Safety

Amsterdam is elected the bike capital of the world because biking is relatively safe here. 40% of the public transport is by bike. Drivers take bikers seriously and if you follow few rules, accidents can be avoided. After all accidents are rare over here.

Here is the list of do’s don’ts:
- Respect all Dutch traffic regulations by following the road signs.
- Use bike paths, they have a red brick colour and a picture of the bike is drawn on them. A round blue bike traffic sign indicates a bike path as well.
- Always bike on the right side of the bike path.
- Respect the bike traffic light as well as the other traffic light as this might cause beside danger an expensive fine.
- Give right of pass for traffic coming from right in case there is no bike or normal traffic light.
- Give right of pass to public transport and taxis.
- Do not bike on squares, pedestrian pavement or side walk, pedestrian streets.
- Always make a sign with your arm indicating whether you are going left or right and of course don’t forget to look behind you, around your shoulder.
- Never ride more than two persons next to each other on a bike path leaving space for an extra bike to pass by, and in some streets ride one after another, with biking as much as you can on the right side leaving space for cars to pass by.
- Do not transport a second person on your luggage carrier. Luggage carriers is for luggage only.
- Do not use while biking headphones that prohibits you from hearing the sounds around you.
- Put your lights on after dark.
- Be careful not to get stuck on the tram rails.