7A- Testing Opportunities
In the past few weeks I have been investigating opportunities on many levels in our society. An opportunity I read about and that I personally feel should should get some more investigation is biking safety. At a university, like the University of Florida, I see an abundance of bikers and skateboarders daily. I’ve seen some accidents recently and I want to pursue action for a safer way of transit.
The problem I see
WHO: Bikers and even skateboarders
WHAT: Traveling by micro transit like this (meaning anything that does not go over 20 miles per hour) is dangerous and there has been an uptick in accident related deaths in my community
WHY: Most micro transit users do not have lights or wear protective gear when riding. Roads for these specific means of transit are also not as efficient as they could be.
So with this in mind, I asked students who use this form of travel to and from the University of Florida questions about their daily commute.
Jessica- She is a second year student studying physics and rides her bike to school daily.
Me- “Do you find your ride safe?"
Jessica- “I would say it is somewhat safe. I live at the Standard so my commute is never longer than 10 or 15 minutes to my class. It is difficult some mornings to get across University but I manage.”
Me- “Do you wear protective gear when you ride?”
Jessica- “No I do not wear any gear.”
Me- “Do you have lights or anything on your bike to alarm drivers?”
Jessica- “I do have a bell but nothing else.”
Emily- Second year student studying architecture and rides her bike to school
Me- “Do you find your ride safe?"
Emily- “Yes I do because I only cross one street. However there are a lot of students on campus with headphones on and I have hit students before.”
Me- “Do you wear protective gear when you ride?”
Emily- “No because I don’t like the way it looks. I also don’t want to carry a helmet around on campus.”
Me- “Do you have lights or anything on your bike to alarm drivers?”
Emily- “I do have a light that blinks a nighttime.”
Nick- He is a first year student that rides a longboard to school twice a week
Me- “Do you find your ride safe?"
Nick- “Never. There is too many cars and scooters on the road. I also live a few blocks from campus and cars have a hard time seeing me.”
Me- “Do you wear protective gear when you ride?”
Nick- “I do not wear any gear because there is no point. If I fall I fall.”
Me- “Do you have lights or anything on your bike to alarm drivers?”
Nick- “I only ride during the day so I don’t think I need anything like that.”
Jordan- He is a third year student that rides an electric scooter to school four times a week
Me- “Do you find your ride safe?”
Jordan- “I do think my ride is safe. I would say that it is sometimes scary driving in the bike lane because some cars get too close. Cars also got 35 to 40 miles per hour.”
Me- “Do you wear protective gear when you ride?”
Jordan- “I do wear a helmet but only some days.”
Me- “Do you have lights or anything on your bike to alarm drivers?”
Jordan- “There is a light on the front and back but they are very small.”
Kristel- She is a first year student who rides a skateboard to school every day
Me- “Do you find your ride safe?”
Kristel- “I do think my ride is safe but I always have anxiety about getting hit even in a crosswalk. Its hard for people to see me I feel like.”
Me- “Do you wear protective gear when you ride?”
Kristel- “I usually wear a heavy jacket but I do not wear anything else.”
Me- “Do you have lights or anything on your bike to alarm drivers?”
Kristel- “No there is nothing on my board it is just a basic deck nothing special.”
After my interviews I was very surprised. I really didn’t realize how many people don’t wear some sort of protective gear. The responses I got too seemed to be very similar in respect to the fact that drivers and pedestrians had a hard time seeing them. Taking this way of transit is efficient but at the same time it is risky. I would like to somehow come up with a way to make this process of transit easier and safer.
Baron,
ReplyDeleteI really do think that there should be safer way for cyclists to ride. Having lived in New York City for 10 years, I saw many accidents and even fatalities due to people not wearing the proper safety equipment. I think there is definitely some kind of opportunity in this area, but I am not sure exactly how you would do it. It is hard to get people to do things they don't want to do. We all think that these horrible things will never happen to us, but they can indeed. I would like to have seen an answer to why they choose not to wear any protective gear. This would help pinpoint the why. Overall, nice work!
Hi Baron!
ReplyDeleteThere is so much opportunity that exists in your idea. Between the various vehicles used to travel the UF campus and Gainesville, such as cars, buses, scooters, bikes and walking, it is crucial that we take safety into consideration. I know too many people who have been personally injured and affected by these accidents and would love to see a decline in the amount of accidents.