Safe Roads for Bicycling

Law Enforcement Resources

The League of Illinois Bicyclists offers law enforcement agencies several resources to help them train officers on bicycling issues, educate motorists and bicyclists about safe bicycling and enforce traffic laws.

Articles

• Kirby Beck, a Minnesota police officer, writes a compelling article on "The Case for Bicycling Enforcement," which examines the arguments on why police should enforce traffic laws involving bicyclists and motorists.
• "12 Things You Should Know about Bicycles, Crashes and Safety" -- a concise compilation of bicycling issues which officers should know.

Training

• The League of Illinois Bicyclists has developed a PowerPoint presentation on "Safe Roads for Bicycling" that can be watched and downloaded by law enforcement agencies wanting to inform their officers on bicycling issues. Download the 5.4MB PowerPoint file or a 1MB Acrobat file of that presentation.
• The above presentation is part of a free course the league offers to Illinois law enforcement. The course includes our video, "Share the Road - Same Road, Same Rules, Same Rights".
• View the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's video for law enforcement.

Materials

• A color poster that alerts officers to the danger zones for bicyclists and motorists.
• A traffic violation warning pamphlet officers can share with motorists and bicyclists to make roads safe for bicycling. This pamphlet is also available in an Acrobat format version which contains printer's alignment marks.
• The league offers law enforcement Illinois bike law cards with excerpts from the Illinois Vehicle Code, including the state's new three-foot safe passage law. This card is also available in an Acrobat format version which contains printer's alignment marks.

Bike Rodeos

If your law enforcement agency would like to sponsor a bike rodeo for children, learn how to stage one.

Bike Safety Sheets for Kids

The League of Illinois Bicyclists has bike safety sheets focusing on safe riding skills. The single-page format can easily be reprinted in newsletters, copied for bike rodeos, etc. There are two versions: one for younger elementary school kids, one for older elementary and pre-teens. The back of each has further details for parents.

The sheets are available in color as Acrobat^® files. To print the younger kids' version, print side 1 and then side 2, to print the older kids' version, print side 1 and then side 2.

For more...

If you are interested in learning more about the free, four-hour Safe Roads for Bicycling class, ordering bike law cards or the LIB video or have a comment or question about this site and the materials, contact: Dean Schott, the league's outreach director, 847-291-1213.