Motorcyclists in Miami want to make sure you not only hear them but see them on the roads, too.
That’s because some just don't feel safe riding in South Florida.
”I’ve been in the left lane and a car will pull up right next to me thinking he can fit in the same spot that I'm in. No, it’s my spot is my spot,” biker Rigo Pinero said.
Dozens of motorcyclists came together for a revved-up rally and ride Thursday night, which is a popular night for bikers in South Florida. They gathered at Tropical Park, and then rode in a pack with the intention of getting drivers' attention and hammering home the notion that motorcyclists are entitled to the same rights on the roads.
”It’s very common, no matter how far you ride your bike that day, you’re going to have a problem with someone in a car, whether they're cutting you off or they're tailgating you,” organizer Alex Fernandez said.
Between 2000 and 2008 the number of injury crashes almost doubled in Florida, according to Ride Smart Florida.
In 2011 the median age for deadly motorcycle crashes was 40. Miami-Dade County led the state with 39 fatalities that year.
Fernandez is familiar with the speeding sport bikes on Florida's highways.
”Speeding, I don't care whether you're riding what we call a cruiser or you're riding a speed bike, it's just something that shouldn’t be done on a bike or in a car,” he said.
Miami's bicycle community has raised awareness about bike safety with its regularly scheduled Friday Critical Mass rides.
Now the motorcyclists who rode together Thursday are hoping for a similar result, and are looking to make their gathering a weekly event.
