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Silence screams a message of safety for cyclists
Posted: 05.16.2012 at 6:15 PM
Updated: 05.16.2012 at 7:45 PM
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Cyclists line up to start the ride
Photo

QUINCY, ILL. -- Warmer temperatures and sunshine have welcomed bicyclists to the streets over the past few months.

Wednesday night at 6 p.m., the Quincy Bicycle Club took a silent ride around Washington Park to remind drivers to share the roads. The group dressed in white to signify the "Ghost Bike" of cyclists lost on the roadways.

One of the evening's riders, Mark Standley, has been hit multiple times while bicycling.

"The fist time I woke in the hospital. It took about 6 months to rehabilitate," said Standley. In this instance, a drive came up behind him and forces him off the road causing serious injuries.

His second accident was less serious but still unsettling. Standley would give drivers and cyclists the same advice when it comes to safety.

"Be predictable. Obey the rules of the road and just treat everybody with respect," he said.

The ride was solemn, and mostly done in single file to mimic a funeral procession. This was done to remind everyone of the dangers that cyclists face.

"Anytime a cyclist is hit, regardless of who's at fault, the cyclist is going to get the worst end of that. So whatever we can do to be more visible and whatever cars can do to be aware of us is a message worth spreading." said Laura Sievert, the ride's organizer.

The "Ride of Silence" is a national movement to raise public awareness of cyclist safety while honoring those who have been injured or killed while cycling.

This is the first year Quincy will be hosting a ride. Other cyclist groups have been holding the ride for years, and more than 300 groups were hosting similar events Wednesday.

The ride coincides with National Bicycle Safety Month.

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