Cyclist’s death brings calls for safer roads, increased awareness

A somber, riderless, white bicycle on Hillandale Road in Durham is aimed to force drivers to think of the safety of cyclists.

Advocates who installed the “ghost bike” said that safer roads and more cautious drivers could prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths, like that of 36-year-old cyclist Seth Vidal.

The ghost bike is the first of its kind in Durham; the Ghost Bike movement is a grassroots effort to draw attention to the number of cyclists killed each year.

Vidal, an avid bicyclist described as a careful and thoughtful young man by friends and colleagues, was killed when a hit-and-run driver struck him from behind. The driver did not stop but later turned himself in and was charged with felony hit and run, and driving with a revoked license.

In response to the tragedy, one local newspaper called for Durham to create more bike-friendly roads like those part of recent new road projects such as on Duke University’s east campus.

Driver education and awareness is also critical to preventing tragedies such as this.

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Read more about the Ghost Bike movement here.