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I hate to admit that one of the things I dread about warmer weather is the increase in the number of people riding bikes to work. Having recently moved from Washington, D.C., a city with a high percentage of commuters who bike to work, I should be more comfortable sharing the road, but there are no bike lanes on the roads where I now drive to work, so I have to develop new habits.

I know bicyclists are engaged in a healthy activity that helps reduce the number of cars on the road. The Alliance for Biking and Walking’s 2016 Benchmarking Report points out correlations between cities with increased bike commuters and decreased levels of obesity, hypertension, and other health risks. There also is evidence that bike-friendly cities are safer for everyone—bikes, cars, and pedestrians.

At the same time, bicycle riders are amazingly vulnerable when they share the road with motor vehicles. They also seem to bring out the worst in car drivers. Data gathered by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration shows that the biggest safety concern expressed by bike riders was the behavior of motorists. So, is there a way to help cars and bicycles coexist on the roads? I found a lot of good advice by doing a little research on the Michigan laws governing bicycling.

Know the Law. Here are the most useful points from the League of Michigan Bicyclists summary:

• Cyclists are allowed on all roads except limited access highways. That means that cars must share the roads with bikes.

• Bike riders must obey all traffic laws.

  • They must ride in the direction of traffic. The cyclist driving down the middle of the road or going against traffic is not only being reckless but also violating the law.

  • A cyclist must also ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the road when riding below the speed limit on a highway or street. MCL 257.660a. However, the League of Michigan Bicyclists suggests that hugging the curb is dangerous because it makes it easier for motorists to crowd a bike and pass too closely. It also can be hard for motorists to see the bicycle. In the very useful guidebook What Every MI Bicyclist Must Know, the League recommends that cyclists ride away from the curb in the right wheel track of vehicles (approximately 24 inches from the road edge).

  • Bicycles, like cars, should not pass traffic on the right unless the biker is riding in a dedicated bike lane. Both bicyclists and motorists should move to the left to pass.

  • Bikes must obey stop signs and traffic lights. That means that those bike riders who dash through red lights or blow through stop signs are violating the law and are subject to the same fines that apply to motor vehicle drivers.

• Cyclists must signal their turns. If you cannot remember the proper hand signal for a left or right turn, Michigan allows bicyclists to signal by extending the right arm for a right turn and the left arm for a left turn—a very sensible signal that points in the direction you intend to turn. MCL 257.648. (And the old-school method of signaling a right turn by extending your upturned left arm is also permitted.)

• Helmets are optional. Michigan is one of the few states that doesn’t require bicyclists to wear a helmet. Despite this rule, the CDC and many other health organizations around the country provide a great deal of information that makes it clear that bicyclists are courting serious head injuries and death if they opt not to wear a helmet.

• Cyclists may ride two abreast. Michigan law allows bicyclists to ride two across on roads (but more than two side by side isn’t permitted). MCL 257.660b.

• Cell phone use must be hands-free. Just like car drivers, cyclists are permitted only hands-free phone use. In fact, the law restricts cyclists from carrying anything that keeps them from having both hands on the handlebars. And, of course, no texting for bicyclists or motor vehicle operators! 

Take Safety Precautions  

• Many of the most dangerous motorist behaviors are the same things that cause most auto accidents: distracted or intoxicated driving, speeding, and failing to yield the right of way.  

• Motorists should drive at a speed appropriate for conditions and avoid distractions. It’s often harder to see a bicyclist from afar, and the faster you are driving, the less time you will have to react when you do see the bike. 

• Being predictable is important to allow bicyclists to know your intentions. Motorists should always signal turns and lane changes in advance and stop at red lights and stop signs. Turning immediately in front of a cyclist is very dangerous, especially if you don’t signal the turn and allow enough time to react to your change in direction.  

• Yield to bicycles as you would to cars—the law requires it. 

• Allow plenty of room when passing a bicycle. “Squeezing” a cyclist by passing too closely is dangerous. With the exception of a local safe-passing law in Grand Rapids that requires a five-foot passing allowance, Michigan doesn't have a law that sets a specific safe distance for passing a bicycle. However, general traffic laws require vehicles to pass on the left at a safe distance.  

Find more about bicycle safety at NHTSA’s website and the League of Michigan Bicyclists website and enjoy sharing the road with all those healthy cyclists!