Florida has been plagued with safety issues in terms of the number of bicyclists and pedestrians involved in accidents. However, many communities are in the process of trying to change that reputation, and one of those areas is Tampa Bay.
The city plans to host thousands of bicyclists in the downtown area as part of their Bicycle Bash happening this weekend. This is the sixth year for the event, and the person behind the gathering is placing a particular emphasis on changing the culture to reflect an effort to promote safety.
Despite prior safety issues, Tampa still was ranked as having the ninth largest cycling presence among big cities in the United States. Safety advocates say that the installation of bike lanes is a good start, but far more must be done to encourage safe riding. Drivers and riders need to be educated about bike safety, and perhaps more importantly, police officials need to take bike laws more seriously. One advocate was disappointed to see cyclists cited in instances where the driver was the one disobeying the law.
Infrastructure has been the focus for the past half decade or so, and enthusiasts would like to like to see that continue with the creation of trails to carry cyclists between downtown and outlying suburban areas and the institution of lines of travel that could only be utilized by cyclists and pedestrians.
Florida’s troubled track record when it comes to cycling and pedestrian safety has haunted them in the past, but efforts like this can go a long way toward ensuring personal injury accidents don’t continue to plague roadways.