Bicycles are a form of transportation, and because ADOT is the state's department of transportation, we want to make sure bicycle riders are safe on the roads and streets. Here are some tips for kid – and adult – riders!

Wear a helmet

Wear a bike helmet every time you’re on your bike to protect your face, head and brain if you fall down. It should fit you well and have a sticker that says it meets the rules set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Wear it so that it covers your forehead. If it tips back, have the straps tightened and always keep them fastened. Don’t wear a hat under it and take care of your helmet. If it gets damaged, it won’t protect your head as well.

The right bicycle

Having the right size bicycle is important for safety. To check the size, stand straddling the top bar of your bicycle and have both feet flat on the ground. There should be 1 to 3 inches of space between you and the top bar.

Perform a safety check

• Make sure your seat, handlebars and wheels fit tightly.
• Check and oil your chain.
• Check your brakes to make sure they're not sticking.
• Add air to your tires, if needed.

Wear the right clothes

Brightly colored clothing and reflectors on your bicycle will help others on the road to see you. Be careful not to have loose pant legs, straps or shoelaces that can get caught in your bicycle chain. Sneakers are the best kind of shoes to wear when you bicycle. Sandals, flip-flops or shoes with cleats won’t help you grip the pedals. And never go riding barefoot! Don't wear headphones or earbuds because the music can distract you from noises such as a car blowing its horn so you can get out of the way.

On the road

Always watch for cars. At intersections stop, look left, look right and look left again. It’s best to make eye contact with a driver to make sure they see you. Watch for rocks or other road hazards to prevent a crash.

Use hand signals to let others know what you plan to do. For a left turn: left arm extended straight out. Right turn: left arm bent at the elbow, or right arm extended straight out. Stopping: left arm bent down at the elbow. Now that you know more about bicycle safety, including hand signals, give yourself a big thumbs up!

Maps are an important part of transportation communication. Practice drawing a map of your neighborhood and then draw a line showing your bicycle route with this printable activity sheet. Just click on the image above and have your parents print it out! Check out the ADOT Kids website for more fun activities and information about transportation engineering and other related topics. You can also find us on social media under the hashtag #ADOTKids.

Ride safe!

There's just something wonderful about spring. The weather warms up, flowers bloom and everyone is ready to get out of the house.

But as many hit the road in their pickup truck, sedan, crossover, SUV or RV, we can't forget those who think the best way to see the state is on two wheels. 

The number of motorcyclists on the road always jumps sharply once spring arrives, but we want to make sure the number of crashes involving motorcyclists doesn't do the same. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 5,014 motorcycle riders killed in crashes in 2019.

That's why May has been designated Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. It's a reminder to drivers on two wheels or four to both do their part to keep motorcyclists riding.

So what can you do? Here are some simple things that will keep everyone safe on the road.

For all drivers:

• Remember: A motorcyclist has the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other motorist on the roadway.
• Give a motorcyclist a full lane width to maneuver safely.
• Always look for motorcycles by checking your mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes. You can use your mouse to interact with the graphic to the right to see how easy it is for a motorcycle to go unnoticed.
• Motorcycles are smaller and more difficult to see, so keep an eye out.
• Allow more distance – three or four seconds – when following a motorcycle. This gives the motorcycle rider more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

For motorcyclists:

• Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed.
• Wear a helmet and use reflective tape and gear to be more visible.
• Never ride while impaired or distracted – it is not worth the risk of killing or injuring yourself or someone else. According to the NTHSA, more than 1/4 of all motorcyclists killed in 2018 were drunk.
• When it comes to riding a motorcycle, training and safety gear are critical. ADOT encourages all riders to take a state-authorized training course.

Now let's get out there and enjoy a nice (safe) spring!

Planning to visit Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park in Yarnell to pay respects and learn about the 19 brave firefighters who gave their lives battling against the Yarnell Hill Fire?

Make sure you do it by not parking illegally along State Route 89, putting yourself and others at risk.

With signs near the parking lot summarizing the tragedy of June 30, 2013, and a memorial at the top of the Weaver Mountains for those who are in shape to hike up the hill, the park provides multiple opportunities for Arizonans and others across the country to honor and remember those men.

Parking illegally along the shoulders of SR 89 to get to the park, however, is not the best nor safest way to show that honor. The shoulders of state highways are reserved for emergencies only. Parking along them causes distractions to drivers along the highway and can prevent emergency vehicles from gaining access to those who need help. 

Plus, it puts you and your family and friends at greater risk right next to the highway.

With more than 25,000 annual visitors to the state park, the parking lot can fill up fast. Thankfully, the Yarnell Fire Department has risen to the occasion by providing a shuttle service to the park on the weekends when the memorial park sees the most visitors.

The shuttle service runs Fridays through Sundays every half hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proceed past the park into Yarnell and park at the Yarnell Fire Department. The last dropoff at the park trailhead is 1 p.m., and the last pickup at the park trailhead is 5 p.m.

To learn more about Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park and the shuttle service, visit azstateparks.com/hotshots.

Spring break is coming up for students across Arizona, and while it’s certainly going to be different than in recent years, many Arizona residents may still be planning to travel on our state’s highways. 

Whether you’ve planned a scenic drive or a socially distanced road trip, there are a number of things you can do to prepare.

Anytime you travel in Arizona, you should remember to bring extra drinking water. Don’t forget a fully charged cell phone and a charger, hand sanitizer, wipes and a cloth face covering to protect yourself and others.

I also encourage you to put together a kit to keep in your car that includes items you’d need in a variety of situations. 

• Emergency travel items, like battery cables, safety flares and a reflective vest
• A first-aid kit that includes pain relievers, disinfectant, bandages and any necessary prescribed medications
• A flashlight with extra batteries
• Snack foods
• A road map
• Extra radiator water, especially if you’re traveling in hot weather and/or driving on highways with dramatic uphill climbs
• Blankets, an ice scraper, a small shovel and a container of sand for traction, if you’re traveling in snowy conditions

Find more road trip safety tips, along with links and advice on our ADOT website. Remember, safety is the top priority — plan ahead and don’t take any chances that could put you and others in danger.

At ADOT, we share many safety messages throughout the year. From reminding drivers to buckle up and expect the unexpected to telling them about dust storms, work zones and even cyberscams.

ADOT does an excellent job communicating with the public. However, as individuals, we also have an important role to play.

By sharing transportation safety information with our family, friends and loved ones, each of us can make an impact. I encourage you to be an ambassador and share our agency’s safety resources with your circle.

Just for an example, you could remind a neighbor who is planning a trip up north to prepare for snow, and you could point them toward our Know Snow web page. 

You could also let a family member know about az511.gov — ADOT’s Travel Information site. You can tell your friends about ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT), which is an excellent source for traffic information, and our Focus on Driving site, which offers safe-driving tips and resources. While you’re at it, you might share our new ADOT Kids site, which includes a lot of safety tips, and is aimed toward school-aged children.

ADOT has so much safety information to share, and I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word! 

The 2020 holiday season will kick off at sundown tonight with the lighting of the menorah for the first night of Hanukkah. Each year the Jewish holiday falls on a different Gregorian calendar day. This year it marks the first of our holiday safety messages. You'll see our first safety message today with more to come before the year is over!

Many people love these safety messages, but we still get our share of naysayers. While we don't want you to be distracted while driving, we do want you engaged in highway safety. Whether you're making a positive or negative comment about our messages on social media, we're pleased they made you think twice about roadway safety. 

That being said, you can expect a few more safety messages throughout the holiday season. To get you in the holiday spirit, we're sharing a few messages from past years in our video below.

We know it's a busy time of year, but please don't be too busy to slow down, drive safely and always get a designated driver if you're out drinking. 

When the shared-use path along the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway in Ahwatukee opened about a month ago, the opening-day crowd could not have been more excited. Individuals and groups on bicycles moved quickly down the path, along with some on skateboards and even one woman on Rollerblades. The ladies’ cross country team from Desert Vista High School used the path for a morning run.

That was the primary objective when the Arizona Department of Transportation added the path to plans for the freeway: Creating a path to be shared by all members of the community regardless of their fitness level, age or even species (leashed dogs and horses are also allowed to use the path). In the interest of safety, no motorized vehicles are permitted on the path, but everyone else – from young parents walking with a small child, to older area residents casually walking to get some exercise, to serious cyclists looking to ride fast – is welcome.

Sadly, within the first week after the path opened, there were reports that not everyone is playing well with others. Some are acting as if their use of the path has a higher priority than others.

That’s wrong. The path belongs to everyone.

On the adjacent freeway, drivers don’t win priority because their vehicle is larger or shinier or newer than others. Safe driving rules apply to everyone. Share the road.

Share the path. Please. And thank you.

One last item: You’ll also be sharing the path, on limited occasions, with work trucks. In the next few weeks, those trucks may be completing work adjacent to the freeway. Sometimes they will be maintaining utilities. But that will only happen when there are no alternatives for accessing the work, and drivers know to look for cyclists, walkers and others enjoying the path. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.