having recently been involved in a car accident that totalled my incredibly dependable and safe [read: visceral, personal experience] 2006 MINI Cooper, i am mindfully considering all my options for transportation in a suburban environment with woefully difficult public transport. that it would take me over 2 hours to get only 9 miles and remotely close to my job from home [even then i would have to walk a mile from any busstop to my end destination] is no exaggeration. and given my personal commitment to green, sustainable living and thrill to cycling, it makes far more sense [and would save a great deal of time] to bike the round-trip 20 miles each day to work...[this is something i did often, weather permitting before this most recent turn of events]...but when you must depend on your bike for transportation, a full awareness of some facts are important.
so naturally, in the nerdy way that i do...i have delved into all of the research regarding traffic statistics and my now necessary mode of travel. and, it is a sobering perlustration. as gas prices will undoubtedly continue to rise [despite the occasional abatement], there will be more and more people taking to the roads with alternative modes of transportation. please take a moment to survey these statistics. they are the most recent available listing of fatalities to bicyclists as compiled by NHTSA the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
as you can see...the state of Florida [my home state]...has earned quite a dubious distinction. by comparison, we suffer the greatest number of fatalities [131, statewide in 2006: 7.3 persons/millions in population]. only California registers a higher number [141, statewide in 2006], but California also registers twice the number of residents [3.87 persons/millions in population] meaning our traffic fatalities by comparison occur at double the rate. there's even a state sponsored study that concludes that because we are "the sunshine state" [read: more hours of daylight] and because we have a higher-than-average poverty rate, Floridians suffer a higher traffic vs. pedestrian and traffic vs. cyclist fatality rate. nice conclusion...now, may we all work toward a solution.
Visit the League of American Bicyclists to read more and take action. and please, please...drive mindfully and share the road.
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Thanks for your comment on my blog- - Funny enough, I had discovered your blog some weeks ago, loved the artistry of it, as well as the references to Frenchy stuff and yogis, and included it on my visited-blogs list! So, I'm curious if you somehow knew that, or if it's just a big coincidence that you also stumbled on mine? ~Donna
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