Sara Tiradossi / Winonan

A small town like Winona offers bike riders many lanes to ride safely, but sharing the road can still be dangerous without the right precautions.

Health and wellness student advocates Jake Dotseth and Mary Molstad discussed the importance of safety for bikers and pedestrians Monday, March 21.

Molstad said making eye contact is the first step to making sure the driver notices who is crossing the road.

“When riding a bike, students should always wear a helmet, make themselves visible and predictable, and follow the traffic laws,” Molstad said.

For pedestrian safety, she said multitasking, such as listening to music or texting, can be very dangerous and makes focusing on the road more difficult.

“Multitasking can be very distracting, especially when students are texting or wearing headphones that prevent them from paying attention to the street,”  health and rehabilitative sciences professor Kent Hansen said.

According to Dotseth, drivers should look out for pedestrians and cyclists when making a turn, be aware of the bike lane and not “door” a rider (when a bike rider crashes into an open door).

The presentation featured facts which show an increase in the number of bike mortalities since 2000, which now amounts to 43 percent of fatalities.

“Each year about 700 people die, and 45,000 are injured in bike accidents,” Dotseth said.

Some movements try to prevent these numbers from climbing.

The campaign Share the Road aims to improve bike safety, eliminate bike fatalities and reduce crashes. Dotseth said the campaign educates youth about the rules of the road and driving.

“Many factors contribute to crashes, including inattention, distractions and limited access for bicyclists on roads,” Dotseth said.

Hansen said Share the Road is a great program to raise awareness and understand that both drivers and bikers can be on the road at the same time.

“We just have to be polite, respectful and cognizant that we’re sharing the road,” Hansen said.

Hansen said when he worked in a hospital, a patient was paralyzed while biking by a trucker who hit him with a side mirror in the back of the head.

“I notice students take for granted that drivers see them, both when they are waking and biking,” Hansen said. “But they’re assuming incorrectly sometimes. I’ve seen students have entitlement when it comes to crossing the street.”

Hansen said sometimes people are not safe when walking or riding a bike. It can be frightening because a car can cause great damage if the driver does not see the person about to cross the street, he continued.

“Students should assume cars don’t see them. Wearing black or dark colors won’t help to be noticed, especially at twilight,” Hansen said.

According to Hansen, wearing lighter colored clothing helps with visibility. At night, wearing a light on the back of a helmet or the back of a bike and reflectors on a backpack can make a big difference.

Hansen said students have to realize vehicles can do a great damage if they do not see them, and they should try to make themselves as visible as possible to ensure a safe biking community in Winona.