Recent statistics show that Allen County has some of the highest pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Whether you’re a motorist, bicyclist or a walking pedestrian there are laws in place designed to keep you safe.
A comprehensive five-year study was conducted by the Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission. It was determined between 2012 and 2016, Allen County ranked number one in Ohio counties in bicycle crashes and number one in pedestrian crashes, compared to counties of similar size.
"The biggest issue, in my opinion, is the lack of infrastructure and education," said Thomas Mazur, executive director of the planning commission. "Enforcement comes on the back side of that because when people are exhibiting poor behaviors, whether it’s motorists not giving the 3.5 ft to the bicyclists on the road or jaywalking in front of cars."
A law to keep in mind if you’re walking is to always cross at a crosswalk and wait for the walk signals. For bicyclists, it is illegal in the downtown district of Lima to ride your bike on the sidewalks. At night bicycles must have a light and should always have an audible warning device. One law enforcement official said officers do what they can to enforce these laws.
"Our officers are very busy," said Lt. Andy Green of Lima Police Department. "They’re responding to calls all day long, but they do make an attempt to enforce those bicycle laws as they see them. Maybe not so much as to write a citation, but maybe to stop that cyclist and do some time educating them about the ordinance. So they can correct the deficiency on their bicycle."
That’s what several Allen County agencies are now doing, educating the public. Law enforcement, the regional planning commission, and the department of health are some organizations in on the MOVE Safe Allen County campaign. A local safety initiative that educates and spreads bike and pedestrian safety messages. While the agencies try to share messages by word of mouth you can see them on billboards and social media.
"Just really hope to get motorists also involved in being more aware of these people on the road," said Shelly Miller, coordinator for the campaign. "As active transportation becomes more popular there are going to be more people using bikes and their feet to get around.
Data collected will try to prioritize future infrastructure projects.
