Our Ride of Silence is becoming louder :)

A couple of years ago, this tiny community was faced with great loss and a huge challenge. I am very proud of the small yet vehemently determined group of cyclists, runners, community leaders, local media and friends/family/concerned citizens that continue to educate our region on the importance of safety on the road. A nation wide Ride of Silence is held every year. However, every day… every single day, every second of the day…

there is a cyclist who wonders if this will the their last ride

there is a widow who remembers

there is a driver who exists with the guilt of regret

there is a white bicycle posted at the spot where it all happened

and there are oblivious riders, drivers, friends and family who will soon encounter the above experiences if we don’t all do our part. Yes, every single one of us – including myself – need to be more careful on the road. We need to put the phone down. We need to make every effort to be seen and to see. We need to delve deeply into the conversation about being responsible drivers and put the drink down, ask for help and realize that there is NO difference between being buzzed and being drunk, that rushing to the grocery store/school/mall/work/yada yada yada is NOT more important than someone else’s. That texting someone back, snap chatting your #POV behind the wheel or liking your BFF’s instagram is NOT more important than someone’s life.

We forget that driving is a privilege. We forget that life is a privilege, as well. Let’s all start to value that privilege again.

I’ll see you all on the ride. #ride4eddie

http://valleycentral.com/news/local/run-ride-and-share-encourages-drivers-to-share-the-road