Cape Coral residents are increasingly riding bicycles to commute, for exercise, or just for fun. Cape Coral Police Department wants to remind everyone that, by law, bicycles on the roadway have the same rights and responsibilities as motorized vehicles; people’s choices, whether they are on two wheels or four, can affect the lives of those around them.

Lee County ranks in the top 25 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. Cape Coral Police Department wants to remind you of the following safety tips to help save a life.

For drivers:

• Look for bicyclists everywhere. Cyclists may not be riding where they should be or may be hard to see—especially in poorly lit conditions, including dusk/dawn/night and in poor weather.
• Yield to bicyclists as you would motorists and do not underestimate their speed. Avoid turning in front of a bicyclist who is traveling on the road or sidewalk, often at an intersection or driveway.
• In parking lots, at stop signs, when backing up, or when parking, search your surroundings for other vehicles, including bicycles.
• Motorists turning right on red should look to the right and behind to avoid hitting a bicyclist approaching from the right rear. Stop completely and look left-right-left and behind before turning right on red.
• Obey the speed limit, reduce speed for road conditions, and drive defensively to avoid a crash with a cyclist.

For bicyclists:

• Drive with the flow, in the same direction as traffic.
• Obey street signs, signals, and road markings, just like a car.
• Assume the other person doesn’t see you; look ahead for hazards or situations to avoid that may cause you to fall—like toys, pebbles, potholes, grates, or train tracks.
• No texting, listening to music, or using anything that distracts you by taking your eyes and ears or your mind off the road and traffic.
• Wear equipment to protect you and make you more visible to others, like a bike helmet,
• bright clothing (during the day), reflective gear, and a white front light and red rear light and reflectors on your bike (at night, or when visibility is poor).

This is part of Cape Coral Police Department’s participation in the Florida Department of Transportation’s High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Program aimed at educating motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Florida’s traffic laws to improve safety on our city’s roads. Additional information about pedestrian and bicycle safety is available at www.alerttodayflorida.com.