With increase in cyclists, drivers and riders must work together


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OGDEN — When the "Road Respect" Bike Tour Safety Campaign arrives Saturday in Ogden, Skyler Hoyle will be there for a group ride. A year ago, he wasn't sure he'd ever ride again.

"I ended up being one of those statistics that wasn't wearing his helmet," he said of the choice that nearly killed him.

Hoyle spends a lot of time on his bicycle. He rides to school, rides on trails for recreation and always considered himself a safe rider with plenty of experience in traffic.

"I've been riding every since I was 5 years old," he said. "I'm used to how traffic responds to cyclists on the road."

Last May, as he rode across Harrison Boulevard in Ogden, a car hit him.

"I ended up over the hood and into the windshield," he said.

Hoyle was not wearing a helmet. His head shattered the windshield, and the glass tore into his scalp. Doctors used 50 staples to close the wound, but Hoyle was in a medically induced coma for three days as he recovered from a long list of injuries. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, broke his leg and his shoulder and needed a lot of stitches.

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He woke up a week and a half later. As he recovered, Hoyle made a promise to himself.

"The one mistake that I made that I will never, ever make again was not wearing my helmet," he said.

Now, he shares that message with Scouting groups and students at Weber State University, where he's pursuing a degree in engineering. That's why the "Road Respect" campaign is so important to him.

Cycling has surged 30 percent in the last two years in Salt Lake City. But with plenty of people taking up the sport comes the need for all of us to focus on sharing the road.

This is the third annual "Road Respect" Bike Tour Safety Campaign, which urges motorists and cyclists to show respect for each other and the rules of the road.

"Road respect is a two-way street," said Keri Gibson, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Utah Department of Public Safety.

Road Respect
The "Road Respect" tour rolls through Provo Thursday, Salt Lake on Friday, and Ogden on Saturday. There are rides for all ages and abilities and helmet giveaways.

"We all need to be aware of what our responsibilities are on the road and take responsibility for our own safety by following those rules," she said.

On average, six bicyclists are killed each year in Utah and nearly 850 are involved in crashes with motor vehicles. Motorists can help, Gibson said.

"You need to give a cyclist at least three feet when passing," she said, and that's the law, too. "But, also slow down, and if the inside lane is free, move over."

Cyclists need to return the respect, she said.

"Ride like you would drive," she said. "As a cyclist, we're responsible for the same roadway rules as a motor vehicle driver."

Hoyle believes some extra head protection is in order, as well.

"It's the littlest thing you can do, and it will save you the most amount of trouble," he said.

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Jed Boal

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