Tuesday, September 17, 1985
Cycling dangers abound
! shmild have written this artirln hirm
wrist and two bikes ago. It's about time 1 try to
prevent some cycling accidents before I die in
one of them.
Cycling is a great sport, good aerobic exercise
and an efficient form of transportation, but it
can be very dangerous.
Cheryl
Petersen
I researched some statistics on bike acci
dents, expecting them to build a defense for the
cyclist. But the statistics revealed otherwise.
About 1,000 bikers die from injuries each year
and Vi million are seriously injured. The statis
tics show that most of these accidents are the
fault of the cyclist.
John Forestor, author of "Effective Cycling"
cites the following statistics:
O Brain injury is the cause of death three out
of four times in bicycle accidents.
O American club cyclists are involved in one
accident for every 10,000 miles ridden
O The accident rate on bike paths is 2.6
times the rate on average roadways. Statistically,
paths are by far the most dangerous location.
O About 85 percent of all bikevehicle acci
dents occur at intersections.
O Most carbike accidents are the result of a
car turning left into the path of a cyclist travel
ing straight through an intersection.
O Only about 7 percent of all vehiclebike
accidents in urban areas occur when the car is
overtaking the bike.
O In at least 52 percent of urban vehicle
bike collisions, the cyclist, not the driver, is
disobeying a rule of the road.
O 89 percent of vehiclebike collisions occur
Daily Nebraskan Page 13
- even for the experienced
on urban roads.
O Riding to work is the safest of all known
cycling activities.
O The more miles a cyclist rides per year, the
lower his accident rate.
Cyclists have to be defenseive, alert drivers.
They need to obey any and all traffic laws that
cars do. Not only do bikers have to be sure they
are acting as any other vehicle, but they must
make sure that motorists are obeying the laws
too. Even if the cyclist has the right of way in a
given traffic situation, they often must com
promise and let the motorist go ahead. From
personal bumper-to-stomach experience, I can
tell you that a bike is no match for a car, no
matter how law-abiding you are.
Both cyclists and motorists need to be aware
of safety rules in order for them both to survive in
the streets. Unfortunately, most people think
bicycle safety pamphlets and classes are for kids
who are just ready to take off their training
wheels. From the statistics I've quoted, you can
see that's not true.
My opinion is that cyclists should have to take
a test when they license their bikes, just as a
motorist has to take a test to get a drivers
license. A bicycle safety portion should also be
incorporated into the drivers test. It wouldn't
eliminate accidents, but it would surely help.
Neither bikers nor motorists are going to disap
pear from the streets for a long time, so we've all
got to learn to respect one another's rights.
You may be one of those who thinks this is
kindergarten stuff. You'll change your mind
when you, or someone you know becomes one of
these statistics.
My advice is to drive and ride defensively,
wear a helmet and pick up a pamphlet on bike
vehicle safety next time you're in the bike shop
and read it.
Brandt uneasy about fall-only race schedule
By Jeff Apel
Staff Reporter
The future of racing at the Lincoln
Fairgrounds has never been so uncer
tain, said Henry Brandt, fairgrounds
manager.
Brandt said attendance and mutual
handle fell off between 3 percent and 4
percent at the fairgrounds last year.
The state Legislature followed these
declines with a tax increase that raised
the taxable amount from 3 percent to 4
percent and increased the exemptable
amount from $1 million to $7 million.
"In dollars, that tax increase is
going to end up costing us about
$200,000," Brandt said. "It's going to
end up hurting us and the horseman
Fouryears ago, Brandt said he was in into effect. He said he has given up
a similar situation when the Nebraska
Racing Commission took away his split
summer and fall racing schedule. The
commission ruled in favor of a fall-only
racing schedule.
The move left Brandt unprepared as
he was left with a spring and summer
type racetrack for a fall schedule.
"The switch to the exclusive fall
dates definitely hurt us because our
attendance and our mutual handle fell
off, although exactly how much I can't
say," Brandt said. "We spend between
$250 and $300,000 already trying to get
a fall-type facility and we are still hop
ing to do more."
