Ride For your life
The Ride for Your Life was hosted by the Washington Area Bicycle Association and began three years ago in memory of Sarah Langenkamp. Sarah was tragically struck and killed by a truck on her way home from her children’s school. In the wake of this devastating loss, her husband and father came together to create the Ride for Your Life as a call to action for safer streets.
This year’s ride started at Sarah’s children’s school in Maryland, drawing nearly 900 cyclists and a couple hundred walkers. The route was about 10 miles and concluded at the Lincoln Memorial in DC, where Sarah’s family and several members of Congress addressed the crowd. They shared heartfelt stories of Sarah’s life and issued calls to action, emphasizing the urgent need to redesign our streets to prevent tragedies like hers from happening again.
I had the honor of speaking with Dirk, Sarah’s father, and her husband, Dan. They are remarkable people whose dedication to this cause is deeply inspiring. Their resilience left me motivated to continue advocating for safer roads for all users.
Many people see the solution to these tragedies as a "war on cars." While I agree that cars have negatively impacted our cities, we need to work collaboratively with all road users to create real, sustainable change. Cars are an undeniable part of our current infrastructure, and though that may evolve one day, the work we do today must consider the bigger picture.
How Can We Help?
Stay Involved: Contact your local representatives and keep the pressure on them to prioritize safer infrastructure, not just for cars but for cyclists, pedestrians, joggers, and everyone sharing the road.
Join or Start an Organization: Connect with groups already advocating for change or start your own initiatives. There’s power in community.
Share Your Story: Talk with others, share your experiences, and speak up for those whose voices aren’t being heard.
Build Community: Start a social ride or other local events. Many rides I’ve joined on this tour began in just the past few years, and their impact on their communities has been huge.
Be Persistent: Real change takes time and consistent effort. Keep showing up, riding your bike, walking to the store, and demonstrating the need for safer streets by being part of the community.
We can create a world where tragedies like Sarah’s become a thing of the past. It starts with all of us working together, staying committed, and pushing for change.
The Official Pink Tag Review:
5 out of 5 Pink Tags
This powerful ride brought people from across the DC area together for an inspirational and unifying experience. From Congress to the classroom, we all have a role to play in creating safer roads for everyone. Events like this demonstrate the strength of collective action and the meaningful impact we can make when we come together with a shared purpose.
