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Hernando Today

Accidents Highlight Need For Bicycle Lights, Official Says

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: June 3, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Steve Diez hopes the tragic accidents that took the lives of two Brooksville teenagers Saturday night will be an illuminating experience for bicyclists.

Diez, the county's bike and pedestrian coordinator and chairman of the Community Traffic Safety Team, acknowledges there's no way to know for sure if bicycle lights would have prevented two motorists from striking Justin White and Scott Avery, both 17.

The teens were killed in separate accidents that took place in Brooksville about an hour apart: White on Cedar Lane, south of State Road 50; Avery on Powell Road not far from California Street.

But there are similarities in each case that should serve as a cautionary tale to cyclists, Diez said.

Both accidents occurred after dark.

Both happened on narrow roads without shoulders or ample street lights.

And neither teenager's bicycle was equipped with lights.

The Florida Highway Patrol noted as much in its six-sentence report of the accident that took White's life.

Motorists have a responsibility to watch out for cyclists and treat them as they would any other vehicle, Diez said. Cyclists, however, must do their best to help motorists do that by standing out like any other vehicle, Diez said. That means using a headlight up front and a red light in the back.

State law requires that cyclists riding "between sunset and sunrise" must be equipped with a lamp on the front visible from 500 feet and a red light on the back visible from 600 feet.

White, traveling north on Cedar Lane, was struck head-on by a motorist traveling south and passing another vehicle.

Avery was hit from behind.

"If they'd been equipped more like a vehicle, their chances would have been greatly improved," Diez said.

It was unclear Monday whether either teen's bicycle had reflectors. Reflectors help, but can't compare to the small and inexpensive but powerful front and rear lights available at any bicycle shop, Diez said.

According to the National Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 60 percent of collisions between motorists and bicycles are caused by bicycles riding at night without lights.

Cyclists need to keep in mind the laws of physics. A car driving at 45 miles per hour needs roughly 400 feet to stop, Diez said. Headlights typically illuminate enough for a driver to see from about 200 feet away.

"The motorist doesn't have time to react to see a cyclist without lights to prevent something from happening," he said.

Parents should encourage their children to use lights, Diez said. In many cases, "they just don't think about it," or a feeling of invincibility keeps them from worrying about accidents, he said.

Teens could be encouraged to consider properly equipping their bicycles for nighttime travel as a primer to getting the much-coveted driver's license.

"You wouldn't get in your vehicle and drive without the lights on," Diez said. "Apply that same philosophy to riding your bike."

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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