BIKES: As the weather gets warmer, people will begin to head outside to enjoy the sunshine.

However, according to the National Safety Council, in 2015, there were 488,123 people treated in emergency departments after being injured riding a bike, and about 1,100 deaths resulted from cyclists colliding with motor vehicles.       

National Bike Month is observed each May, to showcase the many benefits of bicycling, including staying in shape, saving gas money and reducing pollution, while encouraging more individuals to participate.       

The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division provides the following tips to ensure you’re safe on a bicycle:

Always wear a properly fitted bike helmet.

Wear brightly colored clothing.

Choose a bicycle that fits you now. Do not buy a bigger bike and wait to grow into it.

Drive your bicycle on the right side of the road, with traffic, and obey all traffic signs and signals.

Be aware of your surroundings and roadway hazards.

Make sure your bicycle is in good condition and properly maintained for as long as you own it.

Get out there, have fun, and stay safe.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT: Also be aware of allergies. Sickweather, the world’s first real-time map of human health, tracks reported illnesses and symptoms to provide a local overview of what’s going around.

The top three trending illness and symptoms in the Bradford area are allergies, fever and whooping cough.

To track local illness trends anywhere in the United States, download the free Sickweather mobile app at http://sick.io/ios and  http://sick.io/android

The company has been recognized for accurately forecasting outbreaks up to 15 weeks in advance.