There’s a common misconception that you only need lights when it’s dark or getting dark. Due to almost getting hit in the middle of the day by a driver, whom I believe simply didn’t see me in the dark shadows of a tree (some people’s eyes don’t adjust very quickly to extreme lighting changes), I have since strongly encouraged people to use flashing lights, front and rear, whenever they ride and not just when it’s getting dark.
Did you know? MSU Bikes has sponsored engineering student teams’ research (ECE480) into new smart light/ sensing systems to help protect bicyclists from distracted drivers over the past couple years. Read more here.
Spring-2019-Final_poster
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There’s a good reason why many newer motor vehicles have lights that come on automatically whenever the engine is running; they’re called “Daytime Running Lights”. While US car manufacturers have effectively lobbied against requiring them Canada and many European countries have enacted legislation requiring them on motor vehicles while at least one, Germany, requires front and rear lights be working at all times on bicycles.
Be careful about trusting technology, however. I’ve noticed more and more modern motor vehicles driving around without their headlights on making me think that the auto-light technology isn’t totally reliable yet. So, like other areas of life, best not to entrust your safety to others and technology!
So many modern motor vehicles are driving around without their headlights on! Reflectors (required by law in most places) alone aren’t going to help much when there’s no light source. Active lighting is the sure-fire way to assure you’re seen.
If you need data to be convinced, take a look at this data on when the bulk of crashes occurred – DAYLIGHT HOURS! Yes, the bulk of the fatal crashes have occurred later in the evening hours but it’s obvious your visibility isn’t just important when it’s dark out (courtesy of the Michigan Traffic Crash Facts tool). Compare the 2004-2019 numbers with the 2004-2015 numbers and you’ll see that more fatal crashes are happening earlier in the day, aka “daylight hours”, so your visibility during the day is becoming evermore important!
Fatal bike crashes 2004-2019 by time of day
All bike crashes 2004-2019 by time of day
Fatal bike crashes in Michigan from 2004-2015 by time of day
All bike crashes in Michigan from 2004-2015 by time of day
Additionally, people should definitely stick with lights that have easily rechargeable batteries or USB rechargeable so that they’re more likely to use the lights all the time rather than trying to conserve batteries. We stock many affordable lights at MSU Bikes and can special order just about any other light on the market.
Finally, I see way too many cyclists riding around with lights that are hardly visible, or hanging off a backpack often pointing to the ground, apparently thinking “I’ve got a light, I’m safe”, but apparently have no idea how invisible they are. I’m not sure if it’s the nature of rechargeable batteries or the modern LED lights, but it’s also best to have backup lights on the rear and front as I’ve had them look bright at the start of my commute home only to discover they died sometime during my ride.
So, be sure to check your lights often and recharge or replace those batteries to stay alive! And make sure they’re aimed properly down the road so they’re actually visible to motorists.
We’re now blessed with a huge variety of affordable, strong tail lights. We stock many affordable lights at MSU Bikes as does any good bike shop.
Don’t be a Ninja cyclist! Be SEEN and LIVE! Click image for more info.
The most important thing when it comes to being safe on your bike is avoiding an accident, particularly ones with motor vehicles that can be very serious. So, we want to first focus your attention on how you can best be seen while riding which is one of the things in your control and easily addressed.
Be Seen with Lights & Bright Clothing
Watch this video to understand why it’s important to stand out from your environment. Trust me, you DON’T want to be the bear if a car driver doesn’t notice you. Wear the brightest clothing you can find ALL THE TIME; safety-vests rock if you’d rather not flip for a new jacket.
“78.9 percent of all bicyclists in motor vehicle crashes and 15 of the 20 bicyclists killed were riding during daylight hours.” Mich. Traffic Crash Facts for 2012.
We’re also very big on good lighting for your bike, especially if you commute or ride In the road (as you should) around campus. We stock a good selection of strong headlights and rear lights to fit any budget (and can special order better ones). A tail light is required by Michigan State Law when riding after dark, but if you ask any commuter or experienced bicyclist, they’ll advise you to run with tail and head lights (strobe is best) all day (use rechargeable batteries or the USB rechargeable type lights and you don’t have to worry about the expense of replacing batteries).
