Avon Lake Police Department Advises Drivers to Look Out For Cyclists

As April showers begin to bring May flowers, and as people start planning out their first summer bike ride, local law enforcement is thinking of ways to make sure cyclists are safe when the weather gets warm.

Sergeant Carrender of the Avon Lake Police Department has posted a video to their Facebook page urging safe habits for those on two wheels as streets become busier. Carrender, who rides a motorcycle himself, is also the city’s motor officer.

“Spring is here and summer is just around the corner,” Carrender said in the video. “The kids are out playing, people are out walking or jogging, bicycles and motorcycles are out riding; the sidewalks are getting busy.”

Carrender urges people to look twice when driving, and to refrain from looking at their phone regardless of the speed they are traveling. He warned that bikes are small and vulnerable on the road, and drivers should do their part by taking extra precautions at this time of year.

“Rather than tell someone about how dangerous a motorcycle is,” Carrender said, “instead look twice before switching lanes, making turns or pulling out of the driveway or a side street.”

Carrender also noted that it is difficult to judge the speed and distance of motorcycles, making them that much more in danger of being hit by a larger vehicle. In this scenario, looking twice could have the power to save a life.