Missouri Bicycle News

It's that time of year again--time to start planning a Ride of Silence, May 14th, 2008, 7:00 PM, in your local community.

No one likes to over-emphasize the "danger" of bicycling*. But once a year, the Ride of Silence is an appropriate way to remember those too many of our family, friends, and neighbors who have been injured or killed on our nation's roads.

And to make a decision to do something in the upcoming year to help solve this problem--because the problem of roadway injuries and deaths is on that is very solvable.

From the BikeLeague:

On May 14 at 7 p.m., the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves. Find out how you can participate here.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is supporting and encouraging Rides of Silence throughout Missouri.

It is easy to organize a Ride of Silence in your community if you start now to choose a location and route, and spread the word about your event.

* Mini-editorial on bicycle safety vs. automobile safety: Overall, the statistics show that bicycling, as practiced by intelligent adults, incurs about the same amount of risk as driving**. If you bicycle safely and reasonably, in accordance with the principles taught in the League of American Bicyclists' Bike Ed classes, you can probably be a little safer, on average, riding your bicycle than the average driver is driving the same trip. And certainly if you bicycle stupidly, you can be in far more danger than the average driver.

But driving in America is outrageously more dangerous than it needs to be. Over 43,000 Americans are killed, and about 3 million injured, on U.S. roads every single year. Many industrialized, first-world countries have injury and death rates 50% to 75% lower.

We don't have a bicycle safety problem.

We don't have a pedestrian safety problem.

We have a road safety problem and it affects every American who uses our roads, whether on foot, by bicycle, or by automobile.

Related:

News: Adriana Giraldo awarded "Distinguished Service to Missouri Bicycling" honors

News: Harkin "Complete Streets" Amendment fails; MO Sen. Bond speaks against

permanent link to article: "Time to start planning your community's 2008 Ride of Silence"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/30/2008 12:39:00 AM |comment on this article