Lightning Protection

LIGHTNING PROTECTION

Cyclists outdoors are vulnerable to lightning strikes. Being on a metal bicycle on an open road or hilltop presents a real danger. Follow these guidelines to stay safe.

What to Do in a Lightning Storm

• Seek shelter: The best protection is to get inside a substantial building or a fully enclosed metal vehicle. A shed or a bus shelter does not provide adequate protection.
• Avoid high ground: Immediately descend from hills, ridges, and mountain passes.
• Avoid open areas: Get off open roads, fields, and meadows.
• Avoid trees: Never shelter under an isolated tree or at the edge of a forest. The tallest trees are most likely to be struck.
• Get away from your bicycle: Leave your bicycle (a metal object) some distance away from where you are sheltering.
• Get low: If you are caught in the open with no shelter available, crouch low on the balls of your feet, feet together, head down, and covering your ears. Do not lie flat on the ground.
• Avoid water: Stay away from rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water.