INDIANAPOLIS — With summer almost here, more people are heading outside, and that means more bicyclists on the road.
Last year alone, seven cyclists were killed and 61 hurt in Indianapolis. Now, the cycling community is coming together, calling for change.
"I think you ride your bike long enough out on the roads, you're bound to deal with a scary situation or two," said Scott Helvie, an organizer of the Indianapolis Ride of Silence.
Helvie said close calls on the roads are a regular occurrence for many cyclists. And for some, there's nothing close about it, with people getting hit and seriously hurt, sometimes even killed.
"Unfortunately they've become more common over the past few years than they used to be as the roadways get more congested and people are more distracted," Helvie said.
Wednesday evening, dozens of cyclists came together for the annual Ride Of Silence, a slow, silent ride honoring those who've been hurt or killed out on the roads.
For many, this year's ride feels personal, remembering cyclist Frank Radaker. Radaker was hit and killed on his way to work near the Monon Trail last October.
"It's not something we commonly talk about, but it's something that happens more often than it should," Helvie said.
In Indiana, a safe-passing law requires drivers give bikers on the roads at least three feet of clearance while passing. Many on the roads know that doesn't always happen.
"Just giving three feet of space as you pass will help more than anything and just give us a little bit of time," Helvie said.
As they ride to honor all those who've been hurt or killed while cycling, they're asking drivers to look out for bikes and share the road.
"We just want the city to be safer for people to connect for where they want to go, regardless of how they want to do that," Helvie said.
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