Bicycling lovers are gonna gather for some serious rides in six Iowa towns tonight as part of this big international thing called the Ride of Silence. Luke Hoffman, who runs the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, will be giving a speech before the 21st annual ride in Des Moines. The goal is to honor and bring attention to all the cyclists who got hurt or worse in crashes with cars in the past year.
“We read out the names of all the people who got hit and killed since the last Ride of Silence, so we go through that list,” Hoffman explains, “and then we go on to do a bit of a demonstration, where for each name read, someone steps up and lays down to symbolize the person who got hit.” After that, everyone hops on their bikes for a slow group ride through town.
Hoffman mentions, “We take it nice and slow, like a funeral procession, to remember those who lost their lives in bike accidents.” Last year, four cyclists in Iowa were killed by vehicles. On average, about 350 cyclists get injured in such accidents each year, but someone from Bike Iowa says the real number could be three times higher because not all crashes get reported. Iowa cyclists did score a win this year with the Hands Free law passing, which lets cops pull over and warn any drivers caught holding a cell phone. Starting in January, they can even slap them with a $100 fine. But even though that’s a good deterrent for distracted driving, Hoffman believes there’s still work to be done.
“Iowa is one of the 13 states without a safe passing law, so there’s no set distance for cars passing bikes,” he points out. “We’ve been pushing for a full lane for years, but honestly, we’d be happy with anything — three feet, six feet — just something to help keep people safe. We know it’s a big deal because the top reason for bike fatalities is cars passing too close.” Aside from Des Moines, Rides of Silence are also happening tonight in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Charles City, Mason City, and Sioux City. Plus, there are rides in over 200 cities across the U.S. and at least 15 other countries.
Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like a pretty big deal for cyclists to come together and honor those who lost their lives in bike accidents. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like this Ride of Silence thing is a good way to raise awareness about how dangerous roads can be for people on bikes. It’s not just about remembering those we lost but also about making sure more lives aren’t lost in the future. So, kudos to all the cyclists taking part in this event and spreading the message of safety on two wheels.
