Police to focus on bicyclist-involved crashes

Aug. 7-13 is Bicycle Safety Enforcement Week

Accidents involving bicyclists in Michigan are on the rise, and law enforcement is stepping up to enforce the state’s bicycle safety law during “Bicyclist Safety Enforcement Week.”

Not among the counties receiving grants from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning are Isabella, Gratiot and Clare, where relatively few bicycle-involved accidents happened in 2022, with no fatalities.

Eight bicyclists were involved in accidents in Isabella County last year, with seven injuries reported, according to the Michigan State Police year end crash data report for 2022.

Clare County reported no accidents or fatalities, while Gratiot reported two with one injury last year, according to the report.

According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, recently released crash data shows an alarming rise in the number of bicyclist-related fatalities over the last three years on Michigan roadways.

Each year from 2017 to 2019, 21 people were killed in bicyclist-involved deaths across Michigan each year for a total of 63 fatalities, and from 2020 to 2022, there were 103 deaths, according to the OHSP.

In 2022, there were 1,340 bicyclist-involved accidents in Michigan, and during that year, the peak hour for fatalities and serious injuries was from 6 to 7 p.m., with Friday being the peak day, according to OHSP.

“We continue to see a rise in bicycle-involved traffic crashes in many communities across the state,” said Katie Bower, director of the OHSP. “Bicyclists have the same rights and respon

sibilities as motorized vehicles

“Motorists and bicyclists can avoid crashes if they know and follow the rules of the road and watch out for each other. The death of even one bicyclist is one too many.”

Officers will be looking for drivers committing traffic violations that include illegal turns, not stopping at a signal or stop sign, not giving at least three feet when passing a bicyclist, and blocking the roadway that interferes with the normal flow of traffic, Bower said.

Bicyclist violations include not riding with traffic, not using lights when bicycling at night, and riding more that two side by side, Bower said.

Traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration support the Ohsp-coordinated enforcement campaign.