Originally Posted by Dave Zabriskie

I always start the off season being struck by the stark contrast between the cycling cultures in America and Europe. I have been hit by cars many times — each one having been in America. Adding my personal experience to the current statistics on cycling accidents, I knew it was time to take action on an idea that had been percolating in my mind for some time.

This off season, I started Yield to Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting cycling. Motorists in America often seem to summarily dismiss cyclists out of hand as mere nuisances and inconveniences, deserving of neither time nor space. My purpose in starting Yield to Life is to personalize and humanize the issue of cyclists' rights with respect to road use — and to couple this sensitivity and awareness with education campaigns targeting both motorists and cyclists, young and old.

My goal is to create an environment with knowledgeable, respectful cyclists and motorists alike, an environment in which people are safe to ride. By making cycling safer, I hope to increase cycling activity – for each rider's own health and, more globally, for the health of the planet. We have been very pleased with the response so far and hope to keep the momentum going.