The bike is booming in the city, but there are risks when it comes to pedaling on the street / Sebastián Casali
The fearsome statistics of road accidents are already giving rise in the Region to the elaboration, among cyclists, of a kind of risk map that identifies various avenues and routes where extreme attention must be paid or should be avoided, according to activity references to recreational and sports level.
Calles 137 and 44, routes 11 and 36, and Centenario and Belgrano roads are on the list.
Guillermo, a cyclist from La Plata, was returning from Magdalena following the white line of Route 11 and a truck passed him less than half a meter away. “There are no shoulders, no car was coming from the front either, but he did not mind giving me the distance that I should not put my life at risk,” said the cyclist to reflect one of the many dangers to which he is exposed in the streets, avenues and routes in the region.
The cyclist said that life is “undervalued” in society. “On the street, the one who drives a vehicle is not aware of the damage that he can do, in most accidents the one who drives the car is unharmed and the cyclist loses his life,” he said.
Luis Vázquez, founder of the group of cyclists La Loma, indicated that in La Plata there must be about 400,000 bicycles and during the weekends about 50,000 cyclists go out to pedal. In his opinion, La Plata is not prepared for such a number, neither in terms of infrastructure nor in terms of education.
“On weekends almost everyone wants to go to rural roads, but to get there they must travel no less than 10 kilometers through streets with a lot of traffic,” said the cyclist.
DANGEROUS ZONES
According to his experience, the areas with the highest number of road accidents are 137 avenue because, although it has a bike lane, there are sections in which it is obstructed with billboards; route 11; the Centennial Way; the Belgrano Way; the area of the Ecological Park and the Pereyra Iraola Park -the problem of robberies is added to it, route 36 and avenue 44.
“There are many groups of cyclists, some even make outings of 400 people and they cannot always be controlled, they go side by side, some pay no attention to anything,” added Vázquez.
As safety tools, the cyclist mentioned that before they used to ride in line, with light clothing to be visible from a distance and always with a helmet. In addition, technical talks were given.
“There are a lot of cars, a lot of bikes, and they look disrespectful from both sides. When you are on a bicycle and stop at a traffic light, you feel like a fool because no one does. It’s all a matter of education,” said Vázquez.
Emphasizing that education is fundamental so that the streets stop being a lawless jungle, the cyclist recalled that when he went to Primary School he received visits from traffic inspectors who instructed him on road regulations.
“I don’t ride a bicycle around the city anymore. It’s very dangerous. You see people who do not respect the right, do not wear a helmet, nor do the rigorous controls to find out how much they can pedal”, concluded Vázquez.
Some cyclists consulted by this newspaper highlighted that in the streets they observe the discomfort of motorists due to the sector of the lane they occupy where there are no bike paths.
It was also pointed out that it is usual to drive with the cell phone in hand, that turn signals or beacons are not used correctly, all behaviors that can trigger road accidents.
BAD CONDITION OF STREETS AND ROUTES
“It often happens that a vehicle overtakes me to park or turn in front of me. The poor condition of the streets and routes is also worrisome,” said a cyclist from the Cicloturismo La Plata group.
By way of self-criticism, it was mentioned that many cyclists do not use a helmet to ride or use headphones, something that diminishes the perception of the environment and the potential danger of not being attentive.
The bad habits of pedestrians were also considered a reason for accidents when they do not cross the corners or do not watch if someone is about to pass.
In all groups of cyclists it was reported that the use of a helmet is mandatory in all outings and that bicycles must have lights and refractory details.
It was also stressed that all traffic regulations must be respected.
PLATAN ENDEMIA
A report by the NGO Corazones Azules Argentina indicated that in 2022 there were 57 road deaths in La Plata.
It was reported that in the course of 2022 in La Plata there were 57 fatalities due to traffic. There were 13 more cases compared to 2021, the year in which 44 people lost their lives in the City. Of the 57 victims, there were 34 on motorcycles, 14 in cars and 3 were walking or by bike.
“Once again the Buenos Aires capital is transformed into the capital of road insecurity,” said the head of the NGO, Pedro Perrotta.
To counteract the risks, it was proposed to increase controls on the streets and work on prevention with educational campaigns.
