Photo Credit: ALEXANDRA MADAR
BY ALYSSA FISHER
Personal injury attorneys Rue & Ziffra reported that Florida had the highest number of fatal bicycle accidents of any state since 2008. In 2009 alone, Florida experienced 100 deaths and 4,425 injuries of bicyclists in traffic crashes. Most are quick to blame the driver, but they aren’t the only ones at fault. Nearly every day drivers are forced to stop short, swerve, and potentially put their lives in danger because bicyclists refuse to adhere to the rules of the road. Even though they’re not in cars , bikers must learn the rules and regulations that come with earning a license in driver’s education programs. There should be no exception whether someone is traveling on two wheels or four. It should be mandatory for avid or recreational bicyclists to earn a license, acknowledging they are aware of the rules and have taken training courses similar to those of driver’s education.
“There is only one road and it is up to bicyclists and motorists to treat each other with care and respect. Strict adherence to the law is the foundation for this respect.” Typed in an enlarged, italic font, this statement on the Florida Bicycle Association’s (FBA) website means well, but does not have much effect. The lack of respect cyclists show for drivers is astounding. According to the FBA, a bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle in Florida. Bicyclists have the same rights to the roadways and must obey the same traffic laws as the operators of other vehicles. Yet, drivers encounter defiant cyclists who believe they automatically have the right of way or disregard the bicycle lane.
Saturday mornings in South Florida usually provide the perfect conditions for bike riding. Many bicyclist groups gather together and ride for miles on major streets such as Flamingo Road. Although it may seem inconvenient, they are required to ride one in front of the other in the bicycle lane. Instead, large groups congest the right lane, causing incoming vehicles to drive under the speed limit until they can safely pass them. This puts the motorists in danger of veering into traffic or hitting a bicyclist. According to Ken Kifer’s Bike Pages, an informational site geared toward the safety of bikers, two of the top 10 causes for fatal bicyclist-motorist accidents were due to the fact that the bicyclist was traveling on the wrong (left) side of the road and that the bicyclist lost control and swerved into the path of the vehicle. State law says bikers must ride as far to the right as practicable, a rule that is commonly ignored.
There is nothing more frightening than having a bicyclist turn left through a red light as you’re about to drive through your green light, another one of Kifer’s top 10 causes for fatal accidents. Ignoring incoming traffic not only defies the law, but it shows the lack of respect for others on the road. After noticing trends like this in New York, The New York Times conducted an observational study by students and professors at Hunter College. The study was conducted in research methodology and urban data analysis courses, and was based on observations of 2,928 cyclists at street intersections, bike lanes and bike paths at 69 locations over the course of a month. They found that nearly 57 percent of the cyclists observed failed to stop at red lights, about 13 percent of cyclists were observed riding against traffic, almost 13 percent of cyclists were observed riding on sidewalks, and nearly 14 percent of cyclists did not use a designated bike lane when one was available. Peter Tuckel, a professor of sociology, and William Milczarski, an associate professor of urban affairs and planning, oversaw the study and called the findings “troubling” and “disturbing.” If the study found those horrible statistics in New York, who knows what the numbers would reach in Florida, the state with the highest number of fatal bicycle/motorist accidents.
Bicycling is a fun, recreational activity that is not dangerous when the laws are followed. While teenagers prepare to receive a license by studying and practicing, bicyclists should have to do the same. Driver’s Education programs should expand their programs, adding a course specifically for those who take an interest in biking. Physical Education classes in schools should also make teaching bicycle safety a priority, reaching every person with a bicycle in their garage. A greater adherence to the traffic laws would help reduce the conflicts between cyclists and motorists and make the roads a safer place for travel.
