PRESS RELEASE
New York Bicycling Coalition calls on Drivers to
"Share the Road Safely"
Contact: Joshua Poppel, Deputy Director
joshua@nybc.net or 518.312.8047
The New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC), which represents the interests of over 300,000 cyclists in New York State, is announcing its Share the Road campaign. The goal of the program is to encourage motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to share the road safely. The primary component of this program is to train Driver Education teachers about how to share the road safely. Training was held at the Hudson Valley AAA today as part of this effort. "The Driver Education teachers found the class to be very useful and left with new knowledge to share with their Driver Education students", said Joshua Poppel of NYBC.
Pedestrian and bicyclist safety is a major issue in New York State. Walking and bicycling are important forms of transportation and recreation in our communities. Unfortunately, pedestrians and bicyclists also represent a high percentage of our State's traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Nearly 25% of major injuries and fatalities on New York Roadways were pedestrians and bicyclists. These crashes are a tragedy for both victims and drivers, and they are often preventable.
Here are some tips from NYBC's Share the Road campaign that are helpful in preventing crashes: (1) Motorists must yield to other traffic before turning movements, especially when making a right turn on red. (2) Where sidewalks are not provided, pedestrians should walk on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic. (3) Bicyclists legally are required to ride on the right side of road, in the same directions as motorized traffic and have the legal right to do so. (4) The opening of car doors from parked vehicles can be a hazard to cyclists; both motorists and bicyclists should be aware of the potential danger of the "door zone".
The NYBC reminds all motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians that we all share the same road. To read more road safety rules, and to view further information on the Share the Road campaign, visit the NYBC's website at: www.nybc.net/programs/sharetheroad.shtml.
Jesse Day, Executive Director of the NYBC, says that, "Together, we can keep New York's roads safe!"
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Board Development
NYBC is actively seeking new board members and volunteers. We welcome activists, planners, and representatives from the private sector
Interested in becoming part of NYBC's leadership? Send an email to:
Bill Eisenreich, President
ikesbike@optonline.net
Interested in Volunteering? Send an email to:
Joshua Poppel, Executive Director
joshua@nybc.net
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