It’s that time of year again, when we see bicyclists hitting the roads.
Dan Moser, with the Florida Bicycle Association, reminds residents and visitors to the Sunshine State that the May is National Bike Month. During this time, motorists and bicyclists are asked to refocus on safety.
According to BikeWalkLee, there are a number of events going on throughout safety awareness month, like Bike to School Day. The day offers a great opportunity to get your kids out of motor vehicles for some exercise. Take a ride with them prior to turning them loose on their own, to be sure they have the skills and knowledge they need to get there safely.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is on board with the safety month, too. As part of FDOT’s bike/ped safety campaign, “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow”, the agency is conducting a survey. You can help do your part by spending 3 minutes of your day to take this survey. It’s important for FDOT’s campaign in making our streets safer for ALL users.
Our Sanibel bicycle accident lawyers understand that Florida is the most dangerous state in the entire country for these kinds of accidents. In 2011, there were close to 150 bicyclist fatalities recorded here in the Sunshine State, according to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). We saw more bicycle accidents during 2011 than any other state in the country.
If you’re part of the island life, you know the importance and prevalence of biking for fitness and travel. It helps you to get to and from your destination, while enjoying the outdoors. That’s why writers at the Island Reported/Islander and the Island Sun have teamed up to promote bicycle safety. And they’re doing it though their regular series of “Cycling Safety Notes,” or public service ads.
Through these ads, there are seven messages that help to make sure that safety is a top priority of cyclists. These ads include messages reminding cyclists to wear a helmet, stay on the right side of the road, warn before passing and to never ride while wear headphones.”
The ads were first developed by the Sanibel Bicycle Club. They’ve been running regularly over the last year, and they just picked up steam with the new partnership.
So use the month of May to brush up on your bicycling skills. It only takes one wrong move to put yourself in a deadly situation. We can’t always rely on the safe driving habits of motorists to keep us safe. Make sure you’ve got what it takes to stay safe out there, through the month of May and for every other month out of the year.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, today for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your case. Call 1-800-Dial-BLS.
More Blog Entries:
“3 Feet Please” Campaign Hitting South Florida Streets, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, February 19, 2013
Study Proves Driver Fault in Bicycle Accidents, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, February 5, 2013