Ivona Coleman, the Community Health Improvement Coordinator for the Department of Health Monroe County, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about bicycle and water safety.
There were 112 bicycle crashes in Monroe County in 2023 and 161 bicycle crashes in Monroe County in 2024.
Coleman said, “As much as the summer is here and the Department of Health wants to encourage everybody to enjoy outdoors and stay physically active, which is important for our physical and mental health, we also want to make sure that everyone stays safe. So we are going to start with bicycle safety. We believe everybody should know the law. Sometimes people are surprised when I say certain things. They’re like, oh, I didn’t know that was actually mandatory. Anyone under 16 of age must wear a helmet. I would recommend that to everyone, not just 16 and under, because a helmet makes a difference between life and death, and it can really make a huge difference if you have an impact with a car, so it is important to wear a helmet. I know that the summer, summer is hot, but a helmet will make a difference if there is some type of accident. A helmet needs has to meet the federal safety standard, and it should be fastened. So it has to be strapped.”
What’s about if you ride your bike at night?
Coleman said, “Everyone between the sunset and sunlight, and I would recommend, even in a in low light conditions, should have a light on. So for the front of your bike, you need a white light that should be visible from 500 feet and at the back you should have a red light and a reflector that is also visible from a distance of 600 feet. That is actually in the law. Anyone who doesn’t have a bike light yet, you can pick up a free bike light, at the Key West library at Monroe County Public Library or also at Key West City Hall. They provide free rechargeable rechargeable bike lights for the front and back of your bike. They are free. Please go and pick one for yourself. Pick a set and have it installed. It’s easy to install. You can do it yourself. You don’t even need any help. You don’t need any tools for it. So please do yourself a favor. If you need lights, go ahead and pick some lights. Additionally, if you want to stay safe, make sure on the road, you ride on the right, and if you’re a pedestrian, you walk on the left. So that’s an important part as well. Make sure you wear bright and reflective clothing, especially in low light conditions. I would also recommend ride your bike with awareness, caution and control, anticipating potential hazards. So never assume that a car will stop for you. Always make eye contact and when turning on a bike, use hands and signals.”
The Department of Health also provides free helmets.
Coleman said, “We have all different sizes, for adults, kids, including toddlers. You can schedule an appointment. You can call 305-619-5701, and come to see us at the Gato Building on 1100 Simonton Street in Key West. Or you can also go on our website and schedule through our website. we are under Programs and Services. I would recommend you to check all the services that we provide and programs, and it’s under community health planning, so you can actually click a yellow button and fill out a request for a free fitted helmet there as well.”
Remember, whether in a car or on a bike, pedestrians have the right of way.
Coleman said, “You also want to make sure that you give an audible signal before overtaking or passing others, you can use a bike bell, or you can simply just use a verbal signal, like on your left or passing on your left. It is very, very important so the the pedestrians don’t get startled, or they don’t walk in your way while you’re riding. That’s actually in the law as well. So don’t forget that.”
Water safety is so important in the Keys.
Coleman said, “This is a serious issue. This is a persistent public health issue, I would say, where approximately 60 to 75 deaths per year happen to children under age of five, and most of them occur in home swimming pools and that’s for smaller children and older kids drown more in natural bodies of water, so oceans, lakes and canals. Let’s take a look how we can actually keep our families safe and our children safe. The most important is to practice many layers of protection. So if you have a pool, install a secure barrier, strong fence around your pool with self latching gates. When the kids are in or near water, closely supervise them. Always keep an eye on your children. Have a designated adult. Don’t assume that someone else is watching. If you have a larger group of people, everybody assumes that someone’s watching. But that’s the biggest mistake. You always want to have a designated adult who’s watching, and then you can take turns, and don’t get distracted. If you get distracted by a phone call, it takes a second, and it’s very quiet. Small children just they fall in the water, and it’s very, very quiet. You will not hear any splashing or cry or scream like you see on TV. So that’s a very important part to know. Make sure you sign up your children for water safety training or for swim lessons. We have a few different places where you can do that throughout Monroe County. So we have College of the Florida Keys on Stock Island. We have Founders Park in Islamorada, and also Jacobs Aquatic Center in Key Largo. This year we also launched first year of swim lesson voucher program, which was offering free swimming lessons to eligible Florida families. Those are all gone and being used right now, but this program is most likely going to continue next year, and next fiscal year is starting July. So stay tuned for more information, because we are going to have more free swim vouchers available pretty soon. So maybe just check periodically on our website. There’s an upcoming event. It’s Pride Street Fair on Duval Street on Saturday the 28th of June, and in collaboration with the city of Key West, we are going to be giving out free bicycle helmets and also free lights. So please come see us on Duval Street, Saturday, June 28.”
For more information, click here: https://monroe.floridahealth.gov