Collier bicyclists rally for safer roads

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NAPLES, Fla. — Several bicyclists rode through Naples on Thursday to raise awareness for a cause.

The Naples Pathways Coalition, a nonprofit group with over 400 members, wants texting and driving to become a primary offense, meaning offenders would receive harsher punishments.

Beth Brainard, the group’s executive director, said a texting driver is six times as likely to crash as an intoxicated driver is, adding that Florida leads the country in pedestrian and cyclist crashes.

“It’s a frightening and real thing, so we need it to be a real offense,” Brainard said. “We need law enforcement to have the teeth in the laws so they can stop people and ticket them, so the punishments for these are stringent instead of just a slap on the hand.”

Brainard told WINK News she’s working to get local and state lawmakers to help push for legislation.

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