Governor sets Virginia Bicylist and Pedestrian Awareness Week

The week of Sept. 11 to 17 has been proclaimed Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week by Governor Bob McDonnell.

Two non-profit organizations, Drive Smart Virginia and Bike Walk Virginia, made the announcement. Each group is interested in transportation in its own way. Drive Smart educates drivers and raises traffic safety awareness, while Bike Walk encourages transportation options.

Each year, thousands of cyclists and pedestrians are injured or killed on Virginia roadways. In their third year of partnership, Drive Smart and Bike Walk are campaigning to save lives and reduce injuries, with education a key factor in the campaign.

Bicycles are considered vehicles in Virginia. In a press release announcing the Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week, Janet Brooking, Executive Director for DRIVE Smart Virginia, says that “bikes, just like cars, have to obey all the traffic signs, signals, lights and markings."

Drivers, on the other hand, must pass bicyclists at a reasonable speed, leaving a minimum of two feet between the vehicle and bike.

For more information, contact Drive Smart Virginia at 804-929-2988.

Filed under: GOVERNMENT