Some safety tips include:

• Always obey all traffic laws.
• Ride on the right-hand side of the road with the flow of traffic.
• Stop at all red lights and stop signs.
• Signal before making turns.
• Use a headlight and reflectorized safety equipment when riding at night.
• Always wear a helmet when riding. Helmets save thousands of lives every year.
• Wear bright clothing with reflective strips particularly at night.
• Be sure your bike is in proper working order before each ride.
• Ride with traffic, never against it.
• Watch for turning vehicles and vehicles exiting driveways.
• Watch out for opening doors on parked cars.
• Never ride double or carry packages that obstruct your view or interfere with your control of the bike.
• Look out for obstructions in the road, such as sticks or potholes.

Did you know bicyclists must abide by the same rules of the road as cars, and that bicyclists also share the same rights? According to Connecticut Statute 14-286a. (Rights, duties and regulation of cyclists), "Every person riding a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286 (Use of bicycles and bicycles with helper motors. Regulations re bicycles on bridges. Use of high-mileage vehicles), upon the traveled portion of a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any vehicle subject to the requirements of the statutes relating to motor vehicles, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application and except that each town, city or borough and the State Traffic Commission within its jurisdiction as provided in section 14-298 (State Traffic Commission) shall have authority to regulate bicycles as provided in section 14-289 (Regulation of use of bicycles by municipality) and said section 14-298 (State Traffic Commission), and except as provided by section 14-286c. No parent of any child and no guardian of any ward shall authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate any provision of the general statutes or ordinances enacted under section 14-289 (Regulation of use of bicycles by municipality) relating to bicycles.

Every person operating a bicycle solely by hand or foot power upon and along any sidewalk or across any roadway upon and along any crosswalk shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to pedestrians walking in such areas as provided by the general statutes, except as provided otherwise by any ordinance of any city, town or borough or any regulation of the State Traffic Commission issued or adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 14-289. (State Traffic Commission).