Reduce Speed Limits

Slow Down when Passing a Cyclist

The current speeds that vehicles drive on rural highways when passing bicyclists are far too fast to ensure the cyclist's safety, so if speed limits were reduced, this would force drivers to slow down. 

In Washtenaw County:  

In a survey I sent to members of AAVC and other local cycling groups, over half of the 70 respondents claimed that vehicles fail to slow down when passing them. Drivers who do not slow down may be under the impression that because it is not a legal requirement in Michigan, it does not affect bicyclists. However, if a vehicle is approaching a cyclist and does not slow down, let alone move over, how does the cyclist know if the driver sees them?

Variable Speed Limits

Pairing the data collected from Parks and the experiences of cyclists in Washtenaw County highlights a concerning trend: bicyclists on rural highways already face the most threatening crash statistics based on vehicle speed, and of those vehicles, at least half do not slow down while passing. So if Washtenaw County implemented variable speed limits by lowering them on rural highways between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., it would be the most effective solution that decreases vehicle passing speeds. 

Reducing speed limits only during the time of day where cyclist crashes are most likely to happen is beneficial because it is much more common for cyclists to ride during the afternoon. Even a reduction from 55 to 45 mph would make me, as a cyclist, feel much safer.