A group of cyclists narrowly avoided a collision when a vehicle cut them off as they entered a roundabout, highlighting the all-too-common dangers faced by cyclists on the road today.
What happened prior to this incident?
We were on our usual PANTHERS Tandem Club ride every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings with 14 tandems in a two abreast peloton. Riding on a substandard [less than 14 feet] road with two lanes traveling in the same direction; and an average speed of around 16-18 mph, we were about 23 miles into a 35 mile ride. Weather was clear with a temperature of about 70F. All are experienced cyclists, the majority with more than 25 years, some having toured across the United States and in Europe. Several tandems have Cycliq cameras mounted front and rear. The noted camera was attached to the front of my tandem riding in the 1st position on the left side of the peloton.
This incident is one of 6 events that have been relayed to the Sumter County Sheriff Office. All were deemed serious by the Department and all but two were visited by a ‘knock on the door’ by a working Deputy and with the use of his laptop were advised of their unlawful action involving a bicyclist. The remaining two cases were handled by phone calls. Fortunately, there were no collisions, stern warning were issued; and none were ticketed for their actions.
When do you feel most vulnerable as a cyclist?
If I did not have a Cycliq camera mounted front and rear to record motor vehicles that try to squeeze by on my left and not fully occupy the ‘passing lane’ when passing on my left.
What do you think are the most important things that can be done to improve safety for cyclists on the road
As it references the highway and roundabouts in the centre of Florida…additional education for operators of motor vehicle would be very helpful. The majority of the drivers disregard or are not familiar with the Uniform Vehicle Code as it relates to the ‘exercise of due care’ owed to cyclists. Also, when contact is made between a motor vehicle and a bicycle the ‘crash’ is obviously a collision. Calling it an accident absolves the meaning of responsibility.
Did you report your incident? What was the reporting process?
This video was submitted to a local Sumter County Sheriff approximately 1pm on the same day of its occurrence. The motor vehicle displayed a ‘dealers’ tag from the state of Massachusetts. A Deputy made contact with DMV in MA and determined who was the driver of this motor vehicle…that he also owned a home in The Villages and was residing here for a few months. The Deputy reported to me that he called this individual and relayed that he had a video of his vehicle passing a cyclist and not meeting the three foot passing law as defined by Florida Law. The owner stated that his wife was driving and not being familiar with the area, he was relaying driving instruction to her as they approached the roundabout [traffic circle]. He call out to her to be sure to stay in the right lane and without thinking, she pulled over in front of our peloton. Further, he apologized for their actions and he was immediately aware of what she had done. The Deputy admonished him, and explained that it could have been a very serious collision [note: not an accident] with the possibility of taking down a number of riders resulting in serious medical injuries. In addition, with the cost of bicycles, he would have had a costly liability to replace or repair the tandems. The Deputy made me aware of his contact with the driver within two hours after I made contact with him; and in my estimation did a good job of making motor vehicle drivers aware of bicycles on the roadway…teaching them ‘one at a time’.
What do you think about UpRide?
I believe posting these events is a good representation of what other cyclist have to be aware of. In my case, it gives credence as to what I may need to watch out for, and how my reporting of cycling events may lead to helping others feel safer on the roadways.
What is your advice for other cyclists?
If you do not yet have a way to make a video of your rides, get a front and rear camera as soon a possible. Having used a couple of cameras in the marketplace, I am certain that Cycliq is the best.
Want to share your story?
We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.
