Teen on bike hit by truck in Seagrove

[Susan Horn]

This points up the need (not a new need) for various local entities to get together a proactive campaign around road safety that targets visitors as well as locals. I'm thinking TDC, WCSD, Chamber, Sacred Heart, public and private schools, churches, bike rental companies, rental agencies and developments with lots of rentals.

I hope someone in a position of leadership acts like a leader on this issue, and soon!

 

[Here4Good]

This points up the need (not a new need) for various local entities to get together a proactive campaign around road safety that targets visitors as well as locals. I'm thinking TDC, WCSD, Chamber, Sacred Heart, public and private schools, churches, bike rental companies, rental agencies and developments with lots of rentals.

I hope someone in a position of leadership acts like a leader on this issue, and soon!

You're right, we all see the visitors walking around like that's not an actual road, and we are all amazed that vehicle/pedestrian/bike accidents don't happen every single day.

Visitors should get a flyer like the beach flyer, that tells them that 30A is the only road for all business traffic, that there are delivery trucks up and down the road all day and night, and that their fellow visitors might be distracted while driving and trying to look for their house/condo/restaurant in a strange area.

 

[scooterbug44]

This points up the need (not a new need) for various local entities to get together a proactive campaign around road safety that targets visitors as well as locals. I'm thinking TDC, WCSD, Chamber, Sacred Heart, public and private schools, churches, bike rental companies, rental agencies and developments with lots of rentals.

I hope someone in a position of leadership acts like a leader on this issue, and soon!

How do we do a campaign with so many visitors? They can't even follow the flag system.

 

[Miss Critter]

How do we do a campaign with so many visitors? They can't even follow the flag system.

More like "won't," not can't. It all goes back to the mindset mentioned above. It's common knowledge that you don't walk or ride a bicycle into the path of an oncoming car - in other places. Or that riptides cause drowning - in other places. Or driving while texting is an accident waiting to happen - in other places. I don't get it. I wish I knew what the solution is. Meanwhile, it's up to the locals to pick up the slack.

 

[Em]

That is the difficult part, scooterbug. It is difficult to educate people who refuse to read signs, flyers, look at flags, etc. If the same visitors were here year round, it would be easier, but when we have a new audience who follow the masses, thinking that it must be okay if everyone else is doing it, educating them is a different beast. Often, the bikes are delivered to the homes, and while a bike contract may include information on safety, I doubt anyone has read it, until after someone gets seriously injured, and even then, only lawers are reading it. WaterColor seems to be the worst because the renters and owners think that the streets are protected from traffic. They are dead wrong. Yesterday, I heard a WaterColor guest say that their children were so happy about being able to ride their bikes in the streets of WaterColor, because at home in Atlanta, they are limited only to the driveway.

 

[scooterbug44]

True - can't change that touron mindset.

When we were little, the local police had a free bike safety class every spring (when it warmed up enough to ride). Games, prizes, safety instruction, and they registered your bike in case it got stolen.

Could we have volunteers do that here at high season too? I know it still won't get many visitors, but could help repeat visitor and second homeowner kids.

And helmets on everyone couldn't hurt. The wenches make me wear one.

 

[dmarie]

My thought on the pedestrian and bike mentality that our visitors display, is that I bet many of them have ABSOLUTELY NO PEDESTRIAN OR BIKING EXPERIENCE back home, where the car is king! For instance, I know of many families in Atlanta who do not let their children ride bikes in their neighborhoods but instead take them to Piedmont Park where they can 'bike wild.' They don't have to worry about stopping and looking both ways, using hand signals, realizing that they too must obey vehicular laws on the roadways, etc. This is sad for the children because it leads to tragedies such as this.

And while not necessarily the cause of this accident, I do have to agree with Mom of Zoro when she says: "Most of our visitors think and are teaching the next generation that the world revolves around them." This is most evident when kids are on their own two feet and in just day-to-day social interactions. I can't begin to count how many times the 'mother' in me wanted to jump in and teach someone else's child how to use manners. (Notice I didn't say use "their" manners?! That's because they don't have any!!)

 

[rblessed1031]

We moved from St. Louis recently, and it is a law that every cyclist wear a helmet. I think in this area, that should be implemented. If there are fines for not wearing one, that could compensate the additional salary needed to implement the program. Otherwise, confiscate the bike.

Bike rental agencies could collect a $25 fine deposit and if a bike comes back because it was confiscated due to non helmet compliance, the rental agency hands over the fine to the officer.

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

We moved from St. Louis recently, and it is a law that every cyclist wear a helmet. I think in this area, that should be implemented. If there are fines for not wearing one, that could compensate the additional salary needed to implement the program. Otherwise, confiscate the bike.

Bike rental agencies could collect a $25 fine deposit and if a bike comes back because it was confiscated due to non helmet compliance, the rental agency hands over the fine to the officer.

It would be hard to implement a required bicycle helmet law when helmets aren't even required for Motorcycles here. I think the issue is less about wearing protective gear and more about riding bikes without any common sense whatsoever. Perhaps a police bike patrol enforcing bike traffic rules?

 

[Desso]

The young man did not die as stated in earlier post. He is in critical condition at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. This is from update in NWF Daily News at 11:30AM Wednesday.