Don’t ruin the holidays by being a “pedtextrian"

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are upon us, and with just a week until Christmas is about to get even more distracting. Visiting shopping centers, attending parties, discussing holiday gifts with loved ones and even online shopping are a huge part of the season. During this festive time of year, we need to remember one thing – stay alert while traveling.

Whether you text or drive, or text and walk at the same time, both activities are dangerous. The National Safety Council said that distracted walking incidents are on the rise and everyone with a cell phone is at risk of serious injury if they don’t pay attention while walking.

In 2016, 5,987 pedestrians were killed in the United States.  A contributing factor for this rise in fatalities is not paying attention to our surroundings. This is putting our safety, and the safety of others, at risk.

The solution is simple: Stop using phones while walking, even if you aren’t at a crosswalk or intersection. Distracted walking incidents can happen virtually anywhere, even in our own homes or familiar places.

An added hazard to texting while walking is sidewalks that are covered in ice.

Both the NSC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have some great tips to help walk safer and smarter:

• Don’t use your phone or smart device while walking.  If you aren’t paying attention, you may as well be walking blindfolded.
• Pay attention to vehicles: look left, then right, and then left again. Vehicles can travel large distances in a short timeframe. Never assume that you can beat a moving automobile.
• Be bright. Wear light colored clothing.
• Don’t wear headphones while walking. Like texting and walking, when we wear headphones we are sacrificing a crucial sense: our hearing.  The ability to hear an approaching vehicle can be an important warning sign that traffic is coming toward you.
• Never rely on a driver to stop, make sure they can see you. A great way to do this is to make eye contact with them. If you aren’t sure they have spotted you, don’t cross until it is safe.
• If your vision is blocked by another car or object, move to a safer location before crossing.
• Use crosswalks.
• Walk in groups.
• Never allow children younger than 10 to cross the street alone.

The holidays can be a wonderful time of year for many, and although our minds may be filled with presents, holiday treats, family and candy canes; if we use these tips the holidays could be jollier for everyone.

Happy Holidays from KDOT

KDOT wants to wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season! 

Cranksgiving collects food for those in need

Earlier this month more than 20 bicyclists gathered to participate in Topeka's Cranksgiving event. 
Courtesy photo: Bike Topeka

The majority of holiday books, songs and movies have one message: It is better to give than to receive. Donating food to those in need is a great way to spread goodwill to others, especially during the holiday season.

That is just what happened recently in Kansas’ capital city. Last week in Topeka, more than 20 bicyclists of all ages took to the streets to spread holiday cheer. The cyclists collected more than 500 pounds of food during the city’s 5th Annual Cranksgiving.

More than 500 pounds of food was gathered during the
Cranksgiving event. Courtesy photo: Bike Topeka
 

Karl Fundenberger, an Cranksgiving event organizer for Topeka, said that the event is designed to be a Thanksgiving food drive powered by bicycles.

“It happens in communities all over the U.S.,” Fundenberger said. “All food was donated to the pantry at the Center for Safety and Empowerment at the YWCA of Northeast Kansas.”

Fundenberger said that the event is a perfect combination of recreation and transportation.

“It requires navigational skills, cargo-carrying skills, and quick thinking – and it shows riders how capable they are on just two wheels,”
Fundenberger said. “It also demonstrates to the community how effective bikes can be for transport of people and cargo and how important it is to provide bicycle facilities as a part of the transportation network.”

Andy Fry, another event organizer, said that Cranksgiving has another reason for existing.

“For participants, Cranksgiving also helps identify challenges in a population’s ability to find food in a human-powered perimeter and food desserts or a lack of food distribution points or resources in a community,” Fry said.

Fundenberger said that riders had 90 minutes to collect food items from eight different categories. To visit more stores, participants were only allowed to pick up two items per location. If they hoped to complete the list and win, they would need to visit four different stores.

A group ride and shopping trip, dubbed, “The Haul” took place simultaneously to the Cranksgiving event. The group rode together to local grocery stores and to some nearby donors’ homes to pick up more items.

“Some of the riders and teams in the competition were sponsored by friends and family, and The Haul ride was totally sponsored by donors,” Fundenberger said.  “Beyond cash sponsorship for groceries, prize sponsorships came from PT’s Coffee, Jerry’s Bike Shop, Capp’s Bike Shop, Kaw Valley Bicycle Club, Hazel Hill Chocolate, and others.”

Want to get involved next year? Contact any of the host organizations or send an inquiry to info@biketopeka.com or like the Bike Topeka page on Facebook.

For more information on how you can participate in Cranksgiving in your community, check out www.cranksgiving.com