Ride Of Silence

Brought to my attention by UltraRob this is a great way to pay homage to our fallen brothers and sisters that have either died or been injured by automobiles.

The Ride Of Silence group was founded in 2003 following the tragic death of Larry Schwartz of Dallas, Texas who was killed when he was struck by a school bus mirror. ROS has managed to increase the awareness and rights of cyclists through not only this annual ride but also through local activism. In the past 6 years this group has managed to grow by leaps and bounds having now spread to reach these impressive 2008 stats:

7,925 riders total (104 events reporting), 296 cities, 50 states, 18 countries (Antarctica, Argentina, Australia (8 locations), Bolivia, Brazil (2 locations), British Virgin Isles, Canada (8 locations), Caribbean (Aruba), China (2 locations), Costa Rica, Cyprus, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico (4 locations), New Zealand, Republic of Panama and Spain (8 locations) and the United States).

I am not sure if we have seen an increase in incidents or if this has simply has shed more light on the incidents between cyclists and motorists but I for one have noticed that it seems more and more folks are being creamed by vehicles. In recent memory here in Colorado Springs we lost two members of our local community to an intoxicated woman driving a 1 ton truck. And how can anyone have not heard of the doctor slamming on the brakes in front of a few cyclists sending one to the hospital?

Please if you have the chance look through the ROS site and find a ride near you to join in. If you ride or know someone that does this is a great way to bring awareness to cyclists rights and will also serves as a means to advocate for cyclist's rights.

For more information about memorials for lost cyclists check out Ghost Bikes. As I am sure you have unfortunately seen their work.

Photo courtesy of UltraRob.

This year's Ride of Silence is happenning on May 20th in a city near you.