Brandt said he is still hoping to
expand the current 58 mile track to a
78 mile oval in order to attract faster
horses. He said he also wants to install
hope on getting the old racing dates
back.
"I've fought that with the racing
commission for over three years now
and they haven't given in," he said.
"The only positive things that comes
out of those fall dates is we don't have
quite as much competition as some of
the other tracks will because the new
track in Minnesota and the new dog
racing track, which won't open until
next year in Iowa, will have already
quit running."
This winter, Brandt took some pre
cautionary steps that he hopes will
bring the mutual handle and atten
dance back to a point where it once
was by bringing the Pic-Six to the Lin
coln track.
The Pic-Six, which challenges bet
tors to pick the winner of six consecu
tive races, has proven to be extremely
successful at neighboring tracks in
Omaha (Ak-Sar Ben) and Grand Island
(Fonner Park) and usually attracts big
time bettors, Brandt said.
A second request for a trifecta,
where the bettor would have been chal
lenged to pick the exact finishing
order of the first three horses in grade,
was denied by the racing commission
because of too many unanswered ques
tions. "We weni before the racing commis
sion and proposed the trifecta last win
ter but just had too many loop holes
such as what if there was no winner or
what if there was a dead heat to get it
passed this year," Brandt said. "We're
still hopeful that in the future we are
allowed to use the trifecta, which
would only be found at Lincoln, and
that the Legislature gives us some help
in the form of easing the tax burden on
us or we could be in trouble."
because we will lose $100,000 of that lights so a later post time other than
and the horseman will lose $100,000 of the current weekday 3 p.m. post and 1
that in purses." , p.m. weekend post times could be put
Huskers face All-America tandem
Illini stars to test secondary
By Mike Reilley , - -
Senior Reporter
Nebraska secondary coach Bob
Thornton said Florida State's passing
statistics weren't a true assessment of
how the Cornhusker's secondary played
in the Huskers' 17-13 loss to the Semi
noles. Seminole quarterback Danny Mc
Manus and Kirk Coker combined for 18
completions in 31 attempts for 176
yards. Those statistics, Thornton said,
are misleading.
"I was disappointed when I first saw
their completion percentage was so
high," Thornton said. "But then I looked
at the fact that they had seven comple
tions in the backfield."
Six of those seven completions,
Thornton said, were shovel passes to
running backs. He said the shovel
passes were "almost handoffs," and
there wasn't much the secondary could
do to break them up.
"I thought the secondary played well
the whole game," he said. "They had a
couple of mental errors but they did far
better than what I expected."
Left cornerback Dennis Watkins said
he "wasn't tested" by the Seminole
receivers. He said he "almost fell
asleep" in the second half.
( 'It was kind of frustrating," he said.
"I've practiced and practiced and then
I get in a game and I couldn't make a
major impact."
The secondary did have their prob
lems though, particularly with Semi
nole wide receiver Darrin Holloman,
Thornton said. Holloman had five recep
tions for 65 yards, including a 15-yard
touchdown pass from McManus in the
Tirol i . .
jiot quarter.
I "His (Holloman's) quickness more
sthan anything else gave us problems,"
jThornton said.
I Illinois wide receiver David Williams
could also give the Huskers problems,
inomtonsaid.
"He's a great receiver," Thornton
said of the All-American. "He makes a
lot of big plays and knows how to get
open."
"Williams is bigger and stronger
than Holloman," Thornton said. "He
also has speed but he's not quite as
quick as Holloman."
Thornton is also aware of the talents
of the man who throws the ball to Willi
ams, quarterback Jack Trudeau. Tru
deau, also an All-American, has "great
command of the field," Thornton said.
Illinois tight end Jerry Reese is a
player whose talents have been over
looked, Thornton said.
He's a big, strong, receiver," he said.
"We'll have just as much trouble con
trolling him as we will Williams."
Nebraska will mix its man-to-man
coverage and zone coverages in an
attempt to stop the Fighting Illini's
passing game.
"We can't stay in one coverage
against a passing team or we'll get
burned," he said.
Watkins said he is anxiously await
ing the opportunity to confront the
Williams-Trudeau connection.
"I hope they come my way," he said.
"I don't want to fall asleep when they
come to town."
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