Watch for Pedestrians and Cyclists on Roadways During Spring Forward Time Change

As clocks spring forward to daylight saving time at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, March 14, the Michigan Department of Transportation reminds drivers to watch out for pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists.

Sunrise will occur one hour later, meaning that it will be darker later in the morning. Drivers are reminded that bicyclists are permitted to ride on most roadways in Michigan. Bicyclists are reminded that, as legal roadway users, they are required to obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals. A person operating a bicycle upon a highway or street at less than the existing speed of traffic shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

In Michigan, there were 149 pedestrian fatalities and 21 bicyclist fatalities in traffic crashes, with 81 percent pedestrian fatalities and 48 percent bicyclist fatalities involved in traffic crashes that occurred during low light or dark conditions.