IDOT, League of Illinois Bicyclists Launch
Share the Road Campaign for National Bike Month
CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT), the League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB) and
Illinois State Police have launched a statewide
campaign to urge motorists and bicyclists to share
the road to reduce crashes, prevent injuries and end
fatalities on our streets.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a 30-second
statewide radio public service announcement that will
be aired on selected stations this week during
morning and afternoon drive times to remind listeners
to share the road. The ad stresses that both
bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers have to obey
traffic laws and urges drivers to give bicycles at
least three feet of space when passing.
“The message of our campaign is simple,” said Acting
IDOT Secretary Milt Sees. “When we all obey traffic
laws, show courtesy and share the road, we all get
where we’re going safely. It’s especially important
for drivers to be on the lookout for bicyclists now
that the weather is warming up and more and more bike
riders are out on our roads.”
The number of bicyclists killed in crashes with cars
in Illinois increased slightly last year, from 21 in
2005 to 24 in 2006. This came after such fatalities
had decreased the year before from 25 in 2004.
LIB Executive Director Ed Barsotti of Aurora said,
“Bicyclists have a legal right to be on the road.
Motorists need to recognize this and pass bicyclists
with at least three feet of clearance. Bicyclists
also need to observe all traffic laws for their own
safety and the safety of others.”
Illinois State Police Director Larry G. Trent said,
“Crashes involving motorists and bicyclists can be
prevented if motorists and bicyclists observe traffic
lights and stop signs, yield the right-of-way and
show courtesy. Motorists also must observe all speed
limits to assure their safety and the safety of
others, including bicyclists.” Rick Vulpitta, executive director of the Illinois
Safety Council, said, “Being a safe driver means more
than just observing traffic laws. It involves staying
alert and being focused on the roadway at all times.
Distractions of only three seconds can lead to
collisions, injuries and fatalities on the road.”
Illinois’ “Share the Road” campaign was introduced
during a noon-time Monday news conference on the
plaza of the James R. Thompson Center in downtown
Chicago, where wallet-size cards with Illinois
bicycling laws and “Share the Road” bumper stickers
were distributed to the public.
The Illinois campaign coincides with May being
National Bike Month, during which people are
encouraged to bicycle for their health, fitness,
recreation and to get out of their cars and on their
bicycles to commute, shop and tour.
Last year, LIB teamed up with IDOT to produce and
distribute a bicycle safety video that was given out
to more than 2,000 driver’s education programs and
police departments throughout the state. The video
highlighted a number of danger zones for motorists
and bicyclists and provided instruction how to get
through these zones safely.
The danger zones are:
-
Motorists passing cyclists too closely. Motorists
should pass cyclists with three feet or more of
space.
-
Motorists failing to yield when making right and
left turns in front of bicyclists.
-
Motorists in parked cars opening their doors into
bicyclists.
-
Motorists leaving driveways, alleys or sides
streets without looking for cyclists in the roadway
or on sidewalks and sidepaths.
-
Bicyclists legally moving farther into a lane when
the lane is too narrow for motorists to pass safely.
-
Bicyclists legally moving farther into a lane to
avoid dangerous road conditions, such as broken
glass, bad pavement and storm grates.
-
Bicyclists moving across lanes in traffic to make
proper left turns.
-
Bicyclists who ride illegally against the traffic.
For more information on bike-riding safety, go to the
following Websites:
Illinois Department of Transportation: http://www.dot.state.il.us/
League of Illinois Bicyclists, www.bikelib.org
Illinois State Police,
http://www.isp.state.il.us/
Illinois Safety Council,
http://www.ilsafetycouncil.org/
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