Bicycle rides will be taking place in at least seven Iowa cities tonight (Wednesday) as a tribute to cyclists who’ve been killed or seriously injured in crashes. The “Ride of Silence” was started 16 years ago in Texas and is now an annual event in thousands of cities and towns worldwide. Roger White, organizer of the ride taking place in Cedar Falls, says participants are asked to pedal the entire route without uttering word – unless it’s to warn other cyclists about a potential hazard.
According to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, 11 people died in bicycle crashes in Iowa in 2016. Nine of those crashes involved collisions with vehicles and in five cases, the bicyclists were struck from behind. White says fatal car-versus-bicycle crashes could possibly be eliminated if all motorists kept their focus on the road.
Rides of Silence are taking place tonight in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Charles City, Des Moines, Marshalltown, Mason City, and Sioux City. In most cases, the cyclists will be accompanied on city streets by police cars that lead and follow the riders.
