The focus of drivers was put to the test on Saturday when hundreds of cyclists joined the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Jalisco.
A swarm of nude riders assembled in the two cities to demand better safety for cyclists and to protest against the use of environmentally damaging fossil fuels. The route in Mexico City was 16.5 kilometers, mainly along Reforma Avenue, according to the national organization WNBR México.
Skateboarders, roller skaters and other manually wheeled riders also joined the event, promoted under the slogan “Now you see me,” a call for greater awareness of non-motorists and the dangers they face.
People who attended the event were urged to follow COVID-19 guidelines and instructed to avoid any forms of harassment.
The international protest movement sees independently organized events take place in cities across the world including London, Vancouver and Zaragoza, usually in June.
Cycling is a dangerous way to get around Mexico’s urban centers. In Mexico City, eight cyclists died on the road in the first three months of the year, two more than over the same period in 2021, according to the city’s transport ministry. The civil organization Ni una muerte vial (Not one road death) puts the January-April count at nine deaths.
Most of the deaths recorded in Mexico City occurred in boroughs that have poor cycling infrastructure, such as cycling paths, the news site Infobae reported. Better infrastructure is found in wealthy boroughs such as Cuauhtémoc and Benito Juárez, Infobae said.
In May, 2021, the Mexico City government implemented an initiative called Protege al Ciclista (protect the cyclist), in an effort to improve road safety for bike riders.
With reports from Infobae
