By Gary Robinson
The streets we ride on every day should be safe corridors connecting our communities, yet for too many cyclists, they remain perilous battlegrounds. This stark reality was brought home in the most devastating way possible for Dan Langenkamp on August 25, 2022. On that day, his wife, Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, was struck and killed by a flatbed truck while riding her bicycle in a designated bike lane on River Road in Bethesda, Maryland.
Sarah, a 42-year-old mother of two, was a dedicated Foreign Service Officer who had spent 17 years serving the United States in some of the world’s most dangerous regions, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. She and her family had recently evacuated from Kyiv following the Russian invasion, seeking the relative safety of the Washington D.C. suburbs. Tragically, the sanctuary they sought eluded them, and Sarah’s life was cut short on a routine ride home from her sons’ elementary school open house.
From the depths of unimaginable grief, Dan Langenkamp—himself a lifelong cyclist, former journalist, and retired diplomat—chose to channel his anger and sorrow into action. He founded Ride for Your Life, an organization that has rapidly grown from a local memorial ride into a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to transforming the landscape of active transportation safety in America.
The Catalyst for Change
The circumstances surrounding Sarah’s death highlighted critical flaws in both infrastructure and the legal system. She was riding in a marked bike lane when a commercial truck turned right, crossing her path and crushing her.
Adding insult to injury, the driver responsible for her death received only traffic citations, a $2,000 fine, and 150 hours of community service.
“It felt like an insult. It felt like this society doesn’t care about death,” Dan reflected on the sentencing. “If you throw those down [painted lines] and you don’t think about the public safety implications and the kind of infrastructure or the kind of rules that need to exist to protect them, then you’re just killing people”.
With decades of experience a a journalist and diplomat, Dan understood the power of collective action and strategic advocacy. He organized the first Ride for Your Life event in November 2022, gathering thousands of cyclists to ride to the U.S. Capitol, demanding legislative changes and funding for safer infrastructure.
Ride for Your Life: A Movement Gains Momentum
What began as a single memorial ride has evolved into a powerful national movement. Ride for Your Life now operates with a clear, urgent mission: to turn remembrance into action for safer streets everywhere.
The organization advocates for practical, proven solutions to prevent traffic violence, focusing on both infrastructure improvements and policy reforms.
The impact of the organization is already tangible. In Maryland, Dan’s advocacy was instrumental in the passage of the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act, signed into law by Governor Wes Moore in May 2024. This legislation closed a critical loophole by imposing the same penalties for hitting a cyclist in a bike lane as for hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk—up to two months in jail and a $2,000 fine.
On the federal level, Ride for Your Life is a driving force behind the proposed Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 2011/S. 944). This bipartisan bill aims to give states greater flexibility to use federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, helping local governments close gaps in their active transportation networks without creating new taxes or regulations.
Expanding the Reach: 2026 Flagship Events
As Ride for Your Life continues to grow, it is expanding its footprint across the country. The organization has announced three major flagship events for the fall of 2026, aiming to unite cyclists, pedestrians, and safety advocates in key cities:
| City | Date | Event Focus |
| Madison, Wisconsin | October 4, 2026 | Honoring Sarah’s Wisconsin roots and advocating for state-level complete streets legislation. |
| Boston, Massachusetts | October 25, 2026 | Bringing the message of active transportation safety to New England’s cycling community. |
| Washington, D.C. | November 15, 2026 | The 5th annual ride to the nation’s capital, culminating in a rally at the Lincoln Memorial to push for federal action. |
“These events don’t just give communities a space to mourn those lost to traffic violence–people like Sarah and Magnus White,”Langenkamp said.” They also serve as huge mobile political rallies where we advocate for specific changes to make our roads safer. After the rides momentum helps us get these polices and laws passed”
A Call to the Cycling Community
The partnership between Ride for Your Life and platforms like AvidCyclist.com underscores the vital role the cycling community plays in this fight. During a recent planning meeting, Dan Langenkamp and Gary Robinson of AvidCyclist discussed the importance of long-term, magazine-style storytelling to keep these critical issues in the public eye, rather than relying on the fleeting impact of clickbait tragedy reporting.
“We are not just memorializing Sarah,” Dan stated. “As important as that is, our act of honoring our loved ones is meaningless if we don’t get concrete change out of it”.
For those of us who ride, the message is clear: our streets must exist for everyone. Whether you ride for sport, commuting, or recreation, the work being done by Ride for Your Life directly impacts your safety.
How You Can Get Involved:
- Participate: Register for an upcoming Ride for Your Life event in Madison, Boston, or Washington D.C.
- Advocate: Contact your representatives to support the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act.
- Support: Visit rideforyourlife.org to join their mailing list, learn more about their initiatives, and contribute to their mission.
Dan Langenkamp turned the darkest moment of his life into a beacon of hope for cyclists nationwide. Now, it’s up to the rest of us to pedal alongside him toward a safer future.
