The Ride Organizer will quiz the group on this acronym during the pre-ride announcements.  Know it or other members may be afraid to ride around you!

Ride SMART Safety Acronym

• STAY ALERT –Watch for cars, other riders, and hazards.  Use hand signals and warn fellow riders about hazards.

• MOVE COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD WHEN STOPPING

• ACT LIKE A Car – obey all traffic laws and stop at stop signs.

• RETAIN A SAFE SPACE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHERS –minimum following distance:  1 foot for every mph over 10 mph

• TELL OTHERS WHEN PASSING AND PASS ON THE LEFT, WHEN SAFE –ride single file in traffic and never more than two abreast.

Examples of SMART safety rules

Ride single-file in traffic. Do not to block traffic by riding two or more abreast.

Ride right on trails and be considerate of other trail users.

Use Hand signals for turning, stopping, and pointing out road hazards.

Use Voice signals such as: “Car up/back/left/right,” “On your left,” “Glass/pothole/etc.” to indicate road hazards (combined with hand signals as appropriate).  Emphasize that “Car back” means a car is coming from behind, so riders should start riding single file.  Discourage riders from calling out “Clear” at intersections to indicate that no cars are coming.  “Clear” is a subjective and temporary condition, so riders should always look for themselves.

Watch out for other riders. On a group ride, they’re much more likely to have an accident with one another than they are with a car.

Stop at all lights and stop signs.  Do not fear being left behind – that is why we have regrouping points, corner persons, sweeps, and a no-drop policy.