Broward County Bicyclists Being Targeted By Sheriff’s Deputies

Bicyclists, beware!  Broward County sheriff’s deputies are issuing warnings and tickets to cyclists who wander outside of the bike lane.  It’s easy to do if you are riding with a group of cyclists traveling together.

Chief Kevin Butler who heads the Broward Sheriff’s Office Weston district says some cyclists are traveling in packs of 30 or more and taking up an entire lane of traffic.

For many years, Weston has been known as a bicycling area for competitive and recreational riders.  Cyclists go to ride along the open road and the 51 mile bike lane going through green terrain.

Florida law allows two cyclists to ride side-by side in the bike lane, but they are required to ride single file if they are blocking traffic.
There are other scenic regions that cyclists enjoy riding through, including AIA in Broward and Palm Beach counties and the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami.

According to experts, each year about 900 Americans die while riding their bikes and 500,000 are injured.

Butler said the complaints started coming in a year ago about cyclists taking up entire lanes.  He said, “We tried to reach out to various riding groups and educate everyone to move to the right.”  He added, “One group continued to ride five or six abreast even after we warned them.”

Cyclist complained to Butler at a Weston Bike Alliance meeting, about road-raging motorists who honk, yell and buzz them, even when they are riding in the bike lane.

Butler told the group to jot down the car’s tag number and to report the incident to the police. “Call us if someone is purposely trying to run you off the road,” he said.

The Law Office of David Benenfeld represents bicyclist’s who have been injured from a motorist or problem road conditions that was caused by an accident.  Attorney Benenfeld would like to encourage all bicyclists to learn the laws of the road and be safe.