It's really a simple thought. If you're driving a car and see a bicyclist, slow down, wait until it's safe to pass and go on your merry way.
But when eight bicyclists are killed by motorists in Las Vegas in the first eight months of 2015, it's time for bicyclists to unite and speak up and speak out.
Regrettably, it often takes a death of someone who is just like yourself to spark a movement. And when bicyclist and tour leader Matthew Hunt died Aug. 9, six days after being struck from behind by a motorist on the Strip, bicyclists began coming together
More than 400 bicyclists pedaled in Summerlin to the Red Rock Canyon overlook this morning to make a statement before returning to the Lifetime Fitness facility around 9 a.m. for a rally.
Matt's wife and family were at the rally, and hundreds of bicyclists were with them to pledge that they will be alert and safe on our roads. Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jennifer Robison did a great job on the coverage of today's bicycle rally.
Bigs news emerged when Ron Floth, a bicycle outreach coordinator with the Regeional Transportation Commission, told the crowd that Metro Police will be cracking down on motorists who do not pass bicyclists by the minimum berth of three feet in October.
Police will go undercover on bicycles at four locations and will pull over motorists who violate the three-foot buffer law.
They will be given warnings and slips of paper explaining they must pass a bicyclist by three feet and also move over one lane much like passing a police car on the shoulder of a highway.
Kudos to Pat Treichel of Lifetime for pulling together the rally and ride, Keely Brooks of the Southern Nevada Bicycle Coalition for her organizing efforts and Ron Floth of RTC for sharing the word about the Metro Police crackdown on three-foot buffer violators.
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