In the wake of two fatal bicycle accidents Thursday morning the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department wants to remind motorists to pay attention while driving. Elkhart County Undersheriff Sean Holmes said the best thing drivers can practice is, "heads up driving." This means keeping your head up when you're behind the wheel and cutting out the distractions. Using a phone, eating, putting on makeup, and other distractions in the car can all cause crashes.
"It hurts me to the
core every time I hear about a cyclist getting hit," said avid biker, Steve
Peterson, after hearing about Thursday's fatal accidents. Peterson owns Elkhart Bicycle shop, he's been riding bikes
for 35 years, and he's part of Bike Elkhart, which is a group working toward a safe
bicycling community. But those aren't
the only reasons he's so passionate about making sure cyclists are safe on the
road. "One
of my best friends Patrick Sawyer was hit and killed at 5:30 in the morning by
a drunk driver," said Peterson.
He knows the pain that comes from a
bike versus car accident. "Unfortunately when a
bike hits a car, car always wins," said Peterson. So his motto is "Be seen be
safe." A sign that says exactly that
is the first thing you see when you walk into his bike shop.
Under Indiana Code cyclists must
have a light on the front and rear of their bike when it's dark out. The Elkhart County Sheriff's Department
Undersheriff, Sean Holmes, says wearing reflective clothing is another great
way to stay safe. "Anything you can do to increase your visibility on
the road to let somebody know you're there is always better," said Holmes
Having a rear view mirror on your
bike is also a good idea. But it's not
just the cyclists responsibility to prevent crashes. Drivers also have to do their part. "When you're
driving you need to be aware of your surroundings and the environment," said Holmes.
That means no distracted driving.
"I need
drivers to open their eyes. I need them
to put down the cell phones and put down the big mac," said Peterson.
And if you think bikes don't belong
on the road, you're wrong. "They do have a right to be out there. The roads are not just for cars," said Holmes.
Peterson hopes education and
awareness can cut down on tragic accidents and the questions that surround them
"You just
start asking all these questions they start running through your brain, why?,
why?, why? could it have been prevented?"
Not including Thursday's crashes the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department said in the past two years there have been 32 bicycle related collisions. 24 of those have resulted in injuries and two have been fatal. And in the past two years there have been 27 pedestrian related collisions. 17 of those have resulted in injuries and six have been fatal.
