A well known bicycle advocate as an alternative form of transportation has been killed Saturday when he collided with a vehicle on a road in Apex, North Carolina (N.C.) Police Capt. Ann Stephens reported that the preliminary investigation shows cyclist, Bruce W. Rosar, had made a left turn and crossed into the direct path of a vehicle.
As a Cary, North Carolina (N.C.) resident, Rosar had been director of the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, a political group promoting alternative transportation among other things. The fatal collision took place at a busy intersection just after 12 p.m.
According to Officer Stephens the vehicle involved in the collision with Rosars’s bike stopped at the scene. The bicyclist was taken to WakeMed Hospital where he died of injuries from the traffic accident. It should be noted that Rosar was also a past president of the NC Bicycle Club.
Cycling is seen by some to be an inherently high-risk, dangerous activity although use of appropriate safety equipment and obedience of road rules can reduce risk of serious injury. In the US, bicycling fatality rates are less than 66% of those walking the same distance. Most bicycle deaths result from a collision with a car or other vehicle. It should be noted that both motorist and cyclist have been found responsible for collisions. However, a very high proportion of non-fatal injuries to cyclists do not involve any other person or vehicle.