As the weather warms up, more campus community members will be riding bicycles for their commutes or recreation. The University of Michigan proudly has campuses in three bicycle-friendly areas—Dearborn, Flint, and Ann Arbor. In fact, Ann Arbor was named one of the friendliest cities in the state by The League of American Bicyclists.
While biking is a great way to get around, there are also important safety considerations to remember while participating in the activity. To help celebrate May being National Bike Safety Month, the Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) offers bikers the following tips and reminders to stay safe this summer.
Biking Safety Tips
While riding in any environment, stay safe using the following tips:
- Wear a helmet
- Remain alert at all times
- Follow traffic laws and signals
- Ride with the traffic, not against it
- Be visible—put a white light at the front of your bicycle and a red light at the back
- Wear bright or reflective clothing
- Utilize designated bike lanes and paths
- Yield to walkers on sidewalks and paths—they have the right of way
Securing Your Bike
Bicycles are frequent targets for theft, especially on a college campus. Why? Because they are valuable, portable, and easy to steal.
To help protect your property, we suggest:
- Register your bicycle with DPSS. – Registering your bike (or personal electronics such as a laptop) with the University of Michigan Police Department (UMPD) can help deter theft and assist in the recovery of stolen property if your bike is stolen.
- Use a designated parking location. – If you plan on parking your bike on campus or anywhere else in public, use a designated parking location. Locking your bike to benches, garbage cans, railings, or other objects could result in your bike being impounded.
- Invest in a quality lock. – We suggest using a hardened steel U-lock with a double-lock mechanism or a strong chain. Avoid cable locks, which are easy to cut through.
- Know the right way to use your lock. – When locking your bike to a rack, secure it through the frame and at least one (though preferably both) of the wheels.
- Secure or remove expensive bike accessories. – When parking your bike, it is important to either secure or remove accessories that otherwise might be stolen. This includes seats, bags, bottles, lights or GPS tracking devices.
Other University Resources
The University of Michigan Logistics, Transportation & Parking Department provides user-friendly guidelines for safely biking around campus, bike parking and abandoned bike removal. For your convenience, we have included some pertinent links below:
- Bicycle safety guidelines: All the need-to-know information about bicycle safety on and around the University of Michigan campus.
- Parking locations: Learn where to park your bicycle on campus using bike racks, bike lockers and other parking locations.
- Bike resources: Links to bike maps, cycling techniques, tips for riding safely, bicycle clubs and advocacy organizations.