SARASOTA, FL – According to Wfla.com, a vehicle struck and killed a cyclist in Sarasota on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. The crash occurred at about 6:30 in the evening. The cyclist was struck on North Tamiami Trail while trying to cross the street. The road has been reopened. The driver responsible for striking the victim […]
Crash in Sarasota Kills Cyclist
SARASOTA, FL – According to Wfla.com, a vehicle struck and killed a cyclist in Sarasota on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. The crash occurred at about 6:30 in the evening. The cyclist was struck on North Tamiami Trail while trying to cross the street.
The road has been reopened.
The driver responsible for striking the victim remained at the site of the accident and is cooperating with investigating officers.
Florida is the most treacherous state for bicyclists. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that cities in Florida dominate the list of the most hazardous cities for cyclists in the country. For every 100,000 people, there are 6.2 cyclist deaths in Florida. The next highest per capita rate of fatalities is in Louisiana with just 3.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
Just three states, Florida, California, and Texas account for 40 percent of the cyclist deaths in the United States.
There are numerous factors that lead to Florida’s roads being dangerous for cyclists, including a high number of elderly drivers, many tourists who are not familiar with the roadways, and a population that is densely packed. Alcohol also plays a role, with 22 percent of cyclists killed and 12 percent of drivers who killed cyclists having blood alcohol concentrations that are higher than the legal limit. Texting while driving is another problem, even though it is illegal to text while behind the wheel in most states, including Florida, many people continue to use their phones while driving. Florida is one of a minority of states that consider texting and driving to be a secondary offense, which means that police cannot pull a driver over for texting and driving unless the driver is guilty of a primary offense.
