Sunday's News-Press has three
articles by feature writer Janine Zeitlin, telling the stories of three SWFL
cyclists seriously injured recently on our roadways. Be sure to also watch the
videos. Here's the overview article.Click here for the accompanying editorial.
Janine
Zeitlin, jzeitlin@news-press.com
 |
| (Photo: Photos by Andrew West/ The News-Press) |
Story
Highlights
- Florida is ranked the most lethal state for cyclists. It's even worse for Southwest Florida riders.
- Last year, cyclist injuries reached a 13-year high in Lee County
- This week, Cape Coral police arrested Pascual Ruiz III after witnesses said he fired a semi-automatic handgun at a cyclist who had asked him to slow down.
- There are efforts to make roads safer, but penalties must increase, riders and activists say.
Steven Von Williamsen reached for
wife Sarah's hand as the pair pedaled past royal palm trees along McGregor
Boulevard. Doves cooed, welcoming a golden dusk. She on a lime-green
three-speed, he on a customized red bicycle, they headed toward downtown Fort
Myers with 200 other riders, quiet but for the clicking of spokes and gears as
part of last month's Ride of Silence — an international event to remember
cyclists who have been killed or injured.
Each weekday, the 27-year-old cycles
to his job as a bike mechanic, sometimes white-knuckled and the target of jeers
to get off the road. He's been hit about eight times in a handful or so of
years. He considers himself lucky.
Related:
Florida is consistently ranked the
most lethal state for cyclists. The prognosis is even more dire for Southwest
Florida riders. Statistics put Collier and Lee among the worst in the state for
bike fatalities. In 2013, bike injuries reached a 13-year high in Lee County.
As of mid-May, there had been 70 injuries this year, according to the Lee
County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Similar data was not available for
Collier.
The grim facts weighed on them both
as they released their grasp near the Centennial Park finish.
"A ride like this, it becomes
real," said Sarah Von Williamsen, also 27. "I worry about him every
day."
Southwest Florida roads this year
have been the stage for a spate of crashes in which cyclists were mowed down or
accosted by drivers, who ranged from careless to downright violent. This week,
Cape Coral police arrested Pascual Ruiz III after witnesses say he fired a
semi-automatic handgun at a cyclist who had asked him to slow down, and the
three motorists who had stopped to help the rider. In May, Fort Myers police
arrested motorcyclist Houston Wayne Wimbish after reports he purposely rammed
into a cyclist and, before fleeing, tried to punch a Good Samaritan who checked
on the rider. Last month, two members of the Pelican Landing Cycling Club spent
time in the hospital after being hit in a bike lane along Three Oaks Parkway in
San Carlos Park.
Related:
"We were doing everything by
the rules and by the book and still got slammed," said Dan Melcher, 51,
who suffered 11 broken ribs and had glass embedded in his bleeding forehead in
the crash.
However, in general, fault is evenly
split between drivers and riders in crashes, said Florida Highway Patrol's Lt.
Greg Bueno said. He blamed the bleak statistics on the number of people riding
due to the climate and to get to work, along with the rising popularity of
cycling as a sport. Biking is second only to running among outdoor activities
that Americans do the most, according to the Outdoor Foundation, and triathlons
have seen the steepest participation gains. That's coupled with traffic this
season that reached boom-time counts.
"If you talk to the bicyclists,
'oh the motorists, it's all them.' If you talk to the motorists, 'oh, those
doggone bicyclists,'" Bueno said. "Everybody needs to be aware of
their surroundings."
Safety activists, Southwest Florida
governmental officials and law enforcers are working to make roads safer
through outreach and infrastructure improvements. Last year, Lee won a more
than $10 million federal grant to close gaps for walkers and riders. The city
of Naples placed stickers on government vehicles touting the 3-foot law, the
berth motorists are required to give cyclists, and embedded an officer on a
group ride. The Lee County Sheriff's Office has also offered to join group
rides.
These are some of the stories of
crash victims: three avid cyclists, well-equipped with protective gear who
followed the rules of the road and were still pushed to the brink of life and
death. While recovering, they worry about the thousands of others traversing
dangerous roads, many who are not armed with the same protections and
knowledge. Riders won't be safe until attitudes about sharing the road
transform and the penalties for hitting them steepen, they say.
"Someone's got to pay the price
but right now it seems too often that the level of enforcement is not
happening," said Robert Vigorito, a 66-year-old triathlete whacked while
riding in a bike lane in Bonita Springs. "It's not just adults. It could
be your 10-year-old son riding his bike in the neighborhood."
In their cases, punishments for the
drivers ranged from zilch to puny to a suspended license.
In a matchup of skin versus 4,000
pounds of metal, that's not enough, many say.
"It just seems like the driving
behavior is pretty much out of control and nobody is taking it seriously,"
said Dan Moser, a longtime advocate for safer roads and a steering member of
the coalition BikeWalkLee. "They're driving a loaded weapon that kills at
the drop of the foot."
- Connect with this reporter: @Janinezeitlin
(Twitter).
Share Your Story
Have you had a close call with a
motorist or cyclist? Or worse? Share your story and thoughts about how to make
Southwest Florida roads safer by sending them to cycling@news-press.com or
posting a comment to the story on Facebook.
Tips for Drivers
• Give riders 3 feet; it's space
required by law.
• Don't drive distracted or
impaired.
• You're the most dangerous vehicle
on the road, so drive like it's you or someone you care about on that bike or
walking along the road.
• Look both ways at least before you
pull out or turn.
Tips for Cyclists
• Be seen, heard and predictable.
Signal your intentions with your hands. Call out to others when you're passing
them.
• If you're on the road, ride with
traffic. It's safer for you and it's the law.
• Be defensive and cautious. Assume
the worst of other road users. Extra awareness can help compensate for bad
drivers or poor road design.
• Don't use a phone or wear
headphones while riding.
• Give pedestrians the right of way.
Source: Adapted from BikeWalkLee
Florida Bicycle Laws
There are several laws that pertain
to cyclists. Here are some:
• Bikes have all the rights and
duties applicable to any other vehicle when on the roads.
• Riders on a sidewalk or crosswalk
must observe the duties of a pedestrian.
• Drivers overtaking a bicycle must
pass at a distance no less than 3 feet.
• Bicycles may not ride more than
two abreast and may do so only within a single lane and if traveling at less
than traffic speed, when it does not impede traffic.
• No wearing of headsets other than
for a hearing aid or for a cellphone that provides sound through one ear.
Source: Florida Department of
Transportation
How to Help:
BikeWalkLee
Coalition member Dan Moser provides
safety outreach to low-income riders and could use donations of lights, locks
and seats. To help, contact dmoser@bikewalklee.org or 334-6417. For more safety
information and resources, visit bikewalklee.org or email info@bikewalklee.org.
Naples Pathways Coalition will be
hosting a Share the Road event on Aug. 1. Cyclists will meet at Cambier Park at
7 p.m. and ride in Naples. The organization also provides safety education for
children and adults and could use helmets and lights for bikes. For information
on how to help or the event, visit naplespathways.org. Organizers can be
reached at info@naplespathways.org
or 777-7718.
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BikeWalkLee's commentary re: series, Friday, June 20, 2014, "Facts and Fears for SWFL cyclists"
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BikeWalkLee's commentary re: series, Friday, June 20, 2014, "Facts and Fears for SWFL cyclists"
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