Cyclists vs Motorist: Arab triathlete's death brings rise in safety concerns

Former Arab triathlete champion and TriDubai co-founder, Roy Nasr, died after being struck from behind by a drunk driver. The driver of the vehicle was overtaking Nasr's group rear escort car near Safa Park in Dubai when he hit the group of cyclists. Roy died instantly and two other riders were taken to the hospital to treat their injuries. Nasr, originally from Lebanon, leaves a wife and two children in the wake of this tragedy. Funeral services will be held in Dubai on Tuesday.

The accident turns the spotlight towards the ongoing issue of awareness in sharing the road.  With a rise in cycling for men and women for leisure and for sport throughout the world, the frequency in which safety is compromised is rising.  “There is simply no excuse for hitting anything from behind especially a group of vulnerable cyclists. I hope the driver faces the full might of the law and spends years in jail. Condolences to the Nasr family and the other injured parties,” said cyclist Doug Fleming.

Recently, in Turkey, protests were held in the name of cyclists rights on the road in response to the frequency of traffic accidents that have killed or injured cyclists.

Most drivers, unless they are cyclists themselves or from a community that has socially given the right-of-way to cyclists, are unaware of the dangers riders face when sharing the road with vehicles. Not only do cyclists have to watch the road they are riding on, they also have to navigate traffic against large vehicles with nothing but a helmet to protect them from potential collisions.