Florida definitely has a lot to offer. Many individuals and families like visiting. They may spend time around the Jacksonville area, or maybe they prefer Miami or Tampa Bay. Some people like it so much they end up moving there. They get lots of sunshine, though there are also some hurricane-related dangers in certain areas.
Some people also enjoy biking around Florida. They may feel the warm weather makes this activity perfect. They can get some exercise and burn calories.
However, there is no denying the high number of bike fatalities in Florida. Accidents happen frequently, and they’re worth talking about. We will do so in the following article.
Florida Has Many Bike Trails
When you think about biking and Florida, you should look at the situation as objectively as possible. It’s true that Florida has many bike trails. If you look at some of the major cities, you’ll find bike trails in and around public parks. Many have picturesque scenery. You want to find one with some shade, if possible, especially if you’re biking during the sweltering summer months.
Bike trails through public parks don’t present much danger. Cars shouldn’t drive there, and most drivers know this. You might occasionally run into someone who overserved themselves during a boozy brunch, and maybe they feel like they can share a public park bike trail with the cyclists. This doesn’t happen too often, though.
What About Bike Lanes?
You’ll also see some bike lanes in major Florida cities. You can find some in and around the suburbs, and some downtown or tourist areas also have them.
These bike lanes should keep you safe, ideally. You have the right of way if you use them while on a bike. You can go with traffic, and cars should stay out of your space.
Not all of them do, though. This presents some problems, especially in areas with not a very large or vigilant police presence.
You can use the bike lanes, and probably you won’t have any issues, but some drivers simply don’t respect the laws concerning cyclists. They might nudge you off the road if they see you biking and there are no cops or traffic cameras around.
Some Florida cities have plentiful traffic cameras, and those can deter some of the more reckless drivers. However, a camera that picks up a driver hitting you while you’re on your bike isn’t much comfort at that moment. The police might use that footage and find a hit-and-run driver later, but you won’t care about that while you’re lying injured on the ground.
How Can You Avoid Car Accidents While Biking in Florida?
Florida retirees or individuals visiting the state who rent bikes and want some exercise or exploration can help avoid cars hitting them by doing research beforehand. Rather than just hopping on your bike and taking off without knowing where you are going, you might prefer going online or picking up some maps in a hotel lobby and plotting out your course.
Find streets with bike lanes, or locate a route that won’t take you where you’ll likely encounter many vehicles. You can’t feel 100% certain cars won’t hit you, but if you’re avoiding areas with no sidewalks or construction zones, you make your trip far safer.
You can also ask hotel employees about safe biking areas. They will likely tell you where you might go while avoiding congested or high-traffic locales. Hotels want their guests safe, so they should give you some good advice.
What Else Can You Do?
You can also avoid biking at night. After dark, if you don’t know the terrain, you might lose a bike trail in a public park or a bike path on a city street. If you move and start learning the area around your house, you might bike at night with more confidence. Even then, though, it’s probably better if you take your bike out during the day when drivers can see you better.
You can also look into buying some reflective clothing if you feel you’ll still go out at night. It’s cooler then, which is why some people can’t resist an evening ride.
You can try biking on routes where you know you’ve seen traffic cameras. Those cameras don’t guarantee better driver behavior, but at least they should act as some deterrent if drivers notice them.
You can get online and see where in your area bike accidents usually occur. You can also contact your local police department and ask them about bike stats if you can’t find relevant ones online. The officers who know the area, especially ones who monitor car accidents and traffic patterns, should have some practical advice.
You Can Bike While Staying Off the Streets
If you move to Florida and don’t like the bike accident stats around you, there’s one more thing you can try. You can get something like a stationary bike and use it in your home. You can also get a gym membership and use the stationary bike there.
It’s not quite the same as getting out there on the street and putting in some miles, but it’s safer. You can even get a Peloton or one of the other fancier exercise bikes and take some classes. That can give you a sense of community. You can make some workout friends. Maybe they live far away, but you can still meet up and encourage and motivate each other.
Florida presents many exercise opportunities, and some people like it for that reason. You can stay fit while enjoying your retirement, or even if you’re a younger person living there.
If you like biking, follow our tips and stay safe. Maybe you can’t feel sure you won’t run into a bad driver, but following our advice makes it less likely you’ll suffer any injuries. Florida residents and guests should know about potential biking dangers and act accordingly. Reckless biking brings risks, especially in this state.
