Yield to Life

Today’s post is a continuation of the cycling non-profit posts we’ve been sharing lately. We at Hummingbird House are passionate about cycling (our founder runs two popular cycling blogs at barthaynes.com and bartonhaynes.com) and are excited to spread the news when bicycles and good deeds are being combined.

Yield to Life is a charity that we recently discovered that hits close to home for many avid cyclists. Unfortunately, many bicycle riders can attest to the fact that cycling on the street can be a dangerous business. Car drivers and cyclists don’t always have the best relationships. Yield to Life’s goal is to stop this negative attitude and turn it around.

On Yield to Life’s About Us page, they share their mission:

Yield to Life will engage in a vigorous awareness campaign to promote positive attitudes toward cyclists and replace any hostility that exists between motorists and cyclists with understanding, respect, and appreciation for all life on the road. Safety for every cyclist is the top priority of Yield to Life.

The mission statement goes on to say, “Cycling is a healthy, life-affirming, environmentally-sound activity that adds value to anyone’s life. Since cyclists’ lives are often in motorists’ hands, motorists must understand the vital role they play in a cyclist’s safety.”

The founder of Yield to Life, David Zabriskie, has been a professional cyclist since 2001. In the 2005 Tour de France, Zabriskie rode the fastest time trial in Tour de France history beating Lance Armstrong and wearing the highly coveted yellow jersey during the first few days of the race.

When asked why Zabriskie started Yield to Life, he shared his story:

As a professional cyclist I have ridden my bike all over the world, but, sadly, each of the three times that I have been hit by a car has been in the United States; the worst of the accidents was in 2003. I had just flown back to Salt Lake after my most successful season to date when, on May 23, I was in Millcreek Canyon in Salt Lake City. I was enjoying one of my favorite rides when I was hit by an SUV on the way down. The SUV made a left hand turn directly into me. I flew through the air and landed on the ground, unable to move the left side of my body. After spending a week in the hospital, I left with pins in my wrist and my leg, and some cadaver bone in my knee. The doctors did not think I would ride again.

Due to a great deal of hard work, Zabriskie recovered and was able to ride again. His experiences being hit while cycling drove him to make road conditions better and safer for bicycle enthusiasts.

“It is my mission to humanize and personalize cyclists to help motorists to always be aware that we are life and that we deserve a safe space on the road,” Zabriskie explains on the website. “Yield to Life is a non-profit organization devoted to creating a safer environment for cyclists and, by so doing, encouraging more people to ride for their own health, the good of the environment and the well being of society. By making cycling safer and promoting the activity as a responsible means of transportation and a healthy means of recreation, Yield to Life can contribute to tackling some of today’s major concerns—from such issues as pollution and global warming to obesity and diabetes. In this way, Yield to Life can play a role in increasing the quality of life not only for cyclists, but for everyone—for our generation and those to come.”A helpful feature of the Yield to Life website includes their Safety Tips for Cyclists and Motorists page. One tip shared for cyclists is: Make sure you are always aware of your surroundings. Know what is behind you and watch out for what is in front of you. Always be on the lookout for road hazards; sand and gravel, glass, railroad tracks, parked cars, snow and slush can wreak havoc on you and your bike. One tip for motorists is: Watch out for cyclists when you are turning right. A bicyclist may well be to the right of you and planning to go straight at the same intersection. Do not speed ahead of the bicyclist thinking you can negotiate the turn before they reach your car.

If you find yourself being drawn to this non-profit, you can sponsor this charity by sending an email to yieldtolife@gmail.com. You can also donate to Yield to Life on their Donation page.