Tallahassee Democrat: Cyclists start 1,200-mile trek

For the next 12 days, eight cyclists will trek across the state to raise awareness for seat-belt use and the importance of using designated drivers to fight drunk driving. The cyclists — including founder and coordinator Jim Russell, assistant chief of the Florida State University Police Department, and Sgt. Karin Clausen, an investigator who also works at FSU PD — left today and will bicycle to Miami and back.

The purpose of the ride is to raise money to educate young people about the importance of making the right decisions such as wearing seat belts, no underage drinking and using a designated driver after drinking too much. Last year, the Stay Alive From Education (SAFE) Ride cycling team biked 1,100 miles, Russell said. The miles correlate with the number of lives lost in Florida.

There are 1,200 preventable alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities reported each year by the Florida Highway Patrol, and more than 66 percent of those who died in safety-belt-equipped vehicles in Florida were not buckled up. “Unfortunately, that means the number is going up,” Russell said. “We want to drive home the message that seat-belt use can save lives and those drunk-driving fatalities are 100-percent preventable.” At FSU, alcohol abuse is still a problem among young people.

“Alcohol plays a large part in some of the decisions young people make,” FSU PD Chief David Perry said. “Students make a lot of decisions the first time around,” said Mike Fischer, executive director of the Florida Student Government Association. “It’s good to say, ‘Do this. This is the right way to do it.’” “This method does work,” Perry said. “This generation is more visual.

We really think that we are on the proactive side. We are not just operating in a vacuum.” The event has also gotten support from students. University of North Florida student Valeria Nolla will be biking 1,200 miles across the state. . “If I can send a message out there and I can save one person’s life, that’s all it takes,” she said. “It will be grueling but it’s worth it.” For more information, visit www.safeprogram.com