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Friday, March 29, 2024

Fla. is most dangerous state for bicyclists

Bicyclists and pedestrians should look more than twice before crossing the street in Florida.

According to a recent study by USA Today, the state had the highest percentage of pedestrian and cyclist deaths, 11.1 percent and 17.4 percent respectively,  in 2008,  the most recent year for which federal statistics are available.

Gainesville had the most bicycle-related accidents from 2004 to 2008, according to Sgt. Joseph Raulerson of the Gainesville Police Department Traffic Safety Team.

“This statistic has a lot to do with the sheer volume of bicyclists, but bike safety is still a big issue in Gainesville,” Raulerson said.

Dakova Batey, the bicycle and pedestrian program coordinator for Gainesville, agrees that the dynamic in Gainesville greatly affects the safety for pedestrians and cyclists because people feel safer on campus, which has low-speed zones and more law enforcement present.

“But the university creates a high traffic level in a small area which can be very dangerous,” Batey said. “There is an adjustment when leaving campus-controlled roads.”

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