BUFFALO N.Y. (WKBW) — A total of five people died in traffic related crashes across Western New York over the weekend and it's all a part of a disturbing trend.
Local cyclist Kaden Shea said he rides his bike most days and has experienced the fears a bike crash brings.
"It was definitely a scary moment. Definitely a wake up call," Shea said.
He said he remembers clearly the day a car hit his handle bar causing him to crash hurting his leg and breaking his helmet.
"Bike safety is massive for me. It's something I take very seriously and it decides where I ride, when I ride and how I'll get places," he said.
As the cyclist collisions and fatalities increase, deputy director Ashley Smith at Go Bike Buffalo is urging people to think more about road safety.
"It is life and death," Smith said. "We all need to follow the rules of the road. We all need to be mindful of where we're interacting with other modes."
She said road safety keep in mind includes:
- Being mindful of your speed
- Eliminate distractions
- Be predictable
- Follow the rules of the road
In Lewiston Police are still investigating a the hit and run death of 61-year-old cyclist Sunday. Chief Frank Previte said the increase in fatalities could be a lingering effect of the pandemic.
"I think we're still seeing some effects, traffic and vehicular patterns, that go back to the fact that we kind of during COVID has less contact or less enforcement," Previte said.
He said with the crash still under investigation, seeing the increases has not been easy.
"The gist is we see far too much of this and it never gets easier for us to deal with or for officers to deal with in these types of situations," Previte said. "Especially when you have to knock on someones door to let them know what happened to a loved one and that person will not be coming home."
Shea said he has one piece of advice for all cyclists.
"Protect yourself because you don't know if anyone is going to be looking out for you," he said.
