FORT WALTON BEACH — The Emerald Coast Cycling Club will participate in the worldwide 2016 Ride of Silence event.
The six-mile ride — which commemorates cyclists killed on US highways — begins at 6 p.m. May 18 at Choctawhatchee High School, 110 Racetrack Road NW. A route has been established that will provide cyclists' visibility to the community as a whole, but not gridlock afternoon vehicular traffic through Fort Walton Beach.
The one-time event began to honor a Texas cyclist killed in May 2003, and continued as the idea spread from Dallas to all 50 states and 18 countries. It is a way to uphold the concept of bicycles and motorized vehicles coexisting on the same surfaces. The idea has spread from Dallas to all 50 states and 18 countries around the world.
A Crestview ride is also scheduled.
In 2007, 119 cyclists were killed in Pedalcycle traffic accidents in Florida, leading the nation in that disturbing category. The most alarming statistic is the rate of cycling fatalities in Florida, which topped all states with a 7.3 deaths per million population, nearly double that of second place California and was overwhelmingly ahead of the national average of 2.58 cycling fatalities.
For more information, see www.rideofsilence.org.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fort Walton Beach Ride of Silence is May 18