Dangerous road for bikers

Attorney Rob Witsil rides his bike nearly everyday from Rehoboth to Georgetown and has learned the dangers of the road first-hand.

"I go 22 miles from my house to my office, round trip, and nearly get hit everyday," he said. "Two of my friends have been hit seriously. One has been removed from the road by helicopter."

In 2005, the most recent statistics available, 86 cyclists were injured and two were killed statewide -- a decrease from 2004 when 101 cyclists were injured and three were killed. And while most of those injuries occurred in New Castle County, Sussex isn't too far behind, said Andrea Summers, public information officer for the Office of Highway Safety.

While injuries have decreased in recent years, Bethany Beach Police Chief Michael Redmon said it seems like more cyclists are traveling on area roadways -- most of which lack a shoulder -- without proper equipment.

According to Redmon, Delaware law requires that every bicycle in use at night be equipped with a lamp on the front that emits a white light visible from 500 feet. Also, every bicycle must be equipped with a red reflector on the rear visible from 600 feet as well as a reflective material on both sides also visible from 600 feet.

To help enforce the law, the Bethany Beach Police Department recently received a $1,000 donation from Wal-Mart to purchase bicycle lights and other equipment to promote public safety and decrease the number of bicycle related accidents.

"Each year our population increases with the number of visitors from other countries and their main means of transportation is on foot or bicycle," Redmon said. "We take a proactive approach to save lives and make our community safe."
Who's at risk?

Those most at risk of being involved in a collision are foreign students, Summers said, because European nations are designed with pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in mind. Foreign visitors expect to find the same system here, Summers said, and they're learning that's not always the case.

After foreign students, the most at risk cyclists are between the ages of 10 to 24, Summers said. Cyclists of any age, she said, are less likely to be injured if they take time to learn the rules of the road, wear safety equipment and make certain their bicycles are in good mechanical order.

Although DelDOT doesn't have a dedicated system to track injuries in the coastal area, the agency does communicate with Beebe Medical Center officials.

The hospital has reported a drop in the number of foreign students brought into the emergency room for cycling injuries this year, according to Anthony Aglio, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for DelDOT.

His agency has scheduled 12 safety checkpoints throughout the summer to ensure that cyclists are well-equipped and knowledgeable before peddling onto area roadways.

"DelDOT has really taken the lead on bicycle safety," Summers said. "They encourage cyclists to wear helmets and follow safety rules."
Lead by example

Last year, close to 3,000 helmets were distributed at checkpoints, but DelDOT officials are seeing few people using them.

"The excuses are that (the helmets) are uncomfortable, it's hot, I'm on the way to work or I don't want to mess up their hair," Aglio said.

Whatever the excuse, statistics prove that wearing helmets can prevent head injuries.

"Statistics with children show 85 percent of head injuries can be or could have been prevented," Aglio said.

For Americans, Aglio said most parents make their children wear helmets, but they fail in other areas.