Biking advocate Jeff Stephens says the Ride of Silence got its start in Dallas in 2003.
Jeff Stephens: “A friend of mine was killed down there, and they pulled together this first ride to mourn his death, nine years ago. His fiancée asked a few of us to bring these back to our communities, and this has grown into a national and world-wide phenomena, with 200 to 300 of these around the world”
The Ride of Silence, which often stretches for blocks, is accompanied by a police escort like a funeral procession, and is a somber reminder of the number of bicyclists injured or killed in accidents with motor vehicle. According to some estimates, over 12,000 such accidents occurred in Ohio between 2005 and 2010, with 94 fatalities. Stephens, who heads the group Consider Biking, says the goal of the ride is to honor and to educate.
Jeff Stephens: “We’re just asking for respect on the road, and ask motorists to look out for us. And we’re doing our best to fit into the scheme of traffic as well.”
Rides are scheduled tonight in Columbus, Cleveland, and Toledo. Stephens says a planned ride in Cincinnati was canceled because of a permitting issue.