LANSING, Mich. - As the clocks "fall back" to standard time this Sunday, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and the Michigan Fitness Foundation are reminding drivers to watch out for people traveling on foot or rolling, like on a bicycle, wheelchair, skateboard or other personal device, during twilight hours during mornings and evenings. Motorists also should allow a minimum 3-foot distance when passing a bicyclist, according to state law.
Research from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute confirms that pedestrians are more at risk of serious injury from a motor vehicle crash in the weeks following a return to standard time. The most dangerous time is the first hour of darkness.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 7,314 pedestrians and 1,166 pedalcyclists - bicyclists and riders of other nonmotorized vehicles powered solely by pedals - died in traffic crashes in 2023.
MDOT, OHSP and Michigan Fitness Foundation reminder: Be alert and safe as clocks "fall back" on Sunday
