Tampa, FLA - safe for cyclists ?

[Deleted member 4210]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-most-dangerous-place-to-bicycle-in-america-1537867800

Pinellas County, Fla., has the highest cyclist death rate in the Tampa Bay metro area—which has the highest rate of any metro region in the U.S.

(I was pleasantly surprised to see that Chicago metro was not in the top 10 - amazing considering the amount of vehicles in downtown area, and bikeshare cyclists just about everywhere, defying the odds and sometimes even the rules of the road. )

Either way, be careful on your ebike and always wear a helmet. We don't want ebikes to become the target of such articles.

 

[Angela M.]

I had to stop reading after the first paragraph . Is it mainly due to the amount of traffic lanes or lack of traffic lights?

 

[AHicks]

Not a Wall Street Journal subscriber so I didn't read much but the headline. We spend 6 months a year not too far north of Tampa, but we are well clear of the metro area (way to urban/busy for our tastes). I just wanted to temper the article a bit with the idea that the danger likely has something to do with the percentage of tourists (and other strangers to the area) rubber necking (trying to take it all in) while driving, AND the percentage of (elderly) seniors on the road. Both of those factors can lead to some pretty scary situations. Now add the idea that many of the cyclists are elderly.....

 

[harryS]

Last winter, down there as a partial snowbird, I was looking at the bike lanes painted onto the sides of some of the rural roads in FL. I would be afraid to ride there. I figure only the poorest of the poor would be riding bikes out there to get to work, and those are the people getting killed.

 

[rvehock]

I have lived in Pinellas County (Clearwater) for the past 23 years and I have been in only two cycling accidents (thank God). Both were when I had the right of way and was in the established bike lane!!! I only sustained minor injuries to myself and my bicycle, I now ONLY ride on established bike paths and trails (not bike lanes). Bike safety is totally in the hands of the cyclist as motorists (young and old) have no clue here in Florida, very sad indeed...