcycle or jet ski. Crafted out of premium, high-impact materials, LifeProof users can bike through rugged terrain, drive cross country on a motorcycle using GPS, take video during bike trips, listen to favorite tunes, stay connected on the work site and much more, while having full access to all iPhone functions. All buttons and features are accessible in the mount, including iPhone speaker and microphone, and allows for use of performance and navigation apps in real-time.

The LifeProof bike and bar mount can be adjusted for portrait or landscape orientation and is rear-camera compatible so it can be adjusted to vertical angle suitable for video recording activities. The gimbal ball-head allows for fine adjustment of viewing angle. The LifeProof bike and bar mount allows for the iPhone to conveniently be placed and removed with one hand through a quick release locking mechanism, giving the rider the ability to fully focus on enjoying the ride. The MSRP is $39.99.

LifeProof sent me a case and bike mount to try out. The bike mount comes with three inner rubber rings to give a secure fit for differing tube or handlebar thicknesses. The case is pretty intuitive, though the additional connector is not. Their website has great instructions to follow both in written and video form, well worth watching before use.

LifeProof bike mount with Droid X

LifeProof Cases are designed to be used with iPhones (when will someone create things like this for my Blackberry? Probably never.). However, in a bit of serendipity, my wife’s Droid X fit perfectly into the bike mount. No case means no protection, but on pleasant days it could be used with that as well.

If you have an iPhone and need to carry it with you regardless of weather or location, these LifeProof Cases are definitely something to look at. High quality, reasonable price for the performance, and peace of mind.

More info at the LifeProof website, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Disclaimer: I was sent these products for free to review on my blog, courtesy of LifeProof Cases, via Mambo Communications. I did not pay for the items, receive payment for this review, or agree to give a positive review. Aside from information gleaned from the company website, the opinions are my own.)

Have a product you'd like reviewed?

Contact me at Kovas@midwestmultisportlife.com.

Like Midwest Multisport Life on Facebook

Team Tough Chik

Laima is back from knee surgery (her second! and she's running again!) and has plans to not only run this year, but also race. To that end, as a motivator, she joined Team Tough Chik. Having borne 4 children and shared a life with me for 13+ years, amongst other things, she is the very definition of a Tough Chik. Many of you are fans of the company and might already know about the team. If not, head over to their blog to read an intro on Laima and some other tough runners, then head over to Women's Endurance Gear to follow along!

Like Midwest Multisport Life on Facebook