Shared responsibility for sharing the road

Here's another item to add to your back-to-school to-do list: Talk to your kids about bike safety.

Make sure those kiddos who will be riding two wheels to school understand how to ride safely and responsibly. Make sure they strap a helmet onto those precious little heads, that they understand the rules of the road - and follow them.

Make sure those kids who will be driving four wheels understand they've got responsibilities, too - that they've got to look out for pedestrians and bikes as they motor their way to school.

Then make a pledge to follow your own good advice on bike and by car. Cycling is a healthy, fun and usually safe way to get around, but as two recent Cedar Rapids cycling-related deaths remind us, it comes with risks, as well.

Sixty-year-old Phil Abodeely, of Las Vegas, died Monday after he lost control of his bike and crashed in Cedar Rapids.

Susan M. DeSotel, 51, of Cedar Rapids, died the same day from injuries she'd suffered days before, when her bike collided with an oncoming pickup that turned into her path.

According to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, five to seven cyclists die in crashes in this state each year.

The group tracks reports on fatal bike crashes throughout the state to help raise public awareness about road safety, and to help craft safety education programs they offer throughout the year.

The coalition's list of cyclists who have been killed just this summer include these sobering incidents:

Stephen Briggs, 68, of Waverly, who was thrown from his bike after he collided with another bicyclist on RAGBRAI.

Earlier that month, Kim Lou Clayton, 55, of West Des Moines, was pronounced dead at the scene after he failed to stop at an intersection and collided into the passenger side of an SUV.

On June 29, a 12-year-old girl was riding her bicycle in Harrison County in western Iowa when she apparently tried to cross the road and was struck by an oncoming pickup, the driver of which had changed lanes to safely pass her.

Vastly different accidents and causes, but all with one important thing in common: Their heartbreaking, fatal outcomes.

Too quickly, talks of bike safety turn to finger-pointing. In some accidents, it might be possible to assign clear blame, but that's not true in the bigger picture. Too often, drivers and riders both neglect their responsibilities or make mistakes that, at best, disrupt the flow of traffic.

Share the Road isn't just a catchy slogan, it's the way it's simply got to be. And we've all got our role to play.

Comments: (319) 339-3154; jennifer.hemmingsen@gazcomm.com