Why use lights during the day? Well, when you ride in and out of dark shadowy areas of the roads you can become almost invisible to a motorist who’s eyes haven’t adjusted to the darkness in that split second which could cost you dearly. A report published by the Mich. Dept. of Transportation summarizing crash statistics for 2012 are very sobering; “78.9 percent of all bicyclists in motor vehicle crashes and 15 of the 20 bicyclists killed were riding during daylight hours.” A summary of data for 2013 crashes are now available here which again found “peak hours for bicyclist involvement in crashes were from 3:00-5:59 PM”.
Picking a Safe Route
Over 90% of all reported bike accidents are the result of sidewalk bicycling on the MSU campus! (courtesy of MSU Photography Services)
Choosing a safe route is probably the most important key to your safety as a cyclist. Our biggest piece of advice: Stay off the sidewalks. Why? It is against most city ordinances to ride bikes on sidewalks (including the MSU Campus Ordinance) as it’s more dangerous for everyone including the bicyclist. If you’re going more than 10 mph, even if there are no bike lanes, you have a legal right to ride in the road (just make sure you’re highly visible, ride in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic and follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicles).
It seems safer to ride on the sidewalks but cars just don’t check sidewalks for bicyclists when they approach a roadway to make a turn and, on our campus as with most of the cities in the State of Michigan you have NO LEGAL PROTECTION if you do get hit while riding your bike through a cross-walk as a pedestrian as you’re required to be walking your bike to be legally considered a pedestrian. National statistics as well as our own campus research show that the overwhelming majority of bike-auto accidents occur when the bicyclist is riding on a sidewalk.
Don’t be a bike “Salmon”! Always ride with the direction of motor vehicle traffic even if you have to ride on the sidewalk.
We’ve noticed an increase in cases of wrong-way bicycling, that is riding against traffic, particularly where there bike lanes. This is very dangerous for both the wrong-way bicyclist and other bicyclists who have to pass such unpredictable bicyclists (aka “Salmon” after the fish who swim up river) as last minute decisions as to how to pass someone when there are no rules for such behavior can result in collisions, swerves into traffic, etc.
“…riding on a sidewalk is not necessarily safer and in fact, …the risk is approximately four times that of riding on the roadway with traffic.”
This graphic helps visualize all the possible sidewalk conflicts (click image for more excellent visual examples from Cycling Savvy).
If you’d like to learn more about why it’s safer to ride in the road and exactly WHERE to ride in the road you should review the great animations on this website courtesy of the Cycling Savvy folks at Commute Orlando. This one in particular shows you where and why you should ride out in the travel lane. This page of theirs gives a great one-page tutorial on where, how (& why) to ride safely.
Riding Safe Tips
Once you’ve got your basic safety equipment all set (see below for our recommendations), the next major area of keeping safe while you ride is how you ride and react to aggressive or clueless motorists/pedestrians/other cyclists. The Bicycle Safe website lists common types of bike-to-motorist accidents and how to avoid them. The League of Illinois Bicyclists has a video on the topic of riding safely and defensively on the roads.
The League of American Bicyclists has published a series of onlineRide Smart videos which are also an excellent way to learn online for free. Their newer Smart Cycling Quick Guide for safe bicycling is also available for viewing online here in both English and Spanish. The League also offers face-to-face classes throughout the country for more intensive learning. Their .
If you’re interested in learning more about safe bike riding, consider taking a class from the MSU Bikes Service Center. We occasionally offer classes focused on this topic. Drop us an e-mail and get on our bike classes wait list at bikes@msu.edu.
Helmets
The Bike Helmet: Cheap insurance.
We highly recommend the use of helmets when riding around campus – or anywhere, for that matter. We had a student wearing a helmet stop by the Service Center who shared one of the simplest summaries we’ve ever heard for why wearing a helmet makes sense:”When people say ‘helmets look stupid,’ I just say ‘Would you rather look stupid or be stupid?”
The MSU Bike Project’s co-founder, Gus Gosselin, has his own story about how his helmet saved his life a few years back, so you don’t have to go far to know it’s worth it.
