Riding a bike with clothes worn backwards is like tying your own hands — warm but unsafe.

    Electric bicycles, favored for their affordability, ease of use, and convenience, have become an important means of transportation for urban and rural residents. Recently, with another cold wave hitting, some electric bike riders have started wearing their jackets backwards to block the wind and keep warm while riding. This bad habit has even become common among electric bike users. Little do they know that while seeking warmth, they are also inviting serious traffic safety risks that “travel right along with them.”

　　Riding a bike with your jacket on backwards is like tying your own hands in a risk: Not long ago, a man in his 30s in Henglin Town, Wujin District, Changzhou City, was riding an electric tricycle to work when the brakes failed, causing him to fall. He was pinned under the vehicle and died despite rescue efforts that same day.

　　How could falling off an electric tricycle be fatal? According to witnesses, the man was wearing a long black jacket backwards and was riding at high speed. Police analysis suggests that if he hadn’t been wearing his jacket backwards, he would have instinctively used his arms to brace himself when he fell. But in this accident, because his arms were restricted by the jacket and he was moving at high speed, he couldn’t save himself when he fell — his head hit the ground, which was the fatal blow. In fact, similar accidents have happened more than once.

　　On the morning of November 9, 2012, a young man in Huangshi City, Hubei Province, was riding a motorcycle when the bus in front stopped at a station. Following too closely, he braked suddenly and tried to swerve, but his restricted arm caused him to fall heavily.

　　On the morning of December 22, 2012, Ms. Liu from Jinan City, Shandong Province, was riding an electric bike when her oversized coat kept slipping down and cold air kept blowing down her collar. As she pulled one side of the collar up, the other side of the coat got caught in the rear wheel, causing her to fall and dislocate her shoulder.

　　“In emergency situations, clothing can become fatal,” said a traffic police officer from the Wujin District Public Security Bureau Traffic Patrol Police Brigade in Changzhou. “As temperatures drop, the practice of riding with clothes worn backwards has become increasingly common. We warn and correct riders during routine patrols, but many still don’t take it seriously.”

　　Police explained that clothing is designed to fit the human body. Wearing it backwards will inevitably affect flexibility. Moreover, when riding with clothes on backwards, buttons can’t be fastened properly. The clothing keeps sliding down as the bike moves, interfering with hand operation on the handlebars. Since operating an electric bike or bicycle mainly relies on the hands, such restrictions can be fatal in emergencies.

　　Additionally, emergencies happen in a split second — they require not only quick reactions but also strong physical support. If a vehicle is about to tip or fall, a rider will instinctively use their hands to brace themselves. But if the arms are restricted by a backwards-worn jacket, the rider can’t brace properly when falling, leading to an unprotected tumble. If the first body part to hit the ground is the head, the consequences are all too predictable.

　　It’s worth noting that winter accessories like hats and gloves can also pose safety hazards. Staying warm is crucial when riding in winter. However, some people flip up their hooded jackets and wear scarves around their necks, leaving only their eyes exposed. This blocks most of the peripheral vision and is a very dangerous mistake. It’s better to wear a safety helmet, preferably one with holes near the ears to hear approaching vehicles’ horns.

　　Currently, there are also large, fleece-lined gloves on the market that can be fixed directly onto the handlebars. Though not as hazardous as wearing a jacket backwards, they can still hinder steering, so it’s best to avoid using them as well.