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Riding a bike is a great way to get around. But cycling on the road
comes with risks.
Here is some facts about the ups and downs of biking in Britain.
You can burn an impressive six hundred calories an hour riding your bike,
and travel upto one thousand and thirty seven kilometers on the energy
equivalent to a single litre of petrol.
But our roads can be hazardous. Seventeen thousand cyclists are killed or injured
in reported road accidents each year.
Eighty percent of them happen in daylight,
and twenty percent of them to children.
Around fifty percent of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads,
and seventy five percent happen at or near a road junction.
All kinds of vehicles can cause an accident, including others cyclists.
But don't panic. We still have one of the best cycles safety rankings for
children in Europe
and the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks by twenty to one.
Here are some extra tips on how to stay safe on the road.
Don't ride too close to the curb where you're vulnerable to drain covers, pedestrians
and overtaking vehicles.
Take care with what you wear. A helmet, gloves and sunglasses will protect your
body,
and lights, reflectors and reflective clothing will keep you visible to other
road users.