The Ride of Silence

I enjoy cycling. In my line of work, I see many horrible car crashes and injuries. Frankly, I hesitate to ride on the road because I worry that I will be the next victim. So, I stick to the trails, where no motorized vehicles are allowed. But it seems silly to haul my bike to the trail when I could just ride it there. I could ride on the sidewalk, unfortunately the sidewalk is not busy in my town. But, riding on the sidewalk is illegal is some cities. So, I have concluded that driving to the bike trail is the safest way.

Yet, it does not have to be that way. Cyclists have a legal right to ride on public streets and roads. Car and truck drivers often are not aware of cyclists' rights. Sometimes drivers are not aware of the cyclists themselves. I recently discovered an organization that is changing this.

The Ride of Silence annual international bicycle ride held at locations all over the world. The ride helps raise awareness among motorists of the dangers they pose to cyclists. At this a free event the cyclists stay silent. While raising awareness of safety issues, they mourn the loss of fellow cyclists. Held during National Bike Month, the Ride of Silence raises awareness of motorists, police, and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways.

Scott Sumpter of BikeIowa.com organizes the Ride of Silence in Des Moines, Iowa. This year's event had a record turnout and gained maximum exposure. 450 people attended the event that mourned the the death of Wade Franck, the sales manager at Kyle's Bikes who was killed by a drunk driver. Yet, the deaths continue. Just this month, the cycling community lost Robert Philips of Nashua, Iowa.

The Ride of Silence honors those who have been injured or killed cycling on the roads. At the same time, it raises awareness that cyclists are here. And it asks that we all share the road. Personally, I hope that motorists learn to watch out for cyclists.

Government officials, who spend millions on roads, could help as well. I would like to see the government devote more resources to better bike lanes. Often cars merge into and through bike lanes. Or parked cars open their doors into bike lanes—and the unsuspecting cyclist gets an unwanted door prize! In Japan, where more people ride bicycles for transportation, the bikes usually ride on wide sidewalks that are shared with pedestrians. The government could fund guardrails that keep motorists out of the bike lanes. The government spends tons of money on healthcare for the people. Why not help the people stay healthier while enjoying themselves safely by riding bikes?

Of course, respecting for the rules of the road must go both ways. How many of us have seen a cyclist do a rolling stop through a stop sign? Or more like a look-both-ways-and-keep-going stop? Do you see cyclists that do not use hand signals? That pass on the right? The Ride of Silence raises awareness for these cyclists as well. If cyclists ride responsibly they will do wonders for easing tension between motorists and cyclists and create a more harmonious environment. The rules of the road exist for a reason. They make the road safer.

Changes are already happening. I see cyclists wearing helmets more. Some have bright colored jackets with reflectors. Flashing LED lights on bikes are common now. All these measures help cyclists stay safe on the road.

You may ride a bike yourself. You certainly have a loved one that does. Please get involved. Join a Ride of Silence or make a charitable donation to BikeIowa. Here is a list of the cities in my practice area with Ride of Silence events:

Iowa

Cedar Falls
Cedar Rapids/Marion
Des Moines
Dubuque
Marshalltown
Mason City
Sioux City

Missouri

Joplin
Kansas City
St. Joseph
Springfield
St. Louis

Kansas

Lawrence
Topeka
Wichita

Arkansas

Fort Smith
Little Rock

Please comment if you know about othe events. Get involved and help make the road safer for our cyclists!