Riding a bike can be risky.

Both bicyclists and motorists have responsibilities in keeping each other safe and accident-free.

“The laws apply not only to cars, but to bikes, as well,” said Ed Barsotti, director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists. “Ride on the right side of the road with the flow of traffic.”

According to Illinois bicycle laws, bicyclists riding on a highway are subject to all the rights and duties applicable to drivers, with few exceptions. Bicyclists are also issued the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians.

Barsotti advises bikers to use headlights and rearlights to be easily seen at night.

“Ride predictably as if you were a part of traffic,” he said. “Make no sudden moves, always use hand signals and frequently make eye contact with drivers. The number of times bikes hit cars from behind is very small, but learn to look in back of you.”

From a motorist’s point of view, one of the main causes of hitting a bicyclist is driving too close in a lane that is not wide enough for both the bike and the car.

Drivers must look out for their right hook, Barsotti said, because most drivers underestimate how fast the biker is going.

Drivers must also be conscious of their left hook when turning left in front of a bicyclist going the other way.

A hook is when a car passes a bicyclist and then makes a turn directly in front of the bike, according to bicyclesafe.com.

“Motorists must be aware of opening their car door in the path of a cyclist and not stopping at stop lines,” Barsotti said.

A bill introduced this year in the Illinois Senate proposed that a motorist passing a cyclist must give at least a three-foot clearance.

The bill, called Senate Bill 80, was passed in January and takes effect in January 2008.

The primary goal of this bill is to decrease motor-bicycle accidents.