May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and local city officials and police will be marking the occasion with education, awareness and enforcement efforts in the coming weeks.
Morgan Hill Police and the California Office of Traffic Safety officials are encouraging motorists and bicyclists to look out for one another during National Bicycle Safety Month.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility,” said MHPD Sgt. Ray Ramos. “People get around in a variety of ways, including bikes and walking, so it is important that we are aware of one another and do our part to ensure everyone is able to get to their destination safely.”
Deaths in bicycle-related crashes are on the rise, according to authorities. In 2016, 138 bicycle riders were killed on California roads, a nearly 25 percent increase from 2011. Among the primary factors in these crashes were failing to yield right of way, speeding, improper turning, using the wrong side of the road and not following traffic signs or signals, reads a press release from Morgan Hill police.
The City of Morgan Hill and the Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Specialized Bicycles and Bike Therapy, will host a free Bicycle Rodeo Festival from May 11 from noon to 3pm in the parking lot at the corner of Depot and First streets.
MHPD offered the following tips to ensure the safety of everyone on the road:
• Drivers should look behind them before making a turn at an intersection, especially if crossing into a designated bike lane.
• Drivers should use extra caution backing up or leaving a parking space.
• Bicyclists should go with the flow of traffic and let faster traffic pass.
• Bicyclists should make themselves visible and wear brightly colored clothing.
• Bicyclists are advised to use lights from dusk to dawn (front white light and rear red flashing light or reflectors).
• Bicyclists should always wear a helmet and use hand signals when turning or stopping.
• Both drivers and bicyclists should avoid distractions like using their cell phone.
To learn more about safe ways to get around, visit morgan-hill.ca.gov and gosafelyca.org.
City gears up for Tour
National Bicycle Safety Month coincides with a number of local events during May that further promote cycling as a fitness activity, mode of transportation or competitive sport.
On May 14, the Amgen Tour of California—one of the most prestigious professional cycling races in the world—will once again make its way through Morgan Hill. This time, the city will host the men’s Stage 3 finish line of the annual tour. The 128.6-mile Stage 3 will start in Stockton and finish near the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road.
The race will require the closure of numerous street segments and intersections in Morgan Hill from approximately 2:45pm to 3:45pm May 14. To see a detailed list and map of street closure locations and times, visit morgan-hill.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24295/2019-Detailed-Course-Closure-Impacts
The men’s Amgen Tour features a total of seven stages from May 12 to May 18, starting in Sacramento and ending in Pasadena. The total race distance is 773 miles, and will start with 19 professional cycling teams and more than 200 riders.