Here’s a great site called “Safety is Sexy” to help people see helmets as sexy (yes, sexy); has a ton of great materials, photos, videos, etc. promoting bike helmets and other bike safety issues.
There was a British study published back in 2006 that concluded wearing a helmet and dressing like an experienced bicyclist resulted in motorists passing closer than if you wore no helmet and especially if you appeared to be female. There has been a lot more research published since then including some excellent lampooning of that British study; see a summary of all that here. The summary is published by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.
Eye Protection
Protecting your eyes is highly recommended while you’re riding. Use tinted during the day and clear for riding after hours or in low-light conditions. Prices range from bargain basement on up.
MSU Bike Safety Video
Check out this bike safety videothat a group of MSU Communications Arts students (directed by Katelyn Patterson, they were all volunteers on this project) created for AOP bike tours done in previous years. Using a bit of slap-stick humor hopefully makes the sometimes boring subject more entertaining.
Fenders
Using fenders will keep your tires from picking up road debris and throwing it in your eyes. Most people associate fenders with keeping water and mud off yourself, but overlook the protection they provide your eyes. We stock a good supply and variety of them.
Bells and Horns
The Airzound – a very loud horn that can be reinflated with any air pump.
Yes, we’re all about bells and horns, too. How many pedestrians, cyclists, motorists are busy talking on their cell phones or listening to their iPods or other radios? Get yourself a nice little bell for letting peds know you’re about to pass them and then consider something stronger like the AirZound Bike Hornfor getting yourself noticed by motorists in no uncertain terms. We stock a good selection of bells and horns, including the AirZound.
Michigan Law, Legal assistance and case studies
The League of Michigan Bicyclists has published a very nice summary of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code which pertains to bicycling here. They’ve also published a number of legal columns by two Michigan attorneys (Sarah W. Colegrove and Todd E. Briggs) who specialize in litigating bicycling-related cases. You can read those past columns and get their contact information here.
What to do when hit by a car
We have many bicyclists come into our shop having just had an accident and way too often they report not having reported the incident and telling the driver they’re OK and not getting names or anything only later to find out that they’re injured or that their bike is damaged beyond repair. Don’t let this happen to you.
Don’t admit liability by stating the accident was your fault.
Call the police (911 if there are serious injuries) and make a report. (The MSU Police non-emergency number is 517-355-2222 for non life-threatening injury accidents).
Get driver’s contact and insurance information.
Get witnesses’ statements and contact information.
Get the officer’s precinct number and contact information.
Seek immediate medical treatment for injuries.
Report incident to your auto insurance company.
Report incident to your homeowners/renters insurance company.
Take photos of crash scene, injuries and bicycle.
Request copy of police report.
Keep folder of all crash information (notes, receipts, log, insurance information, etc.)
Contact an attorney to advise you of your rights.
MSU’s commitment to improving traffic safety
In 1995, MSU’s administration made the decision to make improvements to campus roads to improve traffic safety. This has resulted in a drop in automobile-related accidents that result in injuries to approximately 90 percent fewer accidents as of the 2008 accident report. As a result, not only have hundreds of potential accidents been avoided, but MSU was awarded an Outstanding Contributions to Traffic Safety Award from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission in 2006. Click here to read the award announcement.
A new campus policy calling for their construction/ addition to all new road projects was also adopted at the same time to improve bicycling safety and reduce accidents with automobiles and pedestrians. MSU is approximately 60 percent done with installing bike lanes on all campus (MSU-controlled) roads as of the end of the 2012 construction season.
The All University Traffic and Transportation Committee advises MSU’s Chief of Police on traffic and transportation safety issues and serves as a way for the campus community to have input to the administration regarding related issues or concerns to include parking of all vehicles (motorized and non-motorized). Their Comment form is a great way to report problems or concerns on campus and now features a new mapping tool w/ the ability to upload photos w/ your submission.
Questions or suggestions for more safety information?
We’d love to add more to this page. Have a story or a tip you’d like to share? Comment below or contact Tim Potter at pottert@msu.edu
Spring-2019-Final_poster
Spring 2019-IDS-Hazard-Detection-Collision-Avoidance-Design-Day-Booklet
Fall-2019-ECE480-Team-6-Final-Poster
Spring-2020-Design-Day project description
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