Bicyclists can have it pretty rough, especially on busy Southern California roads. In Los Angeles, drivers tend to get so focused on making it through the gridlock to get to their destination that they fail to take into account the rights of cyclists, who don’t have nearly the same protection that an individual in a motor vehicle does.
To make sure that bicycle safety awareness is assured, thousands of cyclists throughout the country took part last week in an event known as the Ride of Silence. Cyclists gathered at venues all across the United States to lend their wheels to the cause, which strives to honor those who have been injured or killed in a bike accident.
Around 100 people showed up in Pasadena, and throughout the duration of the ride, no one was allowed to speak. The 12 mile course took cyclists through Old Pasadena to City Hall and eventually closed out at the Rose Bowl. In years prior, the ride simply involved riding in laps around the Rose Bowl, but the event coordinator preferred the method used this year, as it’s thought to have drawn more awareness.
That same event coordinator says that 25 people on bicycles have already been killed in Southern California this year. Riders on hand for the event were able to attest to the danger themselves, with around half claiming that they have been hit while on their travels.