Bradenton Herald: Manatee cyclists demand safety – 15 October, 2006
Tim Richardson, in front, leads the way for his friends, John Walz and Craig Gibbs, as they set off on an early-morning bike ride. All three are Bradenton residents.

When Rose Gatto learned last week that a bicyclist had been hit by a car and killed on 53rd Avenue East in Bradenton, one question immediately came to mind. “I thought, ‘I wonder how close the car was to the bicyclist when it passed?’ ” asked Gatto, an avid cyclist and president of Friends of the Trails in Manatee County. “Because I think motorists do not accurately judge how close they are to riders, and that’s how many accidents occur.” A Florida law that went into effect Oct. 1 requires motorists to maintain at least a 3-foot gap between their car and a bicyclist when passing.

But, unfortunately, most drivers don’t know about the new law, even though they can be fined for a violation, Gatto said. Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation when it come to deadly bicycle accidents. In 2005, Florida topped the list of pedalcyclist fatalities in country with 124 deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The only other state with comparable fatalities involving bicyclists was California with 115. New York came in a distant third with 47 bicyclists killed in 2005. Dennis Scott, the bicycle/pedestrian manager for the Florida Department of Transportation’s safety office, said prior to the 3-foot guideline being approved, state law only required motorists to pass bicyclists, or any other non-motorized vehicle, at a “safe distance.”

“The new statute now requires vehicles to pass at a safe distance of no less than 3 feet,” Scott said. “But that is the minimum requirement. At high speeds, 3 feet is still not a safe distance.” On roads where vehicles are whizzing by bicyclists at speeds of up to 65 mph, Scott said law enforcement officers are allowed to use their judgement as to whether motorists are providing enough space between their vehicle and the bicyclists. In the case of a narrow two-lane road,

Scott emphasized that motorists are allowed to cross slightly over the double-yellow lines to provide bicyclists more room, but only after determining there is no danger to oncoming traffic. While riding her bike between 100 to 130 miles a week for the past three years, Gatto quickly learned there are certain roads in Manatee County that she would not dare travel. “State Road 70 is extremely dangerous during rush-hour traffic,” Gatto said. “You wouldn’t catch me on that road during rush hour. And University (Parkway) is not that great, either.”

One of the most dangerous challenges facing bicyclists is debris from accidents that accumulate along the sides of roads, Gatto said. “If drivers see there is debris on the side of the road and a bicyclist is approaching it, motorists need to realize that the bicyclist will likely have to go out into the highway to get around it,” Gatto said. “It’s all about being courteous.”

Grim statistics

At least four bicyclists have been struck and killed by vehicles in Manatee County this year, according to statistics compiled by The Herald. That number has risen from one bicyclist being fatally injured in 2004, according to the most recent bicycle and pedestrian crash data from Manatee County. A total of 142 bicyclists were also injured in the county in 2004. Just last year, the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida conducted a telephone survey of 1,750 residents over the age of 18, asking respondents about pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The survey discovered that, of those interviewed, approximately 41 bicyclists had been involved in 76 bicycle/vehicle crashes from 2000 to 2005. Approximately 38 percent of those crashes occurred on roadways without bike lanes, while 31 percent involved bicycle accidents along sidewalks.

But the survey also discovered that a bicyclist’s experience on the road made a huge difference. Bicyclists who averaged more than 100 miles per month were found much less likely to be involved in accidents, despite their increased exposure to traffic.

Respect riders

Capt. Stephen Litschauer of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, who serves alongside Gatto on Manatee County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, said showing respect for all people on the road, whether they be pedestrians, bicyclists or fellow drivers, could easily save hundreds of lives a year.

Residents can regularly find Litschauer and his family enjoying a ride along the county’s bike paths, but getting to those scenic areas on public roads can sometimes be hazardous, he said. “I’ve crashed several times because of the way people drive,” Litschauer said.

“I’d like to think that people don’t mean to come so close to me when they are racing by. I like to think they just don’t see me because they are not paying attention.” But there have been times when drivers are attempting to make a right turn and they do not think twice about cutting him off, Litschauer said. “I’ve had cases where my family and I have been biking and 20 to 30 feet before a right turn, a car will gun it and race by us,” Litschauer said. “You just have a split-second to stop.”

Attempting to avoid getting seriously injured is difficult enough if a bicyclist has regular pedals, Litschauer said. But if a rider is using a toe clip instead of an average pedal to hold his or her foot in place, the result can be deadly, he said. “If you are clipped, you can’t just stop,” Litschauer said. “If someone turns right in front of you, guess what is going to happen? You’re going to fall over and crash.” Bicyclists and drivers in Manatee County need to be more educated on respecting one another’s space, Litschauer said.

Sarasota signs

Manatee County’s neighbors to the south are working on ways to do just that. “Sarasota County is ranked fifth in the state for bicycle accidents,” said Mark Blumenthal, chairman of the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Committee for Sarasota County. “I don’t know if everybody knows that, but we were ranked No. 5 in 2005 and I’ve been told we will probably be ranked No. 4 for 2006.”

In order to help protect the county’s many bicyclists, Blumenthal said Sarasota County is trying to get new road signs approved by the Florida Department of Transportation that state, in bold print: “Yield to bikes when turning right.” “I know we don’t want to become No. 1 in the state of Florida,” Blumenthal said, adding that the committee wants to get permission to test the signs for one year on Gulf of Mexico Drive in Longboat Key.

“That road has a high volume of bicyclists that will help us determine how effective the sign is by comparing accident rates before and after the posting of the sign for one year.” Sarasota County’s committee also is studying ways to improve travel along U.S. 41 for bicyclists. “Have you thought how a college student from New College will bike safely from their location to the new trail, which is being developed south to beautiful Venice?” Blumenthal asked.

“That’s why developing connectivity throughout the county is so important.” While Sarasota and Manatee counties have a long way to go before they can claim their roads are truly bicycle-friendly, Blumenthal said he was pleased to discover last weekend, as he rode along Tamiami Trail on his bike, that most drivers were abiding by the new 3-foot law.

“They were doing a very fine job,” Blumenthal said, adding that the state needs to continue to educate the public on new safety regulations. “All law enforcement agencies must be notified of this new law. Remember, bicyclists don’t wear armor like autos, so citizens who drive autos must be aware to be very careful.”

- Herald Staff Writer Rebecca Blue contributed to this story. Stacey Eidson, Herald reporter, can be reached at seidson@HeraldToday.com or at 708-7908.

• Stop at stop signs and traffic lights.

• Use hand signals to turn, slow down or stop.

• Wear a helmet. The law requires a helmet if you are under 16, but state officials urge all bicyclists to wear helmets.

• Give pedestrians the right of way, especially on the sidewalk.

• Ride to the far right of the road, with traffic.

• Don’t impede traffic.

• Never ride more than two abreast.

• When on the sidewalk, use voice commands or a bell to notify pedestrians that you’re passing.

• Have a front and rear light on your bike when riding past sundown. Wearing light-colored clothing and reflectors is also strongly recommended.

• Make sure your bike is properly maintained and in good working condition.

124 Cyclist fatalities in Florida in 2005, highest in the country

4 Reported bicyclists killed by vehicles in Manatee this year

1 Bicyclist fatally injured in Manatee in 2004

142 Bicyclist injuries in Manatee in 2004