Free Class Will Teach Adults About Bicycle Safety

September 25, 2010, near University Square Drive and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. November 1, 2010, on Fowler Avenue near Interstate 75. February 13, 2011, on Fletcher Avenue near USF’s Riverfront Park.

These are just three of the dates and locations in which bicyclists have been killed over the last few years.

In 2009, the most recent year for which data is available, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there were 107 bicyclist fatalities in Florida.

“Florida continuously leads the nation in bicycle fatalities and injuries,” said Julie Bond, senior research associate at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the . “According to the Hillsborough Countywide Bicycle Safety Action Plan, 50 percent of all bicycle injurious crashes in our county involved bicyclist error.”

In order to educate bicyclists about safety, Bond and Jason Jackman will teach a BikeSmart Tampa Bay class for adult cyclists 18 and older who are riding bikes or want to begin riding bikes for transportation in the Tampa area.

The free class will take place on Feb. 4 from 9-10:30 a.m. at the . Attendees will learn:

• Florida bicycle laws;
• the basic rules of riding on the road;
• the four common crash types; and
• the five rules of safety

BikeSmart Tampa Bay provides education to bicyclists of all levels in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and offers education for motorists who want to learn more about sharing the road with cyclists. BikeSmart is sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation District 7 and managed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research at USF.

Bond specializes in bicycle and pedestrian related projects, and she’s a league cycling instructor and Temple Terrace resident. Jackman is the safe routes to school coordinator for the Center for Urban Transportation Research at USF, works with and is also a league cycling instructor.

Those who attend the BikeSmart class will receive free front and back bicycle lights, Bond said. Attendees can also bring their bicycles and helmets for a short group ride along Riverhills Drive.

“Education is important for all bicyclists in Temple Terrace,” Bond said.

To reserve a seat in the class, call 813-974-9799 or email bond@cutr.usf.edu.