萝莉社

Rod Schloth would be dead if it weren鈥檛 for a bicycle helmet.

The Jacksonville attorney was following all the laws of traffic when he was struck by a car from behind and nearly killed in 2009. He spent three weeks at 萝莉社 Jacksonville, suffering from six broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken left shoulder and spinal injuries. His helmet was cracked in the accident, and he needed 10 stiches on his head.

He hasn't ridden a bicycle since, and he never plans to.

鈥淚t鈥檚 left me with permanent injuries that I鈥檒l be dealing with the rest of my life,鈥� he said.

Unfortunately, Schloth鈥檚 accident is far from unique.

This summer alone, more than a half dozen people died in bicycle-versus-vehicle accidents in the Jacksonville area. One victim, Dquan Armstrong, was just 14 years old, riding his bike alongside two walking friends, when he was struck. Another victim, Richard Petry, 54, was out for his usual morning ride when a garbage truck ran over him.

As much as a quarter of fatal accidents in the Jacksonville area involve bicyclists and pedestrians.

One of the biggest problems?

鈥淯nfortunately, most people don鈥檛 know what the laws are,鈥� said Kailee Halbuna, manager of Open Road Bicycles in San Marco.

Here are some important factors to keep in mind on the road, whether you鈥檙e in a car or on a bike:

• Bicycles are legally defined as a vehicle

  Under the law, a bicyclist has the same rights on the road as the driver of a car and must follow the same laws. That means bicyclists are required to ride on the road rather than the sidewalk, and they must be riding in the same direction as traffic. If there isn鈥檛 a bicycle lane, a bicyclist has the right to ride in the middle of the road if necessary.

  While young children often stick to the sidewalk because they鈥檙e moving at a slower pace, fast-moving bicycles would be a danger to walkers if they were on the sidewalk. In addition, a bicycle on the sidewalk would be less visible to drivers pulling in and out of driveways and parking lots, creating even more danger for the cyclist.

  Bicyclists must follow traffic laws the same way they would while driving a car, which means they should stop at stop signs and lights, yield the right-of-way as required and never cut someone off.

  鈥淪ometimes a bicyclist will cut across the road in the path of a vehicle,鈥� said Chief John Lamb, the bicycling community liaison for the Jacksonville Sheriff鈥檚 Office. 鈥淎 car wouldn鈥檛 do that, and a bicycle shouldn鈥檛 either.鈥�

• Drivers must allow at least 3 feet of space when passing a bicyclist

  Bicyclists need at least 3 feet of space to protect their safety on the road. If you can鈥檛 give a bicycle that much room, you shouldn鈥檛 pass it. Compare sharing the road with a bicycle to sharing the road with a slow-moving tractor. Slow down and stay behind it until there鈥檚 a safe time to pass, giving it the necessary amount of space.

  鈥淭he biggest thing we see is that drivers in vehicles get impatient,鈥� Lamb said. 鈥淒rivers need to recognize that bicycles are vehicles, too, and afford them the same opportunity to navigate the roads.鈥�

  In addition, drivers need to be aware of bicycles when they鈥檙e turning. It鈥檚 easy to underestimate the speed of a bicycle. A rider might be traveling at 20 or 30 miles per hour, and it will be difficult to stop if a vehicle turns in front of the bike.

• Bicycles and safety equipment should be carefully maintained

  Just as a car has required safety measures, such as seat belts, a bicyclist should always wear a helmet.

  鈥淲e see so many head traumas,鈥� Lamb said. 鈥淏roken arms heal, but a head trauma doesn鈥檛.鈥�

  Just wearing a helmet isn鈥檛 enough though, said Halbuna.

  鈥淢ake sure the helmet is fitted properly. If it鈥檚 too loose or sits too far back on your head, it won鈥檛 do you a lot of good,鈥� she said.

  Older helmets are also a problem because the Styrofoam begins to deteriorate. Halbuna recommends replacing helmets every three to five years.

  If you鈥檙e not sure how to fit a helmet on yourself or your child, don鈥檛 be afraid to ask, said 萝莉社 Jacksonville Trauma Education Coordinator Rebecca Goldenberg. As coordinator for the hospital鈥檚 Bicycle Safety Rodeos, she has found many instances in which parents place their children鈥檚 helmets on too loosely, or even backwards.

  And just as a wise driver keeps a few tools on hand in case of an emergency, a wise bicyclist should have supplies in tow that could repair a damaged bike if necessary.

  Halbuna, who rides 18 miles a day in her commute to and from work, always has supplies on hand to mend a loose chain or deal with a flat tire.

She also recommends wearing extremely bright clothing, using bright-colored bar tape and having front and rear lights turned on even during the day to ensure the rider and bicycle stand out.

A proper fit to the bicycle, itself, is also critical.

鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely important so you will be properly balanced,鈥� Habuna said, noting she offers quick, free consults to people who come to Open Roads.

More tips for bicyclists:

• Avoid riding into the sun. Drivers are also looking into the sun and may have a hard time seeing you.
• Try to ride with other people. A driver is more likely to see a group than one rider.
• Know and use safety signals when turning.
• Drive defensively. Try to always have an 鈥渆scape route鈥� and keep an eye out for drivers who might not see you.
• With children, make sure they know how to brake properly. "We see a lot of kids who drag their feet on the ground to brake instead of using the hand or foot brake,鈥� Goldenberg said. That type of braking wouldn鈥檛 suffice in a dangerous situation.
• Avoid distractions, such as wearing headphones. 鈥淵ou need all your senses when you鈥檙e facing several-ton vehicles,鈥� Halbuna said.

If there is a crash, TraumaOne has a team ready to respond

Unfortunately, a bicyclist could do everything right, 鈥渂ut that still doesn鈥檛 guarantee a safe ride,鈥� Halbuna said.

She often sees motorists texting and worries they could unwittingly drive right into someone.

鈥淭here are just so many distractions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 challenge them to try commuting one time on a bicycle. I think they would become safer drivers when they realize how vulnerable we are.鈥�

Goldenberg hopes 萝莉社 Jacksonville鈥檚 bicycle safety education programs will help many bicyclists avoid crashes in the first place. But if someone does get into a serious accident, she said the hospital will give them a fighting chance to survive.

The region鈥檚 only Level I trauma center, it is the one place equipped to deal with the serious head and body injuries that can result when a bicyclist is struck by a vehicle.

鈥淲e have neurosurgery along with many other specialties available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,鈥� she said. Lower-level trauma centers would not have the same amount of staff on hand, and the time it would take for a doctor to come in could be critical for the patient.

鈥淚n the event that something does happen, the patient can go straight to surgery here,鈥� Goldenberg explained. 鈥淗aving a neurosurgeon at the hospital at all times makes us special. It also makes it possible to treat critically injured patients at the drop of a dime.鈥