Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Yield to Life

This group seems to be just getting started so there is a lot of "coming soon" on the website, but it looks promising.

Yield to Life will engage in a vigorous awareness campaign to promote positive attitudes toward cyclists and replace any hostility that exists between motorists and cyclists with understanding, respect, and appreciation for all life on the road. Safety for every cyclist is the top priority of Yield to Life.

Cycling is a healthy, life-affirming, environmentally-sound activity that adds value to anyone’s life. Since cyclists' lives are often in motorists’ hands, motorists must understand the vital role they play in a cyclist's safety.

Yield to Life will concentrate on road-rule education programs for motorists and cyclists alike through driver's education programs, public awareness movements and media campaigns in order to ensure a safer and more harmonious environment for all those on the road.
Yield to Life will engage in a hands-on educational program with target audiences that range from school assemblies to corporate conventions. Workshops will be created to arm cyclists with tips for navigating through traffic and tools for riding in a safe and responsible manner. Yield to Life will work on a database for cyclists to find the best, the safest and the most accommodating roads for commuting and for recreation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am amazed every time I ride around downtown Knoxville at how far removed drivers attitudes are from what I am used to seeing in west Knoxville. For the most part, there seems to be a mutual respect between cyclists and automobile drivers in the city. As you reach the suburbs it becomes more and more of an "Us vs. Them" mentality that does not really seem to benefit anyone. Any program that could help improve the awareness of both cyclists and automobile drivers about their responsibilities as road users is solidly a win for both communities.

While I believe that supporting organizations such as Y2L is important. I believe the responsibility for educating cyclists and motorists about coexistance on roadways falls solidly on us, the local cycling community. As novelist and civil rights activist James Baldwin once said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." If we hope for change through education; we must each act as a teacher to those around us.

Pedal on,
Ryan Cooper