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A new report says cyclists are in more danger riding around Florida than in any other state. As Matt Galka tells us, with ridership growing, the state is coming up with future plans to try and combat the problem.

Diane Arnold avoids city streets on her bike.

“I find it dangerous because people don’t respect the biking lane,” she said.

She sticks to the trails because of personal experiences.

“Yea I’ve had people who had accidents, suffered injuries, whether it’s brain injuries, other physical injuries, some have lost their lives,” said Arnold before taking off on a bike trail.

It’s a problem that’s given Florida a terrible top ranking. The Centers for Disease Control says Florida is the deadliest state in the country for cyclists.

Chris Hill is a bike mechanic in Florida’s capital city who also uses his bicycle to commute to work. He says the problem is a two way street.

“People in cars who aren’t paying attention or don’t ride a bike so they don’t know what it’s like, but there are also people on their bikes who aren’t necessarily the most comfortable, they can be a little squirrelly,” he said.

The Florida Department of Transportation says there’s no quick fix to the fatality problem. The DOT met Wednesday to discuss future safety options.

“It’s everything from enforcement, to education of drivers to make sure that they understand the laws that protect bicyclists and pedestrians,” said the DOT’s Jim Wood.

Randy Wells with the Florida League of cities says the stats should be a wake up call.

“I think it’s a call to action, and other communities, other states, have made very significant impacts, we’ve got a targeted goal of reducing pedestrian bicycle accidents, fatalities, ultimately it comes down to speed kills,” he said.

Legislation stiffening penalties on drivers that hurt bicyclists failed in 2015. A bill has already been filed for 2016. It’s designed to protect Florida’s “vulnerable road users” including bicyclists and motorcycle users.  A motorist who hurts a cyclist could be hit with higher fines, and if they do it twice in five years, could face prison time.