For a more bicycle-friendly Florida

Margaret Raynal was a tireless advocate for the safety of people on bicycles. As a statewide safety trainer, she understood not only the value of bicycling—as a form of transportation and recreation—but also the real dangers people on bicycles faced every day on Florida’s streets.

In 1996, while riding with a group, Margaret was struck and killed by an inattentive driver. The driver also killed Doug Hall and severely injured four others. The tragedy sent shockwaves through Florida’s bicycling community. It galvanized advocates, inspired a unified movement for change, led to the reformation of the Florida Bicycle Association as a statewide voice for bicyclists' rights, and ultimately resulted in the creation of Florida’s "Share the Road" license plate, which continues to fund bicycle safety education and advocacy.

The April 2025 meeting of the Florida Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Coalition is dedicated to Margaret’s memory. The Florida Bicycle Association is proud to be a partner in the coalition, which brings together advocates, planners, engineers, and law enforcement to address shared challenges and create safer streets for everyone.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In honor of Margaret—and to help prevent future tragedies—we encourage you to support Hands-Free Florida, join us in the fight to end distracted driving, and help make Florida more bicycle-friendly.

Florida’s roads take too many lives and leave too many people with life-changing injuries every year. We sadly report on many of these tragedies. You can read some of their stories in our section, Lives Impacted.