Cycling advocates staged an event last week seeking to reduce the number of serious and fatal New York City bicycle accidents, according to the New York Times.

Members of the Bureau Of Organized Bikelane Safety, which is a part of New York City-based not-for-profit direct-action environmental group Times Up!, staged a street theater event aimed at reducing the number of motor vehicles that continue to block the bike paths throughout New York City.

The team members started at Madison Square Park, and pedaled through the midtown bike lanes, telling the guilty offenders that they were illegally blocking the city bike lanes, and asking them to move their vehicles. It was a part of the group's "Love Your Lane" educational campaign designed to remind motorists about the dangers of accidents involving bicyclists and motor vehicles.

To draw attention to the importance of safe bike paths in the city, some of the riders and their supporters wore biohazard suits and gas masks, clown costumes and traffic cone hats. As they handed out "citations" to the lane blockers, they placed safety cones around the vehicles and staged mock accident scenes. The performance art aspect was deliberate, and aimed at creating a buzz around the scofflaws who continually block the paths and create the potential for a serious bicyclist accident.

The group deemed their efforts a success - all of the offending drivers moved when they were asked, except for the driver of a cement truck who claimed he had no where else to park.

A 2006 study of fatal bike accidents in New York City revealed that most deaths were caused by head injuries, and 97 percent of those were to cyclists not wearing a helmet. The city has handed out 10,000 free helmets and now requires deliverymen and messengers to wear helmets while on the job.

A 2006 joint report conducted by the New York City Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, and the New York City Police Department uncovered some important facts that make the organization's ride such a worthwhile effort. The study found that bicycle lanes and properly used bicycle equipment may reduce the risk of fatalities.

Between 1996 and 2005, 225 bicyclists died in New York City bicycle accidents.