FAIRHOPE, Ala - In response to a couple of high-profile accidents between bicycles and motor vehicles in Baldwin County over the past month, the Alabama Department of Transportation will place the first of several “Share the Road” highway markers on U.S. Highway 98 in Barnwell tomorrow. ALDOT Division Engineer Vince Calametti said the signs will not only remind motorists of the presence of bicyclists, but also encourage bicyclists to use marked routes.

“We’ve got a very active community and I think it is prudent. Although we’ve been working on this for quite some time, I’m concerned about the frequency of accidents lately.”

On June 23, 14-year-old Daniel DiNardi was run over by a garbage truck while cycling home from summer school in Daphne. A week earlier, Lynne Yates of Mobile was injured when a vehicle struck her bicycle on Baldwin County Road 21 in Stockton during the fifth annual RideYellow event.

“These recent events should signal the need for more road safety education and a reminder to motorists and cyclists alike that we need to share the roads,” said Wendy Allen, executive director of SmartCoast, which has been working with ALDOT and the Baldwin County Trailblazers to order the signs for roads most frequented by cyclists.

“It comes at a really appropriate time due to the increase in bicycle accidents,” Allen said. “There is a lot of education that needs to go on between cyclists and motorists as we witness more and more people riding bikes in the region.

“These signs are just a beginning, an initial effort to get the driving community to pay more attention,” she said.

DiNardi’s death was the most recent for a bicyclist on the roads of Baldwin County. In 2009, Clifford Williams, 47, of Daphne, was riding his bicycle along County Road 64 in Belforest when he was struck and killed by a motorist. In 2008, John Brandell, 52, was killed by a pickup truck as he rode his bike along U.S. 98 in Elberta. Separate accidents in Fairhope in 2003 and 2005 killed spouses Ann and Larry McDuff, avid bicycle riders whose deaths prompted the designation of an exercise trail on Scenic 98.

In 2007, William Frederick Imle, 48, and Archie Leroy Clemons Jr., 46 were killed on Bromley Road north of Spanish Fort by the same motorist who struck Larry McDuff two years earlier.

Nationwide, 630 cyclists were killed and more than 51,000 were injured in collisions with vehicles in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accounting for two percent of all traffic fatalities that year. Alcohol was involved in more than 40 percent of instances.

Calametti said collisions between motor vehicles and bicycles are not always fatal but often lead to severe injuries to the bicyclist.

“Every one of the instances is tragic and I can’t tell you how much a sign is going to do to prevent accidents but education is key and this is a good start,” he said.

Keaton Taylor, an employee of Fairhope Bicycle Company who rides 20-40 miles per day, four days a week, says he would feel more comfortable riding on a marked route but both cyclists and motorists are ultimately responsible for their own safety.

“I’ve been on roads that were busy and had limited shoulder space and the best thing you can do is stay constantly aware and keep as close to that white line as you can,” Taylor said. “You have to think and be practical. When you come to a stop sign, let all the traffic go around you before you continue. No one is looking for a bike at a four-way stop.”

Fairhope Bicycle Company offers a range of safety gear for cyclists including neon jerseys, reflectors and lights, as well as practical safety lessons during it’s weekly group rides.

“Bottom line is riders have to be courteous of motorists and motorists have to be courteous of riders and everyone should know the laws,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, Calametti said that as a motorist, he would rather not see cyclists on some roads, because drivers are often distracted enough.

“A bicyclist may have every legal right to be on the same road as motorists, but in some instances they may be putting themselves at risk,” he said. “In some aspects, you have to use common sense.”

SmartCoast will continue to work with ALDOT to identify an mark routes which tend to draw more cyclists, Allen said.

“We’re living in a day and age where drivers have more to distract them than ever before,” she said. “SmartCoast is really happy with the relationship we have with ALDOT and we’re pleased with how they have responded.”