Around campus, thousands of students can be seen riding their bikes. With and without helmets. With and without lights. However, in the wake of the accident that killed University senior Craig Macfie, friends and authorities look to remind students the key points of bicycle safety.
“I felt like something like this could have been avoided,” said University senior R.J. Ring,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Ring@@ one of Macfie’s closest friends. He knew that Macfie was not wearing a helmet and didn’t have lights on his bike. “The nurse told me that with the brain damage he suffered, it wouldn’t have mattered. But I keep thinking it might have.”
Ring acknowledges seeing bicyclists with lights, but often helmets are left behind. Shortly after Macfie’s accident, he purchased a bike helmet and lights, realizing the potential dangers.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” he said.
UO Bike Program Ted Sweeney sees students in danger every day.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Sweeney@@
“My number one priority is to get people to ride with (front) bike lights when it’s dark,” he said. “It’s required by law and without bike lights you really can’t be seen.”@@http://www.stc-law.com/bikelighting.html@@
The Bike Program has a poster campaign going around the University on safety, the new bike lanes and traffic changes around campus.
Ring had been working a project with a friend about a potential policy change for bike safety on campus before the accident. After, Ring was disappointed he hadn’t spoken up sooner.
“It makes me pissed off at myself for not telling my friends to get helmets,” Ring said. “We would just talk about how it would be cool if we could improve the overall awareness.”
Ring sees all his friends and anyone that knew Macfie buying helmets and lights now. A quick search on amazon.com shows helmets starting at less than $20.  Sweeney recommends lights that cost around $20 as well and investing in some superglue just to make sure they won’t get stolen.
Eugene Police Det. Dennis Doe, a bike and patrol officer, has experience on both ends of the spectrum.
“I ride a bike and motorcycles, and they are always going to lose in an accident with a motor vehicle,” Doe said. “You have to take extra precautions.”
Doe also discussed the legal requirements for bikes in Eugene.
“People are required to have a headlight that can be seen at 500 feet and a reflector that can be seen for 600 feet,” Doe said. “Red reflectors in the back and white in the front.”@@see link above@@
More than anything, Ring just wants people to understand what can happen from something as little as a hit on the head.
“I wish people understood how easy it is to go buy a helmet,” Ring said. “I just don’t want to be reading the news and have this happen again.”