Michael Morales at the American Crit Cup race at Downer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
by Don Corrigan
Partisan fights in America can be triggered by such issues as climate change, immigration, school choice, taxation, and more. Now, add a new one to the mix: rights of bicyclists and pedestrians.
Forbes Magazine recently reported on “street fights” between bicyclists and pedestrians vs. automobile partisans. Obviously, bicyclists and pedestrians are destined to lose most battles with motorized vehicle drivers on roadways.
Some drivers view cyclists as impediments because they travel slower. They also are viewed as obstacles because they take up road space, especially in areas where bike lanes have been created for their benefit.
Drivers may not understand that cyclists have the same legal rights on the road as vehicles in most jurisdictions. Also, pedestrians have cross walks and of the right-of-way that many drivers are prone to ignore.
Vehicle-related rage directed at cyclists is often called “bike rage” and is classified as traffic violence. Bike rage in Missouri is often linked to the state’s broader road rage problem. In any case, road rage can be deadly.
Forbes reported that Missouri ranks second in the category of most confrontational drivers in the United States. This ranking is based on a study of such behaviors as tailgating, cutting off, protracted honking and obscene gestures.
These aggressive driving actions disproportionately affect cyclists, who are extremely vulnerable for their lack of protection. Missouri ranks along with Nebraska and Mississippi as one of the most dangerous states for U.S. cyclists.
The death toll for cyclists in Missouri is alarming, although it doesn’t seem to be registering with many local and state officials. Cyclists claim that this is because the fatalities are looked upon as a problem like lightning – a force of nature that cannot really be controlled
Bike riders now account for 4% of traffic fatalities in Missouri. This is way out of proportion to the number of cars on the road on any given day as compared to the number of cyclists.
Closer To Home
Michael Morales of St. Louis was injured July 24 in a “bike rage” incident on Marshall Road in Kirkwood. He suffered a broken scapula and fracture of several of his ribs. Police are looking for a Cherokee Jeep SUV that left the scene of the accident.
In Kirkwood, Police are now looking for a black Jeep SUV that injured a bicyclist on Marshall Road near the old Kirkwood water plant about 7 a.m., July 24. The bicyclist, Michael Morales, suffered a broken scapula and fracture of several of his ribs.
Morales said the SUV driver confronted him on the road and rolled down his vehicle’s window to badger him. Then the driver pulled out in front of him and slammed on his brakes, causing Morales to crash into him. The driver then reportedly sped off.
“I’ve had several conversations with the Kirkwood police and the detective has been very helpful,” said Morales. “The detective said they do have some video and they are taking the next steps to identify the driver.
“I’m really pleased the TV stations and Safer Streets for Kirkwood have posted details of the incident. I feel there’s community support out there,” said Morales. “Of course, there are people who post that it’s the bicyclist’s fault. I guess that’s to be expected.”
Morales, a competitive cyclist with a local cycling team, told the Times that he will now have to sit out several national competitions after the biking incident. The south St. Louis resident said he will be out for the year.
“I am going to miss the Chicago competition,” said Morales. “I have practiced on Marshall Road a hundred times between Kirkwood and Valley Park. I don’t take up the lanes. I am entitled to be in the lane, but I stay as far to the right as possible.”
According to Safer Streets for Kirkwood and St. Louis County, there have been five pedestrian or cyclist-related crashes in Kirkwood in the month of July. An incident on July 12 also involved a black Jeep Grand Cherokee involving an allege assault on a cyclist.
Safety Coalition Forms
After three pedestrians were killed in separate incidents in December 2024 in the Webster-Kirkwood area of suburban St. Louis, residents raised concerns that city and county highway officials needed to address the increasing “traffic violence.”
Matt Wyczalkowski, helped found the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians in 2024. The group declared that it’s time “to deprioritize cars and prioritize people’s safety” as accidents seem to be on the increase.
“We are all people with jobs who are just volunteers with the coalition’s efforts,” said Wyczalkowski. “We do want to sponsor events that will raise the awareness of citizens and officials about these crashes which can cause serious injuries and fatalities.”
In July 2025, the coalition sponsored a bicycle ride in which crash points were singled out along the ride. Such an event has been suggested for Webster-Kirkwood covering Geyer Road, Big Bend, and Kirkwood Road.
About 50 cyclists biked the length of Gravois in St. Louis on a Sunday afternoon, and city police blocked a lane to help make it happen. Gravois in the city tallied 61 bicyclist crashes with autos in 2024 with eight resulting in casualties.
“We were elated that Tom Blair, a MoDot district engineer for the St. Louis area, joined us on the bike ride,” said Wyczalkowski. “When you can get city and highway officials to join such a ride, you know you are starting to be heard.
“We would be happy to talk with more Webster-Kirkwood people about how to get a ride like this underway,” added Wyczalkowski. “We know there is no silver bullet solution for addressing all this, but first you have to get people aware that we have a big problem.”
Environmental Echo 