National Bike Month: Ride Bikes- Stay Fit and Productive
Bicycles are a passion with children and very healthy mode of transportation for adults.
In my childhood days, I remember pestering my parents to buy me a bike as soon as I got to understand what a bike was. I took the bike and started riding on the wrong side of the road without a helmet and sustained minor injuries. For a month going near the bike was a taboo after the accident and I kept looking at it with a sense of longing.
If bicycles were the only mode of transportation, there would be very minor accidents where people would escape with a few bumps and bruises. Even these minor injuries could be avoided by using helmet and adhering to the traffic rules.
The National Bike Month
Although more than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, lack of knowledge and incentive has deterred many from commuting by bike. Hundreds of U.S. cities have been successful in increasing bicycle commuters by offering enticements on Bike to Work Day. Since 1956, May has been recognized as National Bike Month. The third week in May is designated Bike to Work Week (May 17-21, 2010); and the third Friday of May is Bike to Work Day (May 21, 2010).
- Environmentally-Friendly: The bicycle is the vehicle of the future. It has a competitive edge in urban transit: it's efficient, it's economical, it's healthy, it's ecological, and it's fashionable and fun! Too often overlooked and underrated, the bicycle is the simplest and most pleasure inducing way to get healthier while saving our environment and reconnecting with our community in a positive way.
- Be Healthy & Stay Productive: Over 66% of the adult US population is overweight and 32% of the US is obese, costing our nation $68 billion in health care and personal costs annually. Statistics on the lack of physical activity among children are also alarming. Most children are driven to school in cars or buses, and one child out of every 4 is overweight.
- Economical: Bicycle commuting saves on parking fees, parking tickets, fuel costs, auto maintenance costs and transit fares. In some large urban areas, it is possible to save over $200 per month on parking alone. A new bicycle and cycling gear would pay for itself in a few months. Cyclists can meet all of their transportation needs with a combination of bicycling, transit, and an occasional cab or rented car much cheaper than owning a car. Since the biggest cost of automobile ownership are paid up front (insurance and car payments), some people can free up about 25 percent of their income by getting rid of their car or their second car.
Important Safety Reminders
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines all bicyclists should wear properly fitted bicycle helmets every time they ride. A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash.
Bicyclists are considered vehicle operators; they are required to obey the same rules of the road as other vehicle operators, including obeying traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. When cycling in the street, cyclists must ride in the same direction as traffic.
Drivers of motor vehicles need to share the road with bicyclists. Be courteous - allow at least three feet clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road, look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space, and yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals. Be especially watchful for cyclists when making turns, either left or right.
Bicyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, dawn, and dusk. To be noticed when riding at night, use a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light, and use retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment or clothing.
Florida Among Top 3 in Bicycle Fatalities
Florida is rated third in bicycle deaths, according to statistics* by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, based on 2008 data. Riding without a helmet or riding under the influence of alcohol are the primary reasons for bicycle fatalities. Alcohol involvement -- either for the driver or the pedalcyclist -- was reported in more than one-third (37%) of the traffic crashes that resulted in pedalcyclist fatalities in 2008.
Aftermath of Bicycle Accidents
In collision involving a bicycle and motor vehicles or striking a fixed object, bicyclist injuries are more likely to be permanent, catastrophic, or fatal. Traumatic head injury and spinal injury occur at a higher rate, and broken bones and road rash can be severe, disabling injuries. Florida is a comparative negligence state. If you are partially at fault, you can still collect damages, but the award is reduced by the percentage of your comparative fault. (Example: If you are 15 percent at fault, you would only receive 85 percent of the damages determined by a jury.) Contact a Florida bicycle accident lawyer or your insurance agent to discuss your insurance policy's protection in the event of a serious crash.
*Traffic Safety Facts: 2008 Data, NHTSA, DOT HS 811159.
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