In addition to encouraging more people to use bicycles, the bill would provide enhanced security for cyclists, said state Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, a co-sponsor of the bill.

“Bicyclists are in danger when they’re on the road,” Meadows said.

“People often don’t have an idea of how they should be driving in the vicinity of a bicyclist, so this would require some training in driver’s education classes.”

The Michigan Department of State, which is in charge of licensing drivers, opposed the bill because bicyclist safety already is addressed and should not be the focus of driver’s education, spokesman Ken Silfven said.

“There’s a short window of opportunity for instructors to teach youngsters the fundamentals of driving, and that should be the focus,” Silfven said.

“If you try to cram every possible issue into the course, it will become overwhelming for students.”
But Meadows said bicycling awareness will not clog classroom time.

“This won’t be any greater a burden on driver’s education,” Meadows said. “Driver education companies that provide that service didn’t have any problems with it.”

Although there are debates whether driver’s education is the best forum to address safety in regard to bicyclists, the subject needs more attention, said Todd Sneathen, the director of the East Lansing Department of Public Works.

“There’s not a lot of info out there about the rules with regard to bicycling,” Sneathen said. “I don’t know if this is the appropriate place to have it taught, but there does need to be more information given to drivers in regard to bicycles.”

Some student bikers, such as journalism junior Zach Berridge, said while they do not fear riding in designated bike lanes on the roads, altering drivers education could help drivers become more conscious of the presence of bikers.

“On campus they’ll come riding up real fast to a stop sign and pull out onto the sidewalk or lanes,” he said.

“I’ve almost run into a couple cars doing that because people are in a hurry.”

However, since elections took place last week, the Legislature now is meeting in lame duck sessions and only has until the end of the year to pass legislation. Any bill not passed into law dies, and will have to be reintroduced next session. Meadows said he is hopeful the Senate will take up the bill, but time is limited.

“We’re trying to push through as much legislation as possible in a short window of time,” Meadows said.

“We’ll be trying, but I don’t know if it will get done.”

Staff writer Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.