Indiana lawmakers, cyclists push for vulnerable road user law

INDIANAPOLIS — State lawmakers and cyclists are pushing for security adjustments after one other bicyclist was hit and killed Wednesday.

A lady was killed in successful and run whereas using her bike Wednesday afternoon on Indy’s southeast facet. It’s miles from the primary time this has occurred within the metropolis. Now, native leaders wish to see Indiana’s regulation modified to make drivers decelerate and share the street.

“The Monon, when the climate is good, it is one of many packed locations of the town,” stated Summer season Keown, interim managing director at Bicycle Indiana. 

Wednesday afternoon’s sunshine drew walkers, joggers and bikers to the Monon Path round Broad Ripple. However the path additionally consists of busy crossings for automobiles. Crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists are on the rise and its worrying individuals, together with Keown. 

“We, sadly, are a state that wants somewhat bit extra in the case of defending cyclists and pedestrians and people alongside our roads,” Keown stated. 

Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run on Indy’s southeast facet

From 2019 to 2020, BikeIndianapolis.org reported an 18% improve in pedestrian crashes, together with a 16% improve in crashes involving bikes.

Fifty-nine individuals had been killed.

Journey Of Silence honors cyclists killed, injured on Indianapolis roads

“Sadly for the time being, there aren’t usually authorized ramifications when a driver hits a bike owner or a pedestrian and causes extreme damage or kills them,” Keown stated. “And that even means they basically don’t obtain a fantastic and even have their driver’s license suspended, so we’re hoping that can change,” 

Indiana regulation requires that drivers give bicyclists three ft of house, however most drivers on the street know that does not at all times occur and infrequently, it results in near-misses or crashes. 

“I do know that even simply strolling across the downtown space, crossing the sidewalks, individuals form of whip in, whip via actual quick. I’ve had a close to incident myself. So we ask motorists to maneuver over somewhat bit and provides lots of house to these people that you simply share the street with,” stated Indiana Senator J.D. Ford, D-District 29.

Past the asking, Ford authored a invoice to create a susceptible consumer regulation within the Hoosier state that would come with pedestrians, development staff, farmers and cyclists, in addition to set up felony penalties for drivers who kill them or trigger severe hurt.

“Enhancing the felony penalties might not ever resolve this problem, however I do suppose that individuals would perceive that, ‘OK, I may have to offer the house or decelerate and/or cease if one thing tragic had been to occur,’” stated Ford. 

That invoice by no means even bought a listening to within the current session, however Ford stated this will probably be a high precedence for him once more within the subsequent one.

“We’ve got a invoice,” Ford stated. “We’re simply asking for it to get a listening to, in order that manner, we will begin to talk about the statistics, hear the tales. And I feel as soon as our lawmakers … as soon as my colleagues hear the tales and the stats, I feel they’ll be compelled to push this laws ahead. We’re simply asking motorists to decelerate, to maneuver over, to offer the house essential. We expect individuals can equally share the street.”

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