Thousands of bicycle riders from across Iowa and around the world are starting their second day of the statewide trek known as RAGBRAI today (Monday). This year’s route runs 418 miles across southern Iowa from Glenwood to Muscatine. On the first day of the event, a 72-year old man from Florida was struck and killed by a pickup truck, near Glenwood. Andrea Henry, with the Iowa D-O-T, urges motorists who encounter long lines of bikes to stay alert and don’t do anything to distract or startle the riders.

“We ask that you do not honk your horns at bicyclists,” Henry says. “Use extra caution when you’re passing them. Give them plenty of room because sometimes bicyclists might swerve to avoid road hazards like potholes or debris or railroad tracks or narrow bridges.”

RAGBRAI organizers say that about 30 people have died in the event’s 44 year history, but most deaths are linked to medical problems. Including the latest victim, nine bicyclists have been killed in Iowa this year in collisions with vehicles. Henry notes, the safety tips for motorists apply all year long, not just during RAGBRAI.

“Be careful when opening your vehicle door,” Henry says. “Sometimes bicyclists will be riding close to the edge of the roadway and that can become a problem. When in doubt, always yield to bicyclists. Make sure you give them plenty of space and don’t try to pass if you don’t have the room to do so.”

Cyclists, too, need to keep safety first by always wearing a helmet. “We ask that you never ride against traffic,” Henry says. “Bicyclists are always supposed to follow the same flow as traffic. Obey traffic signs and signals just like you would if you were in a vehicle. Always, make eye contact with a motorist. Sometimes, it’s difficult for them to see you and if you make eye contact with them, that ups your chance of visibility.”

At night, use a headlight, taillight and reflectors. Today’s section of RAGBRAI takes the cyclists 75 miles from Shenandoah to Creston.

(Radio Iowa